Transparency
Introducing my first finished proper quilt for 2015, this is Transparency. With rubbish photos because I don’t get to see the sun this time of the year. The idea is that it’s a simpler reloaded Card Trick Block rotated 45 degrees. The four translucent “cards” overlap and show through the colours that would be produced where those colours overlap. Or that’s what it should look like anyway. The effect is definitely better from a distance.
The washable marker pen came out great in the wash! Huge success- and I didn’t even use stain remover to help it along in the end.
And I’m using the labelling technique that I used on my swap mini and will probably make a habit of doing this for the rest of the year, one day I’d like to backdate my labelling (or lack of) too.
I basted this quilt at the last meeting of EMMQG and it’s taken me a couple of weekends to quilt around the main four colours with my walking foot which did a great job, then I stenciled in the centre of the mandala and echo quilted around it as a FMQ technique where four blocks joined, making nine of those in total.
The back is made from simply piecing two 3 yard pieces from the bargains at Fabric Guild. The navy one is a Stof print at £2 a yard and the pink is from Gracie Girl from Riley Blake at £3 a yard. I wish I bought more, I only have scraps left- I backed the Horseplay cushion with a big chunk of the pink and I donated the navy to Ange as I knew the remnant would just fester in my stash otherwise.
Now I just need to finish writing the instructions and drawing the diagrams and get it in the post to Popular Patchwork.
STATS
Size – 72″ square
Number of blocks – 16
Time to make– 15-20 hours
Fabric – Makower solids in grey, white, red, yellow and blue and four print FQs- light blue Pearl Bracelets, a pink Art Gallery print, green Bike Path by Alison Glass and an Orange Lizzy House print.
Backing Fabric – Uno Cycling by Stof and pink numbers from Gracie Girl by Lori Holt.
Binding Fabric – Makower imprint black and white Sketch-like grid
Threads – Coats Moon throughout
Batting – 80/20 Soft and Elegant
Quilting- Straight line around outside of four main colours in each block plus FMQ mandalas in intersections
This is my second finish for the 2015 Q1 Finish Along.
Linking up with:

Right, well now I have a project to finish for the Sewing Directory and I’m onto my second of my three show entry quilts, time is of the essence. It’s time to get curvy…
P.S. Don’t forget to enter the Fancy Moon giveaway – today (Friday 23rd Jan) is your last chance!
January 23, 2015 10:26 am|
That is such a clever effect! I totally got it just from my reader thumbnail! Clever girl and great tip on the kid’s markers.
January 23, 2015 1:56 pm|
We don’t get sun this time of the year either. I think we had 1.5 hours last week….
I love a good transparency quilt and have never even considered using prints. Brilliant idea to get the proper effect! Beautifully executed, Kerry!
January 23, 2015 2:32 pm|
One day I want to play with the whole transparency concept. Your quilt is lovely.
January 23, 2015 2:38 pm|
Great job on the transparency effect. I love the quilting motif, and think it is great that you kept track of the time you spent on the project and got a label on. I need to do that!
January 23, 2015 4:22 pm|
I love the transparency effect – any advice on choosing fabrics? Is it trial and audition and step back a lot?
January 23, 2015 6:48 pm|
I love that effect!
January 24, 2015 1:01 am|
Good idea with the overlaps, as as for the stash, Christmas just arrived and I’m having a bit of an ‘oh shit’ moment on where to put some of it!
January 25, 2015 2:31 pm|
it looks great! I love the mandala motifs, they do not look easy to do!
April 5, 2015 9:26 am|
Great finish. In the thumbnail photo the transparency effect was really good!
April 7, 2015 8:07 pm|
Very very cool pattern – you have made a super job of choosing the colours/fabrics as it is certainly effective. Well done!