Rainbow Dash ~ QN Best Fat Quarter Quilts
Rainbow Dash
How this quilt came to be.
To announce our newly formed relationship with Island Batik fabrics, they had created some awesome fabrics for us to play with. As usual we loved how they all looked together so we decided to design something that incorporated as many of the pieces as possible. Since the colors are so vibrant we knew immediately that we wanted to pair them with black.
We’ve been designing Dresden circle quilts for quite a while and just love how they look and yet, are so incredibly easy to make. This, for us, was the perfect place to start.
Since we’re known for using many fabrics in our projects, it’s no surprise that fat quarters are our go-to almost every time. Our design process is organic, meaning rarely have a fully formed plan so we just never know where it’s going to go. In this case, after making the dresden circles, we had a large section of the fat quarter left over. That’s how that crazy, amazing border happened. We love it!
And the quilting? Subtle yet effective…awesome free motion swirls.
Thank you, Quilter’s Newsletter.
Enjoy,
Mary & Barbara
Tabitha K.
November 14, 2014 @ 10:38 pm
I love the beautiful colors in your quilt! Stunning! Thanks for the inspiration!
tdkcarpenoctem@hotmail.com
Mary Hoover
November 15, 2014 @ 5:02 pm
Thanks, Tabitha.
Cecilia
November 14, 2014 @ 1:29 pm
I love your take on the Dresden plate block and the bright colors you used.
Mary Hoover
November 14, 2014 @ 3:28 pm
Thanks, Cecilia.
Karen Thurn
November 14, 2014 @ 1:09 pm
Stunning quilt!! Years ago I made a quilt featuring black and it looked great and sold for over $250.00 at a church quilt auction. Unfortunately, the materials cost more than that and the quilting of it was donated. But then again. it was a joy to make and that was priceless. kthurn@bektel.com
Mary Hoover
November 14, 2014 @ 3:30 pm
We are quilts, first and foremost, because we love to play with fabric and the joy it brings to our lives. Yes, priceless.
Linda Perry
November 14, 2014 @ 8:30 am
Years ago I made a quilt with a black background and brights of turquoise and hot pink and hardly anyone liked it. Times were different and most were making their grandmother’s quilts- calico prints on off white. So glad there are options for everyone to enjoy now.
Mary Hoover
November 14, 2014 @ 8:36 am
You were just a girl ahead of her time. You paved the way for all of us. Thanks
Esther Sherrill
November 14, 2014 @ 3:53 am
Love the colors!
Mary Hoover
November 14, 2014 @ 7:38 am
Thank you, Esther.
Millie
November 14, 2014 @ 3:42 am
Nice work. Thank you for participating and for taking the time to respond to posts.
Mary Hoover
November 14, 2014 @ 7:40 am
Thanks. We are so grateful you all took the time to visit our page and say something nice or to ask a question. Enjoy the day.
Chris
November 14, 2014 @ 2:52 am
I really like the quilt. Now I need tips on sewing on a Black Background. It is so hard for me to see. I love the look but seeing to sew is difficult for me. What is your magic trick.
Mary Hoover
November 14, 2014 @ 7:51 am
Hi Chris. Light, light, light. We both have a pinpoint light attached to our machines. You can move the neck to direct the light to shine exactly where you want it. If you sew with a 1/4″ foot so be sure to place the light so it doesn’t leave a shadow on the right. I’ve also seen a sewing light with an attached magnifier. It’s all about the getting as much light as you can directed to your sewing area.
quiltfru
November 14, 2014 @ 2:49 am
That quit reminds me of Hawaii and the many rainbows you can see there. It is lovely!
Mary Hoover
November 14, 2014 @ 7:54 am
Thank you. Someday we’d love to go there and be inspired to make another rainbow quilt.
teri c
November 14, 2014 @ 12:08 am
I love your rainbow quilt. great use of the beautiful batiks.
Mary Hoover
November 14, 2014 @ 7:54 am
Thanks, Teri.
Cindy Shelley
November 13, 2014 @ 11:33 pm
Rainbows are my favorite
Mary Hoover
November 14, 2014 @ 7:55 am
Us, too.
Diane Putzer
November 13, 2014 @ 9:38 pm
I love the shades of color with black. It was probably over 20 years ago I ran into a friend at a quilt store when I was picking out fabric for a quilt. Her comment was that you should always put black in a quilt because it makes the colors look more dramatic. Since that friend has since died from breast cancer, I think of her whenever I see a beautiful quilt with black fabric. Thanks for invoking a good memory.
Mary Hoover
November 14, 2014 @ 8:01 am
Sorry you lost your friend. It always so comforting when a random event evokes a memory and it makes you smile with happy memories. It’s like a gift from that person. Have a great day.
Margaret Schindler
November 13, 2014 @ 9:19 pm
What a lovely quilt. This is such a unique design. Thank you for the inspiration
Mary Hoover
November 14, 2014 @ 8:03 am
Thank, Margaret. Let us know what you were inspired to make.
Diantha Howard
November 13, 2014 @ 9:09 pm
I love the gradation of colors, and the black background sets them off so well!
Mary Hoover
November 14, 2014 @ 8:05 am
Thank you, Diantha.
lindawwww
November 13, 2014 @ 9:05 pm
What a great quilt! I love the shapes and beautiful colours.
Mary Hoover
November 14, 2014 @ 8:05 am
Thank you, Linda.
Pam
November 13, 2014 @ 9:02 pm
I love rainbow colored batiks! This quilt is gorgeous! Thanks for sharing.
Mary Hoover
November 14, 2014 @ 8:06 am
Thanks, Pam. We really enjoyed making it.
Shannon
November 13, 2014 @ 8:57 pm
Love this rainbow quilt! even photos of it are brightening my rainy day!
Mary Hoover
November 14, 2014 @ 8:08 am
Yeah, the polar express has come to the northeast. The comment about Hawaii made me long for a warm breeze. Have a great day.
Heidi
November 13, 2014 @ 8:56 pm
Always love a dark background!
Mary Hoover
November 14, 2014 @ 8:09 am
Thanks, Heidi.
Margaret
November 13, 2014 @ 8:53 pm
Love the colors and the checked border is my favorite element.
Mary Hoover
November 14, 2014 @ 8:11 am
Thanks. We really like it, too.
Barbara
November 13, 2014 @ 8:49 pm
A wonderful quilt. I love the bright colours on the black background and the design is amazing. Thank you for sharing
Mary Hoover
November 14, 2014 @ 8:12 am
Thanks, Barbara. Have a great day.
Cynthia lanahan
November 13, 2014 @ 8:43 pm
You are very brave with your colors and designs. I am just beginning to tiptoe out of my box
Mary Hoover
November 14, 2014 @ 8:15 am
Thanks, Cynthia. Don’t be afraid to fail. You learn so much more when designs don’t work. The rewards from trying something new are endless. It’s only fabric. Good luck!
MoeWest
November 13, 2014 @ 8:03 pm
What a lovely, vibrant quilt! Is the outer border actually pieced!? What size are the squares?
Mary Hoover
November 13, 2014 @ 8:27 pm
Thanks, Maureen. It is pieced. The piano key and checkerboard are 1 inch.
JoyceLM
November 13, 2014 @ 7:55 pm
Cool quilt – thanks for sharing.
Mary Hoover
November 13, 2014 @ 8:27 pm
Thank you, Joyce.
Debby E
November 13, 2014 @ 7:19 pm
OMGosh! I LOVE it – everything about it!! The colors, the design, the quilting – it’s beautiful. Thanks so much for sharing and for the chance to win 🙂
Mary Hoover
November 13, 2014 @ 8:29 pm
Thank you, Debby. We love it, too. Thanks for stopping by and leaving a comment. Good luck.
Laura
November 13, 2014 @ 6:54 pm
it’s brilliant in more ways than one!!
Mary Hoover
November 13, 2014 @ 6:58 pm
Thank you, Laura.
Sherrye
November 13, 2014 @ 6:20 pm
WOW!!! All I can say is WOW!!! Absolutely breathtaking……
Mary Hoover
November 13, 2014 @ 6:55 pm
Thanks, Sherry. We appreciate your kind words.
Pamela
November 13, 2014 @ 6:12 pm
I am a sucker for rainbows (retired Kindergarten teacher!) I love the Rainbow Dash quilt.
Mary Hoover
November 13, 2014 @ 6:56 pm
Yeah, we get that. Kids at heart. Just can’t shake the rainbow love.
Jessica
November 13, 2014 @ 6:02 pm
Love the colours paired with the black and nice choice on the swirls for the quilting. (Am feeling inspired to practice those for my next project!) Thanks, Jessica
Mary Hoover
November 13, 2014 @ 6:56 pm
Thanks, Jessica. Go for it!
Rhonda Davis
November 13, 2014 @ 5:16 pm
I love rainbows. Pairing the bold rainbow colors with black is one of my faves! Beautiful quilt!!!!
Mary Hoover
November 13, 2014 @ 5:50 pm
Thank you, Rhonda.
Rommy
November 13, 2014 @ 5:05 pm
So nice. Wow .It’ s the quiltlove on first moment . That’ s very very nice
Mary Hoover
November 13, 2014 @ 5:53 pm
Hahahaha. Good one. Thanks, Rommy
Rose Landon
November 13, 2014 @ 5:04 pm
Love the quilt and the black is stunning.
Mary Hoover
November 13, 2014 @ 5:54 pm
Rose, thank you for taking the time to stop by.
Sallie
November 13, 2014 @ 4:57 pm
Beautiful! Thanks for sharing!
Mary Hoover
November 13, 2014 @ 5:54 pm
Thank you, Sallie.
Shye
November 13, 2014 @ 3:53 pm
Love the quilt. It is amazingly intricate and beautiful! Thanks for sharing!
Mary Hoover
November 13, 2014 @ 4:30 pm
Thank you, Shye.
Melody Lutz
November 13, 2014 @ 3:44 pm
I love rainbow quilts anyway but this is stunning! It’s totally up my alley.
Mary Hoover
November 13, 2014 @ 4:31 pm
Awesome, Melody. Thank you.
Lisa Marie
November 13, 2014 @ 3:44 pm
I love this! Dresdens made to look non-traditional are really wonderful!
Mary Hoover
November 13, 2014 @ 4:31 pm
We love that as well. They are really fun to design with.
Sarah
November 13, 2014 @ 3:43 pm
My daughter would love the name of this quilt!
Mary Hoover
November 13, 2014 @ 4:32 pm
Cool. Thanks.
Jenelle Boxberger
November 13, 2014 @ 3:37 pm
I just love how happy this quilts makes me feel when I look at it. Thanks for the fun.
Mary Hoover
November 13, 2014 @ 4:32 pm
That is so nice. It makes us happy as well. You can’t help but to smile when you look at it.
Janie
November 13, 2014 @ 3:23 pm
Very pretty. Love the fabrics. Thanks for the chance.
Mary Hoover
November 13, 2014 @ 4:33 pm
Thanks, Janie. Good luck.
Trudy Keller
November 13, 2014 @ 3:18 pm
I love this quilt! Love the bright colors, and the black sets them off perfectly. On my to do list!
Mary Hoover
November 13, 2014 @ 4:33 pm
Yay!. Let us know when it’s finished.
Janet T
November 13, 2014 @ 2:48 pm
Love this quilt!!! It is beautiful !!
Mary Hoover
November 13, 2014 @ 2:52 pm
Thank you, Janet. We loved designing it.
Kay Eubank
November 13, 2014 @ 2:33 pm
Beautiful quilt Love the colors
Mary Hoover
November 13, 2014 @ 2:56 pm
Thanks. This quilt was born due to the color.
Donna Brunner
November 13, 2014 @ 2:19 pm
I love black with bright eye popping colors. This jelly roll is perfect for my next quilt.
Mary Hoover
November 13, 2014 @ 3:00 pm
Eye popping for sure. It’s not crazy bright in person, though. Jelly roll? We used fat quarters for this project. We don’t think a 2 1/2″ strip will be wide enough for the Dresden circles. Try it and let us know how it goes.
Jennifer
November 13, 2014 @ 1:56 pm
Oh, wow! I’ve enjoyed making Dresden circles lately but that border sends that quilt out of this world!
Mary Hoover
November 13, 2014 @ 3:02 pm
Thanks, Jennifer. Dresden are so fun to make. They go together so quickly. You cut some wedges and suddenly they’re finished.
Julie in GA
November 13, 2014 @ 1:50 pm
I love your incredible rainbow quilt!
Mary Hoover
November 13, 2014 @ 3:04 pm
Island Batik did a great job designing this line for us. We weren’t sure what to expect. We were so excited when we saw it was a rainbow line.
Nancy
November 13, 2014 @ 1:50 pm
What a great use of the rainbow colors. Often they are overwhelming, but yours turned out beautifully. Thanks for sharing!
Mary Hoover
November 13, 2014 @ 3:05 pm
Thanks, Nancy. The amount of black, free space, helped to keep that under control.
Joy B
November 13, 2014 @ 1:28 pm
I seriously love this quilt! Those beautiful colors just pop against that black. This one is now on my “to do” list!
Mary Hoover
November 13, 2014 @ 3:08 pm
We’re so happy. You’ll have fun making it. It’s easily pieced but will take some time. But worth your time. Let us know when you get it done.
kathy pfaltzgraff
November 13, 2014 @ 12:58 pm
Love the colors and black in this quilt, it doesn’t only glow, it vibrates! And yes, the border makes the quilt. Keep up the good work, Kathy in Colo
Mary Hoover
November 13, 2014 @ 3:10 pm
Thanks, Kathy. You should piece a little at a time on your snowy days. I guess you should have started yesterday.
Barbara Dorman
November 13, 2014 @ 12:53 pm
I love the colors and the contrast!
Mary Hoover
November 13, 2014 @ 3:14 pm
Thanks, Barbara. I hope it makes it to your “To Do” list.
Donna
November 13, 2014 @ 12:39 pm
Rainbow 0f colors looks so neat.
Mary Hoover
November 13, 2014 @ 3:14 pm
Thank you, Donna.
JillB
November 13, 2014 @ 12:37 pm
What a fabulous quilt! I love rainbow quilts! Thanks for the chance to win!
Mary Hoover
November 13, 2014 @ 3:13 pm
Thanks, Jill. Wishing you good luck in our drawing.
Jocelyn
November 13, 2014 @ 12:18 pm
Beautiful! Love the colors.
Mary Hoover
November 13, 2014 @ 3:12 pm
Color, color, color. We have to use them all. Thanks, Jocelyn.
Deb Berkebile
November 13, 2014 @ 12:16 pm
Love the colors! Very bright and energetic! Borders are fabulous
Mary Hoover
November 13, 2014 @ 3:11 pm
Energetic, that’s a good one. Thanks, Deb.
Heather J
November 13, 2014 @ 11:47 am
Your quilt is striking. Love the borders.
Mary Hoover
November 13, 2014 @ 11:59 am
Thank you. It really works.
Allison
November 13, 2014 @ 11:44 am
Love the batiks and the fact that the quilt looks so modern!!!
Mary Hoover
November 13, 2014 @ 12:00 pm
Thanks.
Quilting Tangent
November 13, 2014 @ 11:43 am
Beautiful quilt love the rainbow colors.
Mary Hoover
November 13, 2014 @ 12:01 pm
Thank you.
Stephanie Lau
November 13, 2014 @ 11:38 am
Really love the rainbow! The dark background really lets the color pop!
Mary Hoover
November 13, 2014 @ 12:03 pm
Thank you. We really wanted to pump up that color even more so we chose black. It makes you look at it.
Carol Sc
November 13, 2014 @ 11:34 am
Wow! What a colorful quilt! I love it! There is an awful lot of seams. but it sure is effective. I’m going to try it (probably on a smaller scale). : – )
Mary Hoover
November 13, 2014 @ 11:38 am
Great idea!
Vicki H
November 13, 2014 @ 11:30 am
Stunning quilt! I like the border you used.
Mary Hoover
November 13, 2014 @ 11:34 am
Yeah, it seems to glow. Happy with how it all came together.
Sandy K
November 13, 2014 @ 11:28 am
I hope to someday make a rainbow quilt of my own. The Rainbow Dash is beautiful.
Mary Hoover
November 13, 2014 @ 11:39 am
It’s easy to make a rainbow quilt because all of the colors automatically go together.
Veronika
November 13, 2014 @ 11:26 am
Wow that border is mesmerizing! Love all the colors 🙂
Mary Hoover
November 13, 2014 @ 11:41 am
We know. It really is.
Kathie L
November 13, 2014 @ 11:23 am
I always love quilts that use all the colors of the rainbow. Just stunning.
Mary Hoover
November 13, 2014 @ 11:41 am
Thank you.
Debbi Biedler
November 13, 2014 @ 10:53 am
The black makes the colors look even brighter. Love it!
Mary Hoover
November 13, 2014 @ 11:29 am
True. You can never go wrong pairing black with brights.
Barbara Dorman
November 13, 2014 @ 10:51 am
Love the colors and the contrast!
Mary Hoover
November 13, 2014 @ 11:30 am
We are in love with this design. The rainbow makes the border glow.
JanineMarie
November 13, 2014 @ 10:36 am
I never get tired of rainbow quilts. And this one is so striking, with the combination of plates, stripes and checks!
Kathy Nielson
November 13, 2014 @ 10:32 am
Love the rainbow but not sure if I have enough nerve to try it
Mary Hoover
November 13, 2014 @ 11:26 am
Kathy,
The dresden circles really are incredibly easy to piece. They are then appliqued onto the background using a blanket stitch. Worth a try.
Linda E in AZ
November 13, 2014 @ 10:27 am
Really stunning use of batik color!
thanks
Mary Hoover
November 13, 2014 @ 11:31 am
Thanks. We love working with batiks. It’s all about color for us.