Wednesday 24 February 2016

Aviatrix Medallion {Finished at last!!}

A few days ago, I finally finished sewing the binding down on my Aviatrix Medallion, so this epically epic quilt is finally (almost!) finished! Aviatrix has been roughly a year in the making, so I hope you're not sick of seeing it quite yet (I know I've been sharing it quite frequently over the course of piecing and quilting it!). I still have a lot of thread burying to do, but it is essentially finished - so this is the last time you'll have to see it ;o). 


I made this quilt as a class sample for the class I taught at Frangipani Fabrics last year (and will be teaching again this year), and all the fabrics in the quilt are from Frangipani. The Aviatrix Medallion pattern is designed by Elizabeth Hartman, and I stuck pretty closely to her original palette, but I've used print fabrics rather than solids as in the pattern. I really do prefer working with prints, especially prints that have a dominant colour, and I think they work perfectly in this quilt. It gives the blocks a bit more sparkle than with solids, I think.


This is a pretty time consuming quilt to piece - although the centre is the only really difficult part to put together. Having said that, the way I chose to quilt it made it a truly epic quilt to make. I haven't timed it at all, but I reckon I spent close to 150 hours quilting this one. And I am really proud of what I achieved with it. I tried really hard to be original in my quilting choices, and to add lots of texture without taking away from the piecing design too much. I think I've achieved my aims - I know this much detailed quilting isn't to everyone's taste, but I adore how it's finished up!


I used a wool/poly batting for the first time on this quilt - and I'm hooked. It gives the quilting a bit more puff than 100% wool batting, and it has a lovely drape despite all that quilting. I figure if I am going to spend all that time quilting, it might as well be noticeable ;o). 


Having looked through these photos, I've decided I will go back and add some more quilting to the log cabins that haven't been quilted in the coloured sections. In the photo below, you can see I've quilted a cross hatch pattern in the yellow log cabin - I'm going to go back and add bits of quilting like that at some stage soon.


 The back of this quilt is simply pieced, with a Cotton and Steel voile down the centre and a dark pink solid on either side. The voile held up amazingly well with all the quilting on this quilt - and having such a light weight fabric on the back means it drapes amazingly well. Not only that, it feels delightful!


As always, I matched my bobbin thread to the top thread, so the quilting on the solid pink is really visible, especially where I've quilted over the same place a few times. I somehow managed to keep the back straight relative to the front too - not something that always happens when I piece backs! The binding is partly pieced using the left overs from the top, and partly neutral fabric that blends in with the final border.


All the quilting was done with Aurifil threads - Dove grey 50wt for all the background and grey areas, and the four colours you can see below for the coloured sections. I love that you can see the quilting on some of the coloured sections, but blends into others. Changing thread colours wasn't something I originally planned for this quilt, but I'm glad I did. Although it means a lot of threads to bury, I think with this much quilting it needs to blend fairly well, or it would completely dominate the piecing.


This quilt was on my Finish Along Quarter One list, so I'm especially pleased to get one finish in this quarter. I've had so many lovely comments during the making of this quilt, thank you so much for your encouragement! I'm incredibly happy with how it's turned out, although I'm looking forward to making a couple of simple quilts before launching into my next epic quilt ;o)

xx Jess

26 comments:

Lucy | Charm About You said...

Totally incredible! The quilting is epic and really makes it look spectacular. Well done!!

Debbie said...

This is absolutely gorgeous!! What a fantastic finish!! I'll go share on our FAL fb page!

Yvonne from Quilting Jetgirl said...

The texture you achieved through the quilting is amazing and wonderful! I like how it compliments the design but adds so much. The view of the solid areas on the backing is stunning. Beautiful work and congratulations on this epic finish. :)

Charlotte said...

just, WOW!

Liz said...

Beautiful finish! I just want to run my hands over it. It's so inviting, with the colors and texture. Good work on this truly epic quilt!

Janine said...

This is a beautiful quilt! And I love your quilting.

Valli said...

Exceptional quilting! I really enjoyed seeing all the closeup details.

Sally said...

Hi I love how you have made this quilt, I am going to make it for my son and future daughter in law as a wedding present, luckily the wedding is not until 2017. Can you please let me know what fabric you have used for the light accent in the blocks and for the borders please as I am going to use Tula Pink fabrics. Thank you.

Robby said...

I believe your word 'epic' is well used for this quilt. I also tend to prefer prints over solids in my work as I feel they offer a richness that solids do not. BUT, each has a place in the world of quilting.

barcord said...

Epic is the right word for this quilt. You are amazing. Such a lot of quilting beautifully executed to finish off a fabulous quilt. I dont think I have words to describe it in the way it deserves. Absolutely beautiful.

Beth said...

This quilt is just amazing and I love that quilting so much! It was fun to see each step and I know I will use this for my own quilting inspiration! LOVE!

Margaret said...

Jess, You cannot post enough for my liking. The quilting and color is just magical. I think I've shared the whole process. We have you covered in Southwest Virginia. Yours, Margaret Tomasik, Roanoke, Virginia

Tiffany said...

So amazing. 👏👏👏

CandyR said...

Absolutely stunning!

Joan H. said...

What an amazing quilt! You are certainly a talented lady.

Crafty Coffin said...

Just such a stunning quilt, one of my favorites. There is no such thing as too many pictures!

Cassandra said...

This is gorgeous! The quilt top is lovely on its own, but the quilting adds a design and texture that makes it spectacular!

Rosemary B❤️ said...

This is stunning!
Well done, Jess❤️

Shauna said...

Amazing!! I am in awe of your beautiful quilting. I bought this kit and can hardly wait to get started.

Gunilla said...

Oh, fantastic quilt AND quilting!!!

leanne said...

just so amazing Jess - love all of the quilting - thanks so much for sharing your journey - I've loved seeing it come together xx

Leanne said...

This is a beautiful quilt. Your quilting just gets better and better, a pleasure to see.

Renee said...

oh man it turned out so amazing! I totally want a voile-backed quilt! All that quilting looks so fantastic with the different borders and fabrics. So many awesome quilted details!! How big is the quilt? And what batting did you use? I've never heard of a poly-wool blend!

Michele said...

It truly is a masterpiece and I love it. Congrats on a job very well done.

Unknown said...

It is really gorgeous!! You did an exceptional job & it looks amazing!!

Cindy said...

I have loved watching you stitch every stitch into this quilt. Congratulations on an absolute stunner of a finish. I keep looking at this over and over and over again - just can't get enough! Thank you for participating in the FAL, on behalf of the 2016 global FAL hosts.