Story time!
Last March, I made a QDAD (quilt design a day) that I really liked based on a photo of some macarons (the French confection, not the coconut macaroons). So I broke out my Oakshotts and low volumes and started strip piecing.
After making 120 ‘macarons’ I had enough to put together the top. I finished the top and it languished for months because I didn’t know what to do for the back and basting is hard.
I finally buckled down and decided to not worry about the back and just use some 108″ wide fabric if it meant I’d finally make progress again.
Then, last November I went to our guild’s quilt retreat and finished the quilting on it. But then I started doubting the quilting and thought maybe I should add more.
So I brought it to a retreat in March, and the women convinced me that the quilting was fine and to just go ahead and bind the dang thing. (Thank you for that, seriously!)
I finished hand stitching the binding Saturday night, and finally a year and a month later, it’s done!
Although it took me way longer than it should have, it really is a very simple design. And it’s great for using fabrics you love but can’t bear to cut into, because you only need a thin strip for the macaron centers, and you have plenty left for your stash and future projects.
I’ve got plans to make this a pattern, and it’s on my to do list and everything. So maybe I’ll actually get it done? Let’s aim for May 2016 then, shall we? 😉
Details
Dimensions: 60″ x 72″
Design: QDAD by me
Fabric: Oakshott centers, random low volume outers, Kona white sashing
Binding: Scribble Notes in Charcoal by Carolyn Friedland (+ Oakshott blip)
Backing: Crosshatch in Grey (108″) by Carolyn Friedlander
Pain levels from cutting into precious Oakshotts: 8 out of 10
Pain levels after seeing how much Oakshott was still left: 2 out of 10
Previous posts about this quilt:
Om Nom Nom
The Macaron Quilt Top
36 thoughts on “Finish: Macaron Quilt”
I would love to see this as a pattern!
Yay! Thank you. 🙂 I really do want to start doing more pattern writing in general, and hopefully it will get easier the more I do it.
your quilt is fantastic, envious of your Oakshotts, lucky you. a great pattern to show off a favorite fabric but also a great collection of LV. Good job.
Thanks so much! 😀 The Oakshotts have been carefully collected over a few years of purchases during their sales. 🙂 Okay, and a few weak moments at quilt shows when I see them in person!
I love it!! And I agree that the quilting suits it perfectly! Definitely write it up as a pattern – a lot of quilters would love a quilt pattern like that one. Your fabrics are lovely and I think we all have our collections that we almost hate to use, so this is definitely a “have your cake and eat it too” type of quilt. Thanks for sharing your lovely work!
Thank you for the vote of confidence! 😀 It’s on my to do list for today, so hopefully I’ll be able to make a little progress on the pattern. I’m glad to hear I’m not the only one who has “those fabrics” that don’t get used!
I seriously love this!
Thank you so much, Christine! I’m pleased to have this one finished, finally! 🙂
one of my favourite quilts ever 🙂
Awwww, wow!!! Thank you so much. 😀 <3
That’s such a beautiful quilt! I would love to make this quilt. You mentioned the possibility of a tutorial. Count me in. If you have a list, please add my name to it. I’ve never heard of Oakshotts fabrics but you can bet your bottom dollar that I will Google them immediately after my comment. The quilting is perfect.
Thank you so much! I will be turning this into a pattern (which will take a bit, but hopefully not too long!) and will definitely post here when it’s available and also I’ll be doing a call for pattern testers. 🙂
Oakshotts are gorgeous but also expensive. 🙁 They’re really vibrant crossweaves/shot cottons and I am a huge fan of them!
It is a lovely quilt. What fun to see one of your QDAD designs come to fruition.
Thank you, Ben! 😀 I feel like I could spend the rest of my life just playing with turning QDADs into reality and I’d be in my happy place. 🙂
Beautiful quilt. I love the brightly colored centers.
Thank you, Elli! 😀 I wish I could take photographs that did the Oakshott centers justice!
hooray for the finish! I can totally relate to the not-wanting-to-use-Oakshotts thing. Mine are in a drawer, FOREVER!!!!!!!
Oakshotts are for petting, not for using! …. right?
Its Lovely. A great finish.
Thank you so much, Vicki! 🙂 It’s definitely nice to have this out of my WIP pile!
How delicious! Macaroons…drooling! Love the low volume and the touch of color. I agree that the quilting is perfect for this one. Good luck with writing the pattern! I can never make myself sit long enough to do that!
Thank you so much for the kind words. 😀 Pattern writing drives me a little nuts because it is a pathway paved with self-doubts. o_O
THIS QUILT! Unbelievable, the way everything lines up so perfectly totally speaks to my list making self. I really love the way you paired up like low volumes while retaining such a generous mix of low volumes.
Thank you so much! 😀 Everything lines up because of the way it’s constructed, but don’t look at the columns too closely. There’s a reason I only quilted it horizontally. HAH!
But yes, this quilt speaks volumes about my strongly ordered preferences. hahaha
This is a gorgeous quilt. I’d be interested in a pattern!
Thank you so much, Linda! I’m finishing up another project right now, but when it’s done I will be focusing my attention on getting a pattern written for this. 🙂 I’ll definitely post about it when it’s done!
I’m always impressed by people who can take a design and turn it into an actual quilt. Bravo.
Thank you! I admit I have a little help on my side when it comes to going from design to final quilt. I use Adobe Illustrator for making my designs, which makes it very easy to resize things. I resize my design to the size I want, and then when I click on shapes, Illustrator tells me how big the piece is. Add seam allowances and go! 🙂
Nice! I have some Oakshott fat eighths that I have Plans for, but there’ll probably be enough left over to try something like this afterwards.
Ooooh cool! I can’t wait to see what you do with your Oakshotts! 😀 You will likely have enough. Those pieces are 1/2″ finished, so you don’t need a lot at all. 🙂
Looking good Anne! Well done!
Thanks so much, Vera! 🙂 It feels good to get some of these really old WIPs off my list!
A brilliant way to use those super precious oakshotts, and I bet those little macaron ‘fillings’ shimmer and catch the light so beautifully as the quilt moves! Gorgeous!
Thank you so much, Kim! Now that I’ve gotten practice cutting into “my precious”, I should actually be able to use them in something instead of just hoarding them…right? *whimper*
Love love love this quilt. I’m going to,have to send off to the UK for some Oakshotts aren’t I? Haven’t been able to find a U.S. source. Can’t wait for the pattern!
Pinwheels is one of (the only?) US distributors – http://www.pinwheels.com/ They are based out of Texas I think and are at a lot of the big quilt shows (QuiltCon, Quilt Market, etc) so you can see the fabrics in person. 🙂 Thank you so much for the quilt love! 😀