Echo: An Orange Peel Quilt

This quilt has been floating around in my sketchbook for a while (as many other orange peel designs are). When Northcott Fabrics asked me to make a quilt for their QuiltCon booth using just 5 squares of purple solids, I knew this was the one!

Using Colorworks Premium Solids 9000: purple - #86, light gray - 900, dark gray - 910)

I made orange peels in three sizes, using the technique I teach in my Orange Peels and Improv workshop. The purple orange peels are laid out in one of the traditional ways, so that I could modernize the quilt with the repeating blocks (side note - now I really want to make a traditional orange peel quilt). I also set the traditional block to the right side in an attempt at alternate gridwork.

I quilted the LIFE into this. Hardcore. Can you tell the quilting took twice (maybe three times) as long as the piecing? I wanted the two backgrounds to contrast clearly in both quilting and color shade. My husband gave me the idea of quilting outwards from the traditional block to emphasize the echo. #Quiltthelifeintoit. Forever and ever. :)

You can really see the quilting on the back!! I used Aurifil threads 2610 and 2600 to create this effect. I also used #4225, a great purple shade, for appliqueing and sketch quilting over the purple orange peels.

Backing Colorworks Premium Solid #231

A thought: I've been making more solid-only quilts in the last couple of years. Maybe it's growing on me. Maybe I'm just imbibing the trend from the modern quilt world. I still LOVE prints, though, and  combining prints and solids. Nevertheless, this quilt has made it into my top favorite makes because of the purple, simplicity, and the quilting opportunities. 

Also, just a second to chat about Northcott Solids (my honest opinion, as always) - I had never worked with them before, and they were SO SOFT and pleasant! Definitely going to incorporate them into my quilts from now on. Just saying.

Here's my quilt hanging in the Northcott Fabric booth this weekend in Pasadena, California! Thank you to Renee (@quiltsnfeathers) for the photo. By the way, did you know Renee WON the Machine Quilting - Frameless Award at QuiltCon? She ROCKS!!

Also, here it is with the other quilts for the Chip Pack Challenge! Use 5 pieces (I only used four) of Pansy purple fabric #86! I'll post the link here when it's up.

Yay QuiltCon! I didn't go this year, but I was there in spirit. More soon about trends/the winners. :) I've got a lot to say in the March issues of The Wonky Press.

Thank you again to Northcott Fabrics for the opportunity to participate in this challenge! 

Linking up to Needle and Thread Thursday @ My Quilt Infatuation, TGIFF, Crazy Mom Quilts
Fabric Tuesday @ Quilt Story