the Sugar Plum Twirl

Did you know that Rainbow Over Head is a BIG quilt? It takes up lots of room on the design wall, uses lots of scraps and finishes a grand 76” x 74”. That’s a reallylarge throw.

As charming as it was to walk into my sewing room and see this quilt every day, I am glad to report that she’s now off the wall and finished!

The background color that I’ve used in this Rainbow Over Head rendition is called Sugar Plum, from Art Gallery’s Pure Solids collection. I chose this light pink Decostitch print for the binding, the color which is called Ballet. It comes out to just lighter than the Sugar Plum solid.

And, wow, that Decostitch print is ideal for binding - simple, but with a little something - and it comes in such lovely colors. I would love to stock up on more.

Tada! It’s springtime in a quilt, don’t you think?

I was determined to photograph her this morning, but the sun was shining too harshly and the quilt was so large that it’s difficult to capture. Aart and I bicycled to a nearby park where I was relieved to find that this stone stepping path was still nestled in the shade. Thank you, city of Enschede!

It’s just the right place to capture a rainbow of plusses, twirling and blooming across soft, mauvy pink.

Each plus is made up of scrap fabrics, while the plus centers feature Art Gallery solids in a rainbow of shades listed in my pattern. I love how the plus centers contrast with the plusses themselves, so that you can follow the circular flow of the rainbow in either direction.

Sugar Plum Twirl is finished with Baptist fan quilting. It makes soft arches that hint at the rainbow itself.

The backing fabric is a beautiful Art Gallery wideback fabric called Laurel Sienna. You can find Art Gallery solids and wideback fabrics at Fat Quarter Shop in the United States or at Floyd the Fox in Germany.

I’ve just listed this finished quilt in my Handmades shop. With any luck, she’ll be off to smile in someone else’s space real soon!