Little Penguin Quilts Through the Year

Little Penguin Quilts Through the Year

Friday, July 2, 2021

A Scrappy Rainbow Finish!

The end of one month and the beginning of the next is the perfect time to finish up a scrappy rainbow quilt because no matter what the new month's color is, you worked on it!  And that's what I focused on this week - finishing my Rainbow Strings quilt.

I started this quilt way back in January of 2019 with one of those "How would this work?" ideas that I get.  How would it work to piece string blocks on pages from an old phone book that are rectangular?  The best size I could get out of these pages was a 6.5 x 9.5 block.



Four of those made a 12.5 x 18.5 block and created a neat diamond effect.


So... after sewing each block in the color of the month throughout 2019, and then s l o w l y making the neutral string border blocks during 2020, I finally have a finish!

49 x 66

I haven't always liked this quilt as I was putting it together, but it made a huge difference after I finished the quilting and got the binding on.  Something about containing all that wild color!  The binding is made out of the same fabric as the backing - a neutral paisley wide-back fabric that I ordered from Bernie at Needle and Foot earlier this year.

I really like the kite shapes that form where the border blocks touch the big diamonds!

The front is so busy that you can't really see the quilting, but it shows up really well on the back!


This quilt is going to my sister and her family for their mountain cabin.  Seems like the perfect place for it!


Sharing at SoScrappy for ScrapHappy Saturday and at 







28 comments:

Kate said...

Congrats on a beautiful scrappy finish. It's hard to finish those quilts we don't quite love in process. It's always a pleasant surprise to find we like them after finish. Have a wonderful holiday weekend.

Julierose said...

Just a lovely scrappy string finish on this one...Nice work hugs, Julierose

Libby in TN said...

Nice!

Ivani said...

I love string blocks, and need to give a chance for retangles diamonds some day. Love your quilt Diann, and I am sure your sister also will.
Well done! Congrats on a beautiful finish.

Karen - Quilts...etc. said...

It turned out great!!

Sylvia@Treadlestitches said...

Hurray! Congratulations on a very nice finish. I love the quilting too, it's perfect for the string blocks.

Michele McLaughlin said...

Wow! I love your quilt! IT'S GORGEOUS!!

Vicki in MN said...

Congrats on finishing this, it was fun to see you working on it each month for RSC.

Carole @ From My Carolina Home said...

Fabulous finish!!

Susie H said...

Bravo! What a spectacular quilt and going to a special place. Hope you get to enjoy it at the cabin too! I just love it!

Sara said...

Rectangular string blocks - why haven't I thought of doing that? You are too clever!! It's a cute, bright, and cheerful quilt and I'm sure they will love having it to snuggle under at the cabin. Great job!

grammajudyb said...

A fabulous finish, Diann. So bright and happy! Great neutral backing and binding!

PaintedThread said...

I love how this turned out!

MissPat said...

A nice rainbow finish that used up a lot of strings. Did you have to cut strips from yardage to make all the neutral string rectangles? Happy Fourth.
Pat

Linda said...

A lovely quilt - so glad you stuck with it. Your sister and family will love it. Is their cabin in the Alps? Great part of your super country.

LA Paylor said...

It's wonderful Diann so interesting with the neutral color along the edge and the brilliant saturated color toward the center. I bet you love it ! I do!

piecefulwendy said...

It turned out really well, and it's perfect for a mountain cabin! What a great finish!

Deb A said...

That turned out great and a family cabin is the perfect spot for it to live.

The Joyful Quilter said...

Finished? It's finished?! Congratulations and what a lucky sister, Diann!!!

Jenny said...

Looks great, what a lucky sister!

maggie fellow said...

congrats - it looks great

chrisknits said...

It's wonderful!! They will love snuggling under it.

Jayne said...

It's always nice to have a finish and this is a beauty!

TerryKnott.blogspot.com said...

Last night on Pinterest, I saw a rectangular diagonal scrap block quilt and loved the diamond effect. Seeing your finish sure makes me want to stitch one! Well done!! It is beautiful. I like how you framed your blocks with the neutral strings!

Cynthia Brunz Designs said...

You know I am drooling over this one - I love a good string quilt! I really like how you used those neutral blocks to create a scrappy border. Thanks for sharing with Oh Scrap!

Nann said...

It's wonderful, Diann! The neutral "frame" adds so much to the rainbow.

Cathy said...

It’s a brilliant finish, Diann, both literally and figuratively! Your sister sure is lucky. If I can ever squeeze in some personal string quilting (2022?), I’d love to try your layout! xo

Linda said...

Diann this is beautiful! I love the neutral background - such a perfect setting for those pretty strings. I'm going to work on strings today, and that means having at least 3 bins of scraps on my sewing table - lol!