Sunrise, Sunset -- A finished Challenge Quilt

Last spring, a friend of E's drew the above picture for a fine arts contest at their school.  She won a blue ribbon, and I took a photo and asked her if I could make a quilt from it.  I just thought it was beautiful.


Then, a couple months later, my guild announced the guild challenge for the quilt show, "Oh, What a beautiful Morning".  And I knew what I had to do!

We were given 2 fat eighths, the pink and the grey.  The rules were that you had to use half of each -  and no bigger than 30" x 30".

I spent all spring and part of the summer looking for the right fabrics to use.

And then finally it was crunch time AKA: the show is in a week.....

Don't you use kitchen pieces when quilting?

I used a dresden plate wedge to make a paper template for the rays.

The method of pattern transfer I learned from Laura Wasilowski and her "Chicago School of Fusing"  A really great teacher and funny lady!

It took some messing around to get the rays just right in my eyes.  Basically, I needed more.

 Then I started cutting out the waves.  Everything is already backed with Wonder Under 505 fusible web.

 All cut out.

 And now pinned in place.

 Then I decided the waves were too monotonous, so I cut out some from a different fabric.

 All fused, ready for quilting.

 I legitimately got dizzy doing this!

 On to the waves!

 Yes, each wave is individual outlined/quilted.  A lot of work, and a lot of threads to bury, but really the only way that would make me happy.

 And a finished quilt.  I did do a faced binding, tutorial courtesy of Occasional Piece Quilt.

 I have one more quilt finish to share, then I'll talk about the quilt show!