When it comes to naming quilts, I'm often stumped. This one, though, was easy. All that orange and white? Creamsicle! Never mind that I had to explain what a creamsicle is to my children. Don't worry – a trip to the grocery is planned for later today so I can remedy the missed opportunities of their young taste buds.
As I mentioned earlier this week, I pieced this quilt top in 2008. Crazy, right? I am not sure why I didn't quilt it sooner. It's been shuffled around through many studio clean outs and has lingered in the to-do pile. I am glad that I finally got around to finishing it. It's cheerful and happy and very orange.
The top is obviously influenced by Denyse Schmidt, in particular the Hop, Skip & A Jump quilt in her first book, Denyse Schmidt Quilts. I did not follow her pattern, but rather just sliced up a bunch of white fabric into strips and pieced them with similar strips in orange prints. When I look back at the top, I am so happy to see some of my very favorite fabrics – Flea Market Fancy, Katie Jump Rope, some Heather Ross stripe, a favorite Alexander Henry floral, those Japanese elephants…I could go on. These fabrics were among the first ones in my stash – the ones I built it around and, in a way, this quilt is a bit of a time capsule back to that summer when my girls were 8 and 6. I vividly remember sitting on the carpet just outside the door to my original walk-in closet sewing room, cutting fabric while they played in the room adjacent. In so many ways, it does not seem like six years ago.
I pieced the backing from a large piece of orange and white check shirting fabric that was in my stash. I added the Amy Butler floral and the piece of Katie Jump Rope. While I did hesitate before cutting that particular Denyse print, I didn't let myself get overly sentimental. If there is one thing that I am taking away from this quilt is that I need to use the fabric that I love instead of letting it sit on the shelves.
The quilting is simple lines and in keeping with the look of the quilt, they are not at all measured out and not at all straight. This made the actual quilting fast and rather mindless which is exactly what I needed this past weekend. The binding is an orange Kona from my stash and I even pieced the batting from scraps, making this quilt entirely from what I had on hand. I love it when I can do that.
It measures 46.5" x 50" after washing – a nice lap quilt. I am donating it our church/school carnival where it will be raffled off in July.
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This post includes affliate links. And thank you, Jane, for always volunteering to hold my quilts.
I really admire your ability to donate and let go of something that so clearly holds sentimental value. If it were me, you would probably have to prey it out of my cold, dead hands š
I love all of the orange, and yes! my kids have not experienced the wonders of creamsicles either. How can that be?
It is gorgeous! I love creamsicles!! Oh, and I FINALLY used the potholder you made, and what happened the very first time I brought it out? My friend got peanut sauce on it. I nearly threw up. I washed it, though, and it seems no worse for wear. It was still traumatic, though.
Perfect name for the quilt and beautiful quilt. Pinned it to my Quilt Ideas board…really love it!
What a great quilt! All your productivity is inspiring. I know I have a few (or more than a few) pieced quilt tops sitting around collecting dust.
Love this quilt! It’s a Creamsicle for sure, but I just flashed back to a Push Up pop dripping sticky orange down the plastic stick and through my fingers. Funny what triggers memory, isn’t it. Beautiful work.
Love this quilt. Only being from the UK I can only guess what a Creamsicle is!
Isn’t it a great feeling to finish an old project? I love this design and the orange and white fabrics. So summery and fun!
omgosh! I’m loving this quilt!! I have a thing for orange lately and this is just about the prettiest thing I’ve seen! š
what a happy quilt;)
Oh what a great quilt! A very fitting name for all the beautiful oranges and white. This is a gorgeous quilt.
I was lucky enough to attend Craft-South last weekend. Anna Maria and Amy discussed how we are different people every time we revisit a quilt project. We’re never the same person we were when we last left it, even if it was only a day ago or an hour. We’re constantly changing. But we have the quilt as a physical reminder of who we were and what was happening around us as it was being created. I love that about quilting. I made a Hop Skip Jump quilt when my first baby was refusing to go to sleep at night and I so needed a break. (I didn’t have too much trouble parting with that quilt, needless to say ;).
A beautiful quilt and a beautiful story.
I’m gonna need to know how to buy a raffle ticket long distance please!
Wow
Love this one. The orange is perfect. I’d have a hard time letting this one go. I’m sure it will be snapped up at the auction.
Debra
Let us know how to buy a raffle ticket!
wow. beautiful. i love the colors and how you called it creamscile. so cute! http://www.handmadebykelly.com
sooooo beautiful, erin. love that you tackled a project that has been quietly waiting since 2008.
as always, you are an inspiration.
xx
I have an orange gingham shirt in my closet. I bought it from J Crew when I was in grade 12. And yes, I still wear it!
Love this one!! Some of my favorite fabrics too! I’m an orange lover as well!