Broken Diamonds--A Finish for Friday

As I was working on this quilt my little guy looked at the quilt and asked me if the diamonds were broken.  Ever since our little conversation this quilt has been "Broken Diamonds" to me.  

My original inspiration for this quilt came from this art print I pinned ages ago.  I immediately saw a quilt in that art piece and thought it would be perfect for log cabins--you could just make log cabins and slice them in half.  I then decided I didn't want any repeats in the design so I took large squares of paper and quartered them on the diagonal, then paper pieced each quarter triangle of the squares.  Paper piecing gave me the precision I was looking for.

I quilted this in a spiral--something I've wanted to do again since using this method on my Pixelated Color Wheel Quilt.  I simply started sewing in the center of one diamond and went around and around until I reached the edges.  I used the edge of my walking foot as my guide.  My lines are approximately 1/2" apart.  Originally I planned to add a couple more spirals of quilting starting in other diamonds, but this quilting was quite rough on my shoulder--especially when the diamonds were small and I was moving the entire quilt through the machine throat as I went around.  I love how the quilting turned out, but I probably won't be doing it again for a while on a larger quilt.

I love the back!  I started pulling long scraps from my box and pieced them into strips.  Then I just sewed all the strips together.  I did this completely random, not caring where colors fell.  I really like the result, and it used up a huge chunk of scraps.

This quilt finished at 60" x 65".  Originally it was meant to be larger with lots of white space.  As I quilted, it just felt like too much white space and I started cutting.  The white background is Kona white.  The colored solids are all from the Art Gallery Pure Elements line.

The binding is is from Lotta Jansdotter's line Bella.  I think this print is perfect for bindings.  I bought a yard of it recently just for this purpose.  You can get it here.

On a side note:  I know I mention Art Gallery solids quite a bit, but I love working with them.  I do wish they had more colors, but I'm sure more will come as they expand.  The hand is wonderful on these fabrics, and they wash up great.  The colors are deeply saturated and do not seem to fad after multiple washings.  Art Gallery does not pay me to promote their solids, although I sure wouldn't turn it down if a big box of Pure Elements showed up on my doorstep.  I have received some fabric from Art Gallery on a couple occasions for specific projects.  

I have seen discussions recently regarding bloggers disclosing info when they receive/promote free products.  Although I don't necessarily agree with everything I've seen written on the subject, I agree that disclosure of this kind of info is important.  I do promote products/fabrics on my blog, but I try very carefully to promote only those things I truly love.  If I don't like something for whatever reason, I try to mention that in a gentle way.  I have ventured into offering spots for sponsorship on my blog to support my fabric habit.  This makes both me and the husband happier--I get some spending money for fabric, and I'm not draining the bank account.  I am very dedicated to allowing sponsorship only from shops I love that have an inventory that fits my sewing style and taste. If I say I love a specific fabric line or shop, it's because I really do.

Have a great weekend!