"Racing Wheels in Motion" Quilt
I machine- and paper-pieced this quilt on my Bernina 240.
I quilted this quilt on my Janome QMP-18 long arm.
Finished size: 69" x 79"
This quilt was made and donated to Florida Institute of Technology's Society of Automotive Engineers as an auction fundraiser. The goal was to create a one-of-a-kind, handmade quilt that invokes feelings of forward progress, speed, racing, motion, wheels, etc., while also honoring the college's graphic identity standards.
(click on photos to enlarge)
🏎 FINISHED QUILT:🏎
This quilt was created using two different techniques: paper-piecing and patchwork piecing.
The front is 28 - 10" blocks (created from 90° circular arcs) with two vertical tire tread stripes that border the college's name. The entire quilt is then framed with a 5" wide black border.
Paper-Pieced Wheels: The "wheels" of this quilt are commonly called "New York Beauties" or "Mariner's Compass" quilt blocks. I did not follow any exact pattern when I made them; rather, I used parts and pieces from two different books to create unique paper-pieced arcs that I joined together to build the "wheels".
Patchwork Tire Tread Tracks: Inspired by a herringbone quilt I saw online, I joined together more than 100 half-square triangles to create a look of tire treads.
Paper-Pieced Letters: I used "6 Inch My First Alphabet" by FromBlankPages paper-piecing pattern to spell out the college name.
Backing: I chose a Keepsake Calico fabric that has geometric diamonds printed in black & white.
Stitching:
Pattern: This quilt is stitched with an edge-to-edge pattern called "Circle Meander". I chose this design since it evokes thoughts of swirly exhaust smoke, as well as echoes the circular "wheel" theme.
Thread Front: For the front of the quilt, I used Superior Threads' "Smoke" (So Fine #409).
Thread Back: The back of the quilt is stitched in Superior Threads' "Silver Screen" (So Fine #504).
Label:
I embroidered a very inconspicuous label right onto the binding: my name and the year, as well as the beneficiary of the fundraising auction.
🏎 PROGRESS PHOTOS:🏎
Construction-Making the "Wheels":
With a LOT of tiny pieces of fabric to be cut, and not a lot of time to get things done, my sister helped me by cutting fabric from "kits" that I made. Many of the arcs had more than 24 pieces of fabric each.
When I received the cut pieces back, I would begin assembling the arcs into 90° circle sections.
While my sister was cutting and returning the kits I made, I was also pulling from my stash of scraps and fat-quarters, cutting and sewing, to continue the manufacturing process of the arcs and circle-sections.
For me, the use of straight pins is mandatory when paper-piecing, especially when sewing curves and circles. It's labor intensive, but produces almost perfect results every time.
Construction-Letters:
The letters were paper pieced one-at-a-time, then sewn together. I used "6 Inch My First Alphabet" by FromBlankPages paper-piecing pattern.
Construction-Tire Treads:
Construction-Arranging the Blocks:
At first, I had no idea the quantity or arrangement I was going to use for the wheels. I just began making the arcs, using complimentary colors, and trying to stay within the color palette recommended by the college. (Of course, I applied a bit of artistic license along the way). I tried arranging the wheels and circles following many other examples I saw, but nothing was providing balance while also invoking the exact feelings I wanted: speed, racing, forward motion, wheels, etc.
I thought if I included the tire tracks and a scrappy green background, maybe it would set off the colors better, and it could represent the lush green surroundings of race tracks here in Florida. But it still wasn't right. There wasn't the "pop" I was looking for.
Then I added the vertical black & dark crimson lettering (to utilize the school's primary color) but the red & green combination only made me think of Christmas!
However, seeing the deep crimson/maroon next to a couple of the wheels, I finally realized that was the background color I should use. I removed all the green backgrounds and replaced them with crimson.
Once I made that realization, the final composition of the entire quilt came together pretty quickly. Creating a quilt without following an exact pattern is always a very organic and enjoyable activity for me!
Construction-Final Steps:
Joining the completed HST "tire tread" strips to the letter blocks.
Pinning the final 5" border onto the quilt to be sewn.
Measuring and cutting the 5 yards of backing fabric in preparation for making a quilt sandwich!
Quilting:
The quilt back and batting are loaded, and the top is floating, ready to begin basting.
The "Smoke" colored thread was a perfect choice for the quilt top - it provides just enough contrast, but in no way overpowers the colorful, intricate piecing of the arcs and wheels.
This is the 99th quilt I've made, and the 96th quilt to be quilted on my long arm since I purchased it in 2018.
Trimming:
Squaring up the quilt after taking it off the long arm, readying it to add the binding.
Label:
Embroidering the label onto the prepared binding fabric, one of my favorite methods of labeling a quilt.
Binding:
A close friend who is a quilting buddy suggested I use a black and white striped binding, cut on the bias. It was a great recommendation! I folded and cut one yard of fabric, and ended up with enough 2.5" strips to make ~300 inches of folded binding.
First attaching the binding strips by machine to the back of the quilt using a scant 1/4" seam...
...then wrapping the binding around and attaching it to the quilt front.
Using a couple straight pins to get perfectly mitered corners.
Washing:
I always machine wash a quilt after the binding is finished. I do this for 2 reasons:
- to absorb fabric dyes using dye trapping sheets (I use either Color Catchers or Color Grabbers)...
...and to create scrunchy wrinkles and soft texture that are part of a quilt's beauty, so it can be used, loved, and re-washed as many times as needed!
The washed and dried quilt has a lovely drape, but it isn't fragile. Rather, it's sturdily made to last.
🏎 QUILT SUMMARY:🏎
I machine- and paper-pieced this quilt on my Bernina 240.I quilted this quilt on my Janome QMP-18 long arm.
Finished size: 69" x 79"
Front piecing: 28 - 10" blocks (created from 90° circular arcs) with two vertical tire tread stripes that border the college's name. The entire quilt is then framed with a 5" wide black border.
Back: Geometric diamonds printed in black & white.
Binding: The binding is machine sewn, made from black and white striped fabric, cut on the bias.
Quilting: Edge-to-edge design of "Circle Meander". Front stitched with Superior Threads' "Smoke" (So Fine #409). Back stitched with Superior Threads' "Silver Screen" (So Fine #504).
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