Radiant Explosion

This quilt has stolen all my spare time over the last six weeks or so, and I've loved {nearly} every minute of it.  It is entirely improv pieced.  If you are interested in how I constructed the quilt, I will be documenting it in another post have documented it here.

A crazy pieced explosion

My inspiration for the quilt came from Quilting Modern - I read the following phrase regarding their Supernova quilt and an idea popped into my head:  "Supernova dazzles with its explosive design and vibrant color palette.  Random fragments spin off ..." (p105, Quilting Modern: Techniques and Projects for Improvisational Quilts).  Photos taken in the shade show the quilt more to its true colours, the purple is very, very close to the Pantone swatch for Radiant Orchid.

Its natural habitat - the couch

It is quilted with straight lines radiating out from the centre of the explosion, with "ghost shards" quilted randomly across the negative space.  Within the coloured explosion the lines are spaced every 15 degrees around the centre of the explosion, outside of this they are spaced every 5 degrees.  I had initially quilted it using variegated thread, but didn't like it so unpicked it all and quilted it again.  I'm really pleased I unpicked it.  I haven't washed it yet, so some of the original quilting-stitch holes are still visible in the epicentre, but they'll wash out I'm sure.

Example of ghost shard

The negative space is not all one fabric, mostly it is Kona snow and some other close matches from my stash, but with rays of Moda Bella Ivory set in it.  The rays are not easy to see in the photos - there are 5 of them and most are about 12 inches long.

Look closely and you'll spot one of the ivory rays

It is backed with a vintage sheet.

Quilt Stats:
Pattern: my own design - Radiant Explosion
Finished Size: 50" x 60" approximately
Backing: Vintage sheet (fairly certain it's 100% cotton)
Binding: Kaffe Fassett Spot  
Pieced and quilted: by me, on my domestic sewing machine

I will be linking up to the 2014 Pantone Quilt Challenge, hosted by Anne and Adrianne - I definitely recommend checking out some of the other entries and the FlickR pool.

This is my first time entering a quilt challenge, and this quilt was most definitely a challenge.  I identified some key areas where I would like to develop my skills over the next couple of months, in particular I'd like to do a dresden plate, one where the centre is not appliqued; and I need more practice with Y seams.  Considering it has been mere months since I finished my first quilt, I'm really pleased with how this quilt turned out.

It's my birthday in a few weeks, so this is an early birthday present to myself, it's a perfect size for keeping me warm while I read a book on the couch. 

Also linking up to:

TGIFF - hosted this week at Quilt Matters
Can I get a Whoop Whoop?
SewJo at My Go-go Life