Today I want to share the finish of this pretty coin quilt. This quilt started out on a whim one day a couple of months ago. I was cleaning my sewing room and attacked a pile of scraps, cutting them into rectangles measuring 2 1/2″ x 4 1/2″. I decided to concentrate on specific colors and then use the rectangles at a later date for a coin quilt. Green, yellow, pink and blue were the colors I selected.
Yes, the quilt has a bit of an Easter egg vibe but who doesn’t love Easter eggs? I chose a mottled blue fabric from the shop as the background and a pretty green wide back (also from the shop) to finish it up. The binding is the same as the background. I might note I find myself really drawn to using a binding that matches the outer border when possible. I like the look of it. Maybe because it feels less busy to me.
With my trusty quilt holder, Julia, I was able to take a few photos of this pretty quilt in our yard. When I quilted it, I outlined the coin columns and then stippled the blue background. I have been using Glide thread and finding my machine loves it. I had very few hiccups and those I did have were due to bobbin winding issues. Glide is slippery thread and (for me anyway) it can be a challenge to wind the bobbin with it.
My husband always leaves a patch of California poppies go in the field, not mowing them down until they finish blooming. The poppies are such a pretty pop of color for us. Anyway, this quilt is destined to be a Mercyful quilt and is also my contribution to the 2021 Hands 2 Help event run each year by Sarah Craig, Confessions of a Fabric Addict. I also have a quilt in the works for her Hometown Hero idea but it won’t be finished by the deadline. I will post the story behind that quilt soon as it is finished.
Yesterday my husband and I took a day and hiked at the Gray Lodge Wildlife area. It is gorgeous out there. Usually it is a haven for waterfowl but this late in the season, there isn’t a whole lot of water so the number of birds out there is far less. We were lucky to be out there and enjoying ourselves before it gets too much hotter. This is in a fairly toasty area an hour or so from our house. We plan to go back during the winter months to see the birds.
There are tons of rice fields out in this area too. At this time of year the fields are heavily irrigated and bright, bright green. So gorgeous. Because the fields are so wet, there are lots of white heron out there. Try as I might, I didn’t get any pictures of these pretty birds.
At home we are busy picking, cooking and eating artichokes. This year is a bumper year for our artichoke plants. However, it is supposed to really heat up over the next week which should slow the plants down quite a bit. I haven’t counted how many are out there but I bet we have about twenty left to pick, after eating several and sharing some with my neighbor.
Ok – that is it for now. I have lots in the works! I am joining in with Sew Preeti Quilts Positivity Quilt Along which begins this coming week. I love the pattern for this quilt and look forward to sewing along with Preeti and many others. At the same time, I am making a quilt to celebrate the upcoming publication of Cheryl Brickey, of Meadow Mist Designs, new book, Just One Charm Pack. The book comes out toward the end of June and there will be a blog hop later in the summer to share the quilts several of us are making. I have the pieces cut and hope to start sewing tomorrow. Hope all of you enjoy the weekend!
Psst: Be sure to come back and read my next post. I have some big news to share!!
Linking up with Cheryl’s Favorite Finish as well as other favorites – check them out at the top of the page, under Link Ups.
The coin quilt is beautiful and love the colors. Thanks for the pictures of your area, so pretty.
Hi Patricia, Living out in the country has it perks. It is beautiful in the springtime!! Glad you enjoyed the post. Thanks for stopping by. 🙂
Your coin quilt turned out so well! I love the blue background. Glad you get to enjoy the poppies while they bloom, plus it was a great spot for a quilt photo! Funny, I always thought (not sure why) that artichokes grew close to the ground. That’s a lot of artichokes! Fun to hear what you have going on, too!
The artichoke plants are enormous. And, if you don’t pick the artichokes, they bloom into this incredible purple thistle flower. Very dramatic. Hope all is well Wendy. Have a nice Friday!
Hi Bernie! What a fun and lovely quilt finish. I get a Spring vibe from your quilt and who doesn’t love the promise of Spring following winter?! Your quilt holder did a fabulous job! I also love the picture of you and DH. And those artichokes! YUM. Enjoy the holiday weekend. ~smile~ Roseanne
Thank you for the sweet note. As we walked this reserve we were talking about how we don’t take advantage of all that is around us often enough. Just slip into our routines and forget to go out and enjoy this area we live in – I suppose that is fairly common though. Just takes a little bit of effort to change things up and it becomes like a mini vacation.
The coin quilt is great. I made a scrappy one years ago that was fun but I’d hoped it’d be a little more…not sure but seeing the way you made the rows uneven in a shape like that, that’s exactly it. Love that idea–gives it more design.
I wish we could grow artichokes here!
The artichokes are so yummy this year. We had a lovely spring so the plants were happy. This weekend the heat begins which means the artichokes will stop getting bigger and will be stressed. That’s ok – they taste just as good when they are small, they are just littler.
I like the variety of length in the columns of coins – I think it makes the quilt more interesting.
Take care Cheree!
I love that your husband leaves a grouping of poppies to bloom out in the field! The coin quilt is a wonderful finish, and I know will mean so much to its recipient as a Mercyful quilt. I hope you have a great Memorial Day weekend!
Ray loves seeing the poppies so he lets them go to seed each year and they come back every spring. It is a treat to look out at the field when they are blooming. Thanks so much for coming by and enjoy the long weekend!!
Love your coin quilt. The colors are so very soft and pretty, and do go well with the yellow poppies. That background blue is such a wonderful color and really makes your quilt. I have never tried the glide thread. But I am glad you were able to finish it. And I can’t believe your grow artichokes!
Well Debbie, if I am completely honest I would have to say my husband grows the artichokes! I do clean and cook them though. He is the farmer in this family. I am so pleased with the quilt – I hope it brings comfort to its new owner! Take care!
The quilt looks great but honestly, I’m all about the artichokes here. I love them but they are really expensive on the east coast. Sigh. I miss the great veggies and fruits we had in California.
Hi Bonnie, I didn’t know you hailed from California. Which part?
For some reason, artichokes are really expensive here as well. I don’t get it! They are so easy to grow. Who knows? The plants do take up a lot of ‘real estate’ for the amount harvested from each plant – that may have something to do with it. Wish I could send you some!
What a beautiful part of the country you live in, Bernie! Your coin quilt came out lovely, too.
We do live in a pretty area Rebecca. Summer is rough because it is so hot (we will be in the upper 90’s this week) That heat really dries things up. But spring and fall are just gorgeous here. Take care and happy weekend!
Pretty quilt finish Bernie. I’m liking the disappearing binding look too. Artichokes make very interesting looking plants! Would you believe I’ve never eaten one except in dip?
Linda, you need to buy two artichokes and steam them! Serve with melted butter that has a tiny bit of lemon flavoring it. You are in for a treat! (they do take a while to cook – just fyi)
It’s so pretty, Bernie! So soft and calm. The blue is perfect. I love the other pictures, too, especially since it’s pretty gloomy here today. The leaves of the artichokes look just like some of the thistles that grow in my lawn. Never tried eating those, though! Have a happy weekend!
Haha – yeah, I think I would avoid lawn thistles!! Hope you get some sunshine. I am out on the deck early this morning to get some fresh air before it heats up. Summer is apparently here. Take care Mari.
I love your “Easter egg” coin quilt – it is perfect! Those poppies are gorgeous. I have a few red ones about to pop, but I often seem to be away when they do, and this year is no exception. Thank you for linking up to TGIFF – always feels good to have a finish!
Oh, I love red poppies. I mean to plant them when someone mentions them but I forget. Sigh. They are so pretty tho. I prefer them to our wild ones any day. Ray and I always look at travel plans and then think about what we will miss. This year we missed most of the daffodils in March. Then when we left in May we missed lots of the peonies. Such is life!
I love how your coin quilt turned out, Bernie! The shape that the columns make is so neat, plus that pretty blue background to tie them all together. How great that you grow your own artichokes, too! We love them at our house, but only ever have the kind that come out of a jar…
Scraps make some of the best quilts! Thanks for sharing with Oh Scrap!
Your Easter Egg coloured coin quilt is so pretty and I like the way the rows are shorter at the sides. Looks great, I wouldn’t have thought of that, thanks for the idea. I have a partially completed coin quilt tucked away, must get it out sometime soon.
The coin quilt is just darling. I love your smiling picture even more. Yu look so happy.
But the veggies – well they make me jealous. I want those.
Thank you Preeti. Ray is quite the farmer. I am lucky for sure!