My Summertime Blues: Nanette's Stunning Blue Medallion Surprise Quilt

Good Morning, my lovelies!   Today I have a special treat for you -- a deep dive visual feast on an original medallion quilt designed and pieced by my client Nanette.  You can read all about Nanette's journey with this quilt, originally named with the working title My Surprise, then My Summertime Blues, and finally Blue Medallion Surprise, on Nanette's blog here.

Heather E2E Stitched in 40 wt Cotton King Tut Thread, Baby Moses

I know there will be at least three readers asking me where they can get a pattern for this gorgeous quilt.  There isn't any pattern available, though, as Nanette just began by making the center star and then came up with ideas for the borders one by one until her quilt had reached the size she wanted and felt finished.  This quilt is her totally original design.  I think she did an amazing job with both the design as well as the precision patchwork piecing.  Like all of Nanette's quilt tops, this one lay totally flat like a bed sheet, no lumps or bumps or unplanned fullness, with seam allowances neatly pressed to the side and those pinwheel intersections spiraled to lay nice and flat, too.  It feels like a treat when a quilt top arrives from Nanette, being able to see her work up close in real life after seeing those quilts come together virtually on her blog!

Nanette's 80 x 80 My Summertime Blues or Blue Medallion Surprise

And here's another surprise for y'all (NOT!) -- we're going to talk about THREAD again today!  Mwahahaha!!  😂😂😂.   Looking at the above photo of Nanette's quilt, the most important consideration to me as I was making quilting decisions was that the overall focus and impact of the finished quilt needed to be about the spectacular patchwork design.  I did not want people to notice the quilting first from across the quilt show hall, and I did not want the quilting design to compete with, detract from, or minimize the impact of all of those perfect little points on the flying geese, the pinwheels, and the stars.

Heather E2E Stitched in 40 wt Cotton King Tut, Baby Moses (Light Blue)

When Nanette and I discussed this quilt in consultation, I think I suggested a "lightweight blender thread like So Fine."  Actually, I know that's what I initially suggested because that's what was in my notes on my shop order form.  But when I actually loaded this quilt on my frame and started auditioning thread options against the fabrics, I wasn't loving any of the lightweight polyester thread options.  And then I grabbed the cone of King Tut 40 wt variegated cotton thread in color Baby Moses, a slightly variegated medium pastel baby blue that turned out to be an exact color match to Nanette's light blue batik fabric, and all previous plans went out the window!  (This post contains affiliate links).

This post will never get published if I write a paragraph to go with every photo, so I'm just going to let the pictures speak for themselves.  Notice how, by matching the quilting thread to that one light blue batik fabric that is used so much throughout the quilt, the quilting only stands out on the darkest navy fabric and the lighter blue triangles remain uninterrupted by visible lines of stitching:

I used Nanette's favorite batting for this quilt, Quilters Dream Cotton in Deluxe loft (50% thicker than the typical Select midloft cotton batting).

I just love these borders of twinkling stars and the way the Heather E2E quilting design swirls around them!

And yet, when you step back to admire the entire quilt at a distance, the quilting just recedes.

Way too many photos to choose from so I'm just dumping them on you like a wild woman!

Here's a close-up of that same center star so you can see how my beefy King Tut cotton thread creates dramatic, visible quilt stitches that add wonderful detail on close inspection.  It's the color selection this time, not the thread weight, that prevents the quilting design from overpowering the quilt:

But doesn't the quilting design look cool on the deep navy batik of the outer borders?  😍

I LOVE THIS QUILT!!  Here's what Nanette's masterpiece looked like when she sent the top to me for quilting:

Thank you so much for choosing me to quilt for you, Nanette, and best wishes with your upcoming quilt show entries!

And now, exercising extremely uncharacteristic restraint, I'm going to END this post instead of launching into a completely different topic.  I hope YOU have a great day and find some time for stitching!

I'm linking up today's post with the following linky parties:

FRIDAY

Peacock Party at Wendy’s Quilts and More

Finished or Not Friday at Alycia Quilts

Off the Wall Friday at Nina Marie Sayre

Beauty Pageant at From Bolt to Beauty

 TGIFF Thank Goodness It’s Finished Friday, rotates, schedule found here: TGIF Friday

SUNDAY

Frédérique at Quilting Patchwork Appliqué

Oh Scrap! at Quilting Is More Fun Than Housework

MONDAY

Design Wall Monday at Small Quilts and Doll Quilts  

WEDNESDAY

Midweek Makers at Quilt Fabrication

Wednesday Wait Loss at The Inquiring Quilter

THURSDAY

Needle and Thread Thursday at My Quilt Infatuation