Celtic Solstice finished

I joined the Finish Along at The Littlest Thistle for the second quarter in 2014 and my list of projected finishes is here. This is my third finish for the Finish Along. I have no hope of finishing the other two projects. I will carry them over into the next quarter.

My version of Celtic solstice

Celtic Solstice was Bonnie Hunter's mystery pattern last November - December. There were five posts with instructions for five different 3" squares and a final reveal on New Year's Day. In the final reveal Bonnie gave instructions for putting all the 3" pieces into 2 different 9" square blocks, the layout and the borders. I finished on June 30 so it's taken me exactly six months to put it together! How some people manage a quilt a week I really don't know!

Pattern: Celtic Solstice by Bonnie Hunter
Size: 75" square / 191cm
Fabric: assorted scraps and Fat Quarters
Wadding: cotton (no details known)
Backing: "In the Bog" by Anne Ormsby for Clothworks (great fabric name if you're in the UK, but it doesn't smell!)

quilting on the centre

I quilted on my Bernina 440 QE using the BSR foot, using a freehand swirly pattern, making it up as I went along. On the whole I'm satisfied, but there are still strange hooky breaks in the pattern where I had to move my hands. I know I have to stop the machine, and then move my hands but still when I restart the fabric often pulls off in the wrong direction. 

detail of swirls quilting in the border

The swirls in the border were smaller, and better; I could manage one unit of the pattern without moving my hands.

detail of borders 
and pieced binding

In the border triangles I tried the technique I learnt from Angela Walters' Craftsy class, "Dot to Dot Quilting". Not exactly with success! Again the weight of the fabric tends to pull the needle off course. I guess I just have to keep practising!


I made the binding from left over pieces of the fabric used in the centre: width of fabric where I still had some, and otherwise half-widths from the few FQs still big enough.

Having taken lots of photos on the balcony in an effort to get the lighting right - spoilsports were the bright sun, a wall of white glass and an awful lot of sky - I took the quilt indoors and took one last shot which is really better than the rest as far as lighting goes. No artificial lighting; hand-held camera.





Even though I'm reading Ruth's Photo Friday Posts I don't seem able to cope with sun, sky and a white glass wall!

I'm linking to 
Lizzie Lenard Vintage Sewing for 

and Quokka Quilts for

This is my third finish in Q2 of Finish Along.

 I'm linking my finishes to Katy at the Littlest Thistle. Click on the logo above to view other participants' finishes.

Happy Sewing

Marly.