August 23, 2017

Positively Transparent++MQG August 2017 Quilt of the Month

I am excited to share my quilt, Positively Transparent, which was chosen by the Modern Quilt Guild for the August 2017 Quilt of the Month. 


If this design looks familiar, you are right!  The original Positively Transparent, measuring just 16" x 18", was exhibited at QuiltCon 2016 in the small quilts category.  It has also appeared Simply Moderne twice, first in issue #5 and then again in issue #9 in an article, Creating Transparency in Quilting, by Riane Menardi of the MQG.

The mini Positively Transparent was started in a class taught by Lizzy House which focused on exploring the elements and principles of design.  You can read all about the making the mini version in this blog post.


The background fabric is Essex Yarn Dyed in flax and the plus sign fabrics are Kona Cotton solids, all generously provided by Robert Kaufman Fabrics.

I love the backing fabric also, Vincent Van Gogh 2 Journal Notes in Grey, again by Robert Kaufman. Here you can see I decided to apply a facing rather than a binding, just like my original Positively Transparent.


I really like how the edge looks with the facing.  The quilting threads just disappear around the edge.


I quilted Positively Transparent in an uneven grid using various weights of Aurifil which was a first for me.  Until now I had pieced and quilted with only 50 wt. Aurifil.


I used Aurifil 5011 40 wt. (green spool) in background but still used 50 wt. in the bobbin.  In the plus signs, matching the fabrics, I quilted with 28 wt. (gray spool) and used a 90/14 topstitch needle just a Aurifil suggests here. As an Auriful Artisan, all of the thread was provided by Aurifil.


You can see I carried the thread color used in each plus sign all the way through the quilt.  I didn't keep track of the hours of quilting time, but it took awhile and, to me, worth every stitch.


And just for giggles, I thought I would show you an outtake from my photoshoot.  I found this awesome two-colored painted wall of a warehouse just a couple miles from my house.  Yes, there were some funny looks!  And while my quilt was barely in the shade of the building, I was standing in the blazing sun.


Seriously, I would like to thank my pattern reviewers Cheryl at Meadow Mist Designs and Patty at Elm Street Quilts for providing valuable help and feedback.  And thanks to E.A. Cox for pattern testing for me.  I would also like to thank The Warm Company for providing my favorite batting, Warm & White.

Positively Transparent has been enlarged to a lap quilt measuring 60" x 68". You can find the pattern under Resourses of the Community tab at the Modern Quilt Guild.  If you are not already a member of the MQG, you can join right here to gain access to this pattern "plus" so much more.

If you love plus sign quilts, check out this secret project, Modern Plus Sign Quilts (affiliate link), which has been in the works and is now listed for pre-order on Amazon! More about this soon!

Excited to share my very first quilt pattern, I'm crashing every party this week!
and Show Off Saturday with Caroline at Sew She Can
Finish It Up Friday when Amanda of Crazy Mom Quilts returns in September



41 comments :

  1. As a fellow member of the 2016 New Quilt Bloggers I have to say I am so proud of you Paige. Not only has your blog become so wonderful, your quilting which was already at a very high standard, is now at professional level. This latest quilt bares testimony to that. I must say I do like your distance shot, it's not only very effective photography it also gives a wonderful perspective to really appreciate how good the quilt is, I love how you give so much detail on the techniques you used too, especially the quilting. I am so enjoying watching your journey, take a bow, you deserve all the success you get.

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  2. Paige Congratulations! This is a beautiful quilt. I am like you only uses 50 wt to quilt. I love the location of the photo, it really shows the quilt well.

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  3. Love the quilt and congrats-soak it all up!!

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  4. Congratulations, Paige! It's a great quilt, and I love what you did with the quilting!

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  5. Love the quilt! Congrats on having it featured as the MQG quilt of the month for August - loved recognizing your name when I saw the article, and "knowing" the maker. And even bigger congrats on co-authoring the new book! That's one of my dreams on my bucket list.

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  6. Congratulations Paige!!! The quilt is amazing in every detail. You found the perfect spot for the photo shoot pics and it was nice to be able to have that peek behind the scenes. I feel like that wall was painted just for you! It's your fave color!

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  7. I remember the mini quilt! How fun to see it "all grown up" and winning awards :) Congratulations!

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  8. How awesome to remake the mini quilt larger and get to share about your long term secret project!!

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  9. I positively love this quilt Paige! Congrats! Your design is inspiring. I've never tried 28wt thread...yet! The texture of the quilting is perfect for your amazing design. Beautiful!

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  10. I like how you quilted this quilt - when I do machine quilt (I am a hand quilter) I will use straight lines and always like the way it looks.

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  11. Congrats on the pattern and the upcoming book. I love this version of the Plus quilt design. The overlap in transparency is really nice and your quilting and change up in thread weight works nicely.

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  12. Wow! How great is that to find such a perfect wall to photograph your wonderful quilt? Congrats on all the accomplishments Paige. I knew from day one that you were going places! And you're a sweetheart to boot.

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  13. This is wonderful Paige! Great design, color choices, and quilting - a well deserved honor too. Hope you plan to enter this into other shows as I'm sure it will gather even more accolades. Thank you so much for sharing this today!

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  14. You go girl and crash every party. Congratulations on your success with this quilt and its predecessors. They are lovely and inspirational. I saw it on MQG and thought I wonder if this is our Paige fro 2017NQB and it is!! Yippee. I am really so excited for you.

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  15. This is beautiful. I love the quilting. Every element of the design works so well!

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  16. This is a wonderful quilt. Modern, fresh yet somehow calming in the colours you have chosen. =) Just so nice.

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  17. I think this is my favourite of your quilts . I particularly like the facing binding and I love the textured straight line quilting . The different thread weights add to it too . Really well done

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  18. Congratulation-very exciting! I love all the detail you have done with the various wt. threads and the faced edge--lovely!

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  19. Congratulations!! It's a great pattern.

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  20. I love the quilting on this one, Paige. I really like the wall backdrop on the photos so it was great to see how the photos were set up from a distance. I've been and looked at the upcoming book (my co-author theory is confirmed ;-)). Now the question to pre-order or not to pre-order... will you be offering signed copies? Congratulations on everything!

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  21. Love, love the quilt. It was an honor to review the pattern. Love the photo shoot photos too!

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  22. Congratulations on having your pattern selected! I love the different weights of quilting thread in your grid. Love the photo backdrop, too!

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  23. You are always so great at choosing a quilting motif! This is lovely. I think the different weights and colors of thread were certainly worth the time and effort. It is beautiful. And CONGRATS on the book! :)

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  24. You have every right to be excited about sharing this quilt, Paige! Not only is it great that the MQG sent it out, but that your design is so wonderfully modern! I do love it, and admire your creative talent. The quilting and thread colors are great, but honestly, it's the design and transparency that speak to me. Can't say that I use the same products you do, but I am sure the design would easily translate to other brands. Great work! You're nailin' this modern thing!

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  25. Your plus quilt is wonderful. Lots of good things happening here.

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  26. Well, what can I say ?! I loved everything about the first version and all the same for the lap size ! ;-) I'll write this project on my to-do list. Congratulations on your first pattern Paige and the book looks very interesting.
    Ps : would love to find such a cool brick wall nearby !!!

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  27. I love this so much! Congratulations!! Such a fantastic wall too! AND A BOOK?!?! You are really rockin' it!! I'm so excited for you!!

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  28. I LOVE plus quilts!!! Can't wait for your book! This is going to be great!!! Congrats!

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  29. This is so lovely, and I like your plus quilt variation alot! Really cool photoshoot too!

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  30. Beautiful! I love the colors and fabrics you used!
    Susie

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  31. I love this! I like transparency quilts -- especially the modern ones I've seen.

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  32. Congratulations, Paige!!!! On both the quilt of the month and the upcoming book! Your complete attention to detail always amazes me. I like the look of the quilting stitches just falling off the quilt, rather than running into a binding. Well done and well earned!

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  33. Congrats from me, too, Paige! I love this quilt! It's just sparkling with great design and professional work. Congratulations, again, you deserve it!

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  34. Huge congratulations to you, Paige! I love the design and your quilting decision. I have never tried the facing way of finishing off. Maybe the instructions for that will be in YOUR BOOK!!! What a perfect blue wall to photograph against. It's as though they painted it just for you!

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  35. Great quilt design. The minimalistic look makes it so different. Wonderful choice of colours and the background fabric is beautiful. Your quilting is spot on too! Congratulations, Paige!!

    -Soma

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  36. What a wonderful quilt!!! Happy to have founf you from Midweek makers

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  37. How did I miss this gem of a quilt??? You work is so neat, the lines are so straight the angles so sharp, it is in a class of its own. I am not one bit surprised that it was chosen as the Quilt of the Month. Enjoy the appreciation, Paige. It is well-deserved :-)

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  38. Congratulations Paige! I just love everything you make and I am so envious of your quilting. I see from all of the comments you received, I'm not the only one who admires your work; I had to check to make sure there wasn't a giveaway.

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