April 14, 2014

JellyBean Jar Quilt

I designed this quilt for the Vancouver Modern Quilt Guild's challenge due in November. We were given some fat eighths of Michael Miller Cotton Couture bright solid cottons and they immediately reminded me of candy... jelly beans to be precise!




We just happen to store our candy in a jar at home so the Mason Jar came instantly to mind. I had a hard time deciding whether to make a flat quilt or a three-dimensional bag; large or small. I eventually opted for the easier design in the larger size which just seemed modern. There's nothing like giant jelly beans! The finished jar ended up being 29 x 51 inches. I pillow-cased or "faced" all the appliqué jelly beans so that they all had a second white layer in behind to keep the colours bright even on the dark purple background.





I added a wide binding and sewed it by hand so I could change the width as I went along, making it wider at the bottom. I added a pre-sandwiched lid at the end to give it extra loft, and felt as if I were screwing the lid onto a real jar as I quilted it!




I think I stuck with the original design pretty close except that the jar called for some extra free-motion quilting to fill in the empty space. I also felt that 5 cents was a bit steep for a jelly bean!

I won first prize and received a fabulous Cotton Couture colour chart as well as an even more fabulous $50 gift certificate for Sew Sisters Quilt Shop! (Thanks Stacey for the photo.)


Enjoy your afternoon tea & quilted crafts :o)

21 comments :

  1. Such an amazing quilt! I had no idea it was so big until I saw the last pic. My 6yr old daughter loves it too. She thinks it would make a great sleeping bag design :-)

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  2. What a wonderful quilt!! I thought it was about pot-holder sized from the initial pictures, so the last one was a real surprise to see how big it was!! Congratulations on a well-deserved win!!

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  3. Wow!! Congrats! :D
    It's huge :)
    Amazing and original, no doubt!

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  4. You are mind blowing, my friend ! How stunning ! xoxo

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  5. No wonder you wan Laurraine! It si aboslutely amazing (just because Sonia already used the word mind blowing which was my thought as well).

    Beautiful!
    Hugs from Oslo!

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  6. Absolutely wonderful, in so many ways! Congratulations. Now, where will it reside? In the Land of Sugar Plums, perhaps! It is almost magical.

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  7. So cute and innovative!!
    Love it, the quilting is fabulous!

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  8. This is the cutest darned quilt I have seen in years! So much fun - and those jelly beans so plump and chewy looking just like the real thing. Too cute!

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  9. That is awesome!! Congrats on a fabulous quilt and the prize!

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  10. This is adorable! I love it. You deserve to win with this fantastic creation.

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  11. This is just too cute! Great job.

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  12. That is one of the most fabulous quilts I've ever seen!!!! Wow!! If you've made a pattern, you'd sell thousands, it's awesome. How did you blow the "Ball" so perfectly??

    Pinning your quilt to Pinterest!! Amie Tarpley

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  13. Do you sell your quilted cups. I love them. I live in the state of Washington. Hope you have a wonder Easter.
    Karen

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  14. Have you considered selling your Jar Quilt pattern? I know some children that would love it. Heck, I love it!

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  15. Wow! This is such an original idea. I particularly like how the quilted writing on the jar gives a realistic glass effect. The extra-loft lid and the uneven binding are also well thought out.

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  16. This has to be one of my most favorite quilts. It's so fun and vintage. I hope you sell the pattern - it would look amazing on my kitchen wall!

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  17. This is the coolest quilt I've ever seen. I would love to make this! It's just darling! Do you offer a pattern for this jar quilt?

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