Petite Panda Pandamonium

Panda Portrait Ready for Quilting

Therese May was our featured quilter at our January meeting and she offered her quilted portraits workshop the next day.  Panda was my muse for the day as I learned how to translate her image into fabric.  Using Therese May's technique, I started with a layer cake of bright batiks.  During the workshop, I made 9 blocks but had some spare parts that I used to create a 10th block.  This spare block was given the same border treatment featuring a fun striped print and solid black fabric so the quilting would really pop.  This piece then served as my practice piece to test out different colored threads and quilting motifs in preparation for the larger quilt.

Yesterday morning, I went through my quilt motif sketchbook and pulled out some fun spools of solid Aurofil thread and got to work!  Since it's such a small piece (13.5" square), the quilting went super fast and I had everything but Panda's face/torso quilted before leaving for work.  After work I wrapped up the quilting and added the binding in record time!  Here are some fun finished pics of this piece:

Petite Panda Pandamonium Quilt Front

Petite Panda Pandamonium Reverse

Now the quilt front looks awesome but I am just in awe when I turn it over to the reverse.  I used solid black fabric making it easier to see all the FMQing:  modern baptist fans in the borders in pink, yellow, lime and teal thread, white loop de loops in the inner borders, white pebbles surrounding Panda, pink swirly flowers, lime green stipling, more teal pebbles and some hills and valleys for her chin.

And here's the muse herself with her very own quilt...

Finally a quilt that captures my colorful personality!

Panda says:  You ain't see nothing yet.  Just wait until the larger quilt is complete!!