Tula Pink’s new quilt pattern, ‘Space Dust’ recently came out, and honestly, I couldn’t wait to make it. I really did not have time to start another project, but I thought ‘well, I’ll just finish this in a couple days and it won’t throw me too much off track.’ Ha!
This is a paper-pieced pattern, available here. Before you go through to the link and get sticker shock, yes, the pattern is $24.95. But let me cut you off. The pattern is a pdf, which means you can have instant gratification. Also, it contains 44 templates for paper piecing. This is NOT a quilt pattern that will use, say, 4 templates and repeat them through the entire quilt. Oh, no. You are getting 44 individual and unique blocks. You can tell that the pattern designer spent a ton of time working out the logistics of this pattern. It is well worth the price.
I really wanted to make mine in Tula’s new ‘The Birds and the Bees’ fabric line, just like the quilt in the pattern. Desperately. However, a) I haven’t received my fabric in the mail yet, and b) While the quilt would be beyond beautiful, it wouldn’t test my creative boundaries, so I decided to make mine in Kona solids in rainbow colors, with a texty background. Who doesn’t love text fabric. The thread that I used to make this quilt is lovely Aurifil 50 wt. thread.
Can you see the amazing quilting on Tula’s quilt? If only Angela Walters would quilt mine for me! lol. This is just perfect. The quilting is the other half of this quilt’s perfection. Unfortunately, I don’t have time in the books to quilt this until probably next year ::sob:: I would like to quilt inside the triangles like the original quilt, however, I know I can’t pull off all the fancy quilting on the background. 😉
Also significant to mention is that I opted not to make the full-sized quilt (pattern makes an 88″ x 96″ quilt). My squared-off version runs approximately 60″ x 60″. One day this sucker will be a wall hanging. I may add a small bit of background to the sides still, but I’m super-happy with how it came out. FYI in case you decide to make this square like I did, I used 1 yard of background fabric (although I really did not have enough and sort of had to fudge near the end, so I’d recommend you purchase 1-1/2 yards of background fabric if you’re going to make the same size quilt that I did).
From start to finish, this quilt took me 8 hours to make, but I was really burning rubber. I’m not telling you my project time in order to rush you through it, because it really should be savored, but rather, I’m letting you know because I want you to know that this project is definitely within reach. Even if you have never paper-pieced before, you WILL be able to do this!! Tula’s instructions are extremely helpful and spot-on, there are tons of diagrams on how to paper piece the blocks, and most of the blocks are only 3-5 segments, so not a ton of work. Because of the random nature of the segments, this also is a very forgiving quilt. Of course you’ll have to square up the rows, but you definitely won’t need to do much lining up as you sew your blocks into rows…a definite plus!!
So what do I say? If you’re new to paper-piecing…get this. If you’ve done paper-piecing before…you need this pattern. You will not be sorry. So go get it. 🙂
FAVORITE.QUILT.EVER.
This is awesome!!! Love the solids mixed with the text print 🙂
Amazing!!! I love your rainbow version! It looks like a prism.
I love it! Your solid version looks fantastic. Of course you’re a rock star. 🙂
Stunning!
wonderful job!
I really like it… What is the fabric requirement for the full sized version?
Amazing! I gasped at both the quilt .. and the price! 🙂 The text print is genius.
Your version of the quilt is beautiful. I really love it!
OMG this is BEAUTIFUL.
Wow! Amazing, excellent job and beautiful colors. Please stop by my blog and encourage your readers to do so for a chance to win a pair of adorable angel scissors and some other quilting goodies:http://quiltingranny.blogspot.com/2012/07/angel-scissor-giveaway.html
Ack! You’re ruining my sewing budget! 🙂 I want this one so bad!
I love it. I have her book and I am trying out fabric to use in one of those patterns. I need to get that done before I try anything as ambitious as this Wow that quilting is awesome.
I love it, so gorgeous. Nicely done.
So darned gorgeous, Sara, I love it!!! I can totally see why this is your fave quilt ever 🙂
Very, very nice. I have a question about patterns in general. I’ve been quilting only a year so I have sticker shock if a pattern is only $9 because I think there are so many out there, will I ever use the same one again? Do you remake a quilt (in different fabrics) or do you just consider the price of the pattern as part of the process (like fabric)? Just curious.
Gorgeous! I love the original (wow, the quilting is amazing) and yours (the rainbow colors are perfect).
Looks great, and I can see why you love it, but wow, $24.95? That’s more than entire BOOK full of patterns.
Very cool! There’s a QAL starting soon for this pattern too, would that I had the time!!!
Love this in every way!
Your rainbow version of this stunning quilt is wonderful!!!
Wow what a stunning quilt! Your solid version is really striking! =D
Completely brilliant, it really looks like a terrific pattern x
I must try paper piecing one day. Looks great!
Gorgeous gorgeous gorgeous
What an amazing quilt! You really did a beautiful job, Sara!
Looks fantastic! Great choices with those fabrics.
Wow wow wow!
Great take on the space dust quilt! That’s another to add to the to do list 🙂
I am absolutely in love with this pattern.
And I would love to know what colour solids you used. Did you get 22 FQs each different colours?
xxxx
Hi Sara.. I can’t begin to express how blown away I am with the quilting on that quilt… the triangles alone are amazing, but the quilting on the white background is so beautiful! I’m doing a Dresden Plate quilt for my mom, and I’ve never quilted before, but I am really inspired to try something special on her quilt now! I know the feeling of opening up a box of fabric you’ve been waiting on and just being inspired! Great feeling indeed! Thanks for the encouragement on paper-piecing! That is just scary to me! 😀