Rainbow Over Head Sew-Along
the master post
Color, color!
Every cloud has a silver lining and a glorious rainbow can follow every storm. Let’s rifle through our scrap baskets to pull out rainbows this spring. There’s nothing like sewing a rainbow to help one focus on the bright side. Come join the fun online this March!
Sewn from simple squares with an efficient web-piecing method. No tricky angles or fancy tools or supplies. Just relax with your sewing machine and these squares of rejuvenating color. The PDF Pattern guides you in selecting all the right colors and includes detailed charts for setting the squares exactly so.
4 weeks, starting March 3rd.
Join us by subscribing to the sew-along! We really enjoyed in our last sew-along connecting via the Stiched in Color Substack chat. Your shared sew-along photos don’t get lost to an algorithm and qualify you to win prizes along the way.
You can sew-along, whatever your pace!
THE QUILT
This pattern developed when I was stepping into joy and freedom after a stormy life phase. I started by defining my background color, which sets the mood of the work, and then turned to my fabric scraps to tease out a rainbow. Sewing with scraps is not just economical, it also brings so much satisfaction. It’s just amazing what you can make from a pile of cast offs, even when they’re not all favorite fabrics. My quilt turned into a rather large work that is one of my favorites to date.
Throw size: 76” x 74” or Baby size: 41” x 41”
1st RAINBOW OVER HEAD QUILT
the Tilda Peacock background version that started it all
2nd RAINBOW OVER HEAD QUILT
the Scrappy Low Volume background version with Ruby + Bee solids
Short on Scraps? If you don’t have a scrappy rainbow, I think it’s time to buy one! You can sew your background from misc. scraps in one main color (like low volume or dark blue) and sew your rainbow plus shapes from a purchased rainbow. Bonus: this creates rainbow scraps!!! That’s a win-win.
The pattern includes details for two solid fabric arrays that suit this quilt beautifully. Choose from the Ruby + Bee solids shown above or Art Gallery Pure Solids, which I’ll be sewing with soon.
THE SUPPLIES
Begin by choosing your background color. It’s surprising how different a rainbow can feel, just by switching out the background. Is your sky a clear aqua, a sunny yellow, stormy blue or maybe a neutral shade? Any color that you love will work as a background color, I promise! When you encounter the similar color in the pluses of the quilt, you can use a somewhat darker or lighter shade so that those pluses will still pop.
Here are some pointers for the fabrics. More details are included in the pattern to identify each rainbow color.
FABRICS FOR THROW SIZE
Rainbow Pluses: Scraps or (19) 1/3 yard cuts if opting for yardage
Background: 3 1/2 yards
Binding: 2/3 yard
Backing: 4 1/2 yards
THE SCHEDULE
Relevant Blog Posts thus far:
Rainbow Over Head quilt (original)
Rainbow Over Head quilt (baby)
WEEKLY PRIZES!
Stitching with friends is great fun; stitching with prizes is even better! Share your Rainbow Over Head quilt progress on Instagram or on Substack for chances to win weekly prizes. You don't have to keep up with our schedule to win. Stitch at your happy pace and enjoy!
Weeks 1-3 of our sew-along, one lucky participant will win a copy of my Nineteen Thirty quilt pattern (€32). Nineteen Thirty quilt conjures a formal garden complete with medallion fountain, elegant flower beds, trellis and garden wall. My version interprets the pattern using a colorful spring palette and the full range of values from pale to black.
Giveaway open worldwide! Winners will be announced weekly in the sew-along newsletter and contacted via Instagram or Substack messaging.
PLUS, A $100 GRAND PRIZE!
During the last week of our sew-along, you might win a dream finish.
This giveaway is open only to US residents, since Curly Girl stitches is based in Colorado.
COME SEW-ALONG!
Start thinking about your background color concept and will your pluses be solid or scrappy?
Subscribe to the sew-along newsletter
Post the quilt-along button with #RainbowOverHeadQuilt to pass along the rainbow-sewing fun!
How do I find the chat and pictures on the Scrappy Log Cabin quilt along?
Not sure how to post photos on Substack. Can you advise?