Ultraviolet Lightning

Well, yesterday was a Good day friends!

Had a fun group of elementary students in for a tour at work, managed a 10 mile bike ride on the greenway trail, stopped for frozen yogurt on the way home because it feels like summer, the Capitals won their first game against Tampa & I made the mini quilt I'm sharing today! So. Good.

Each year when the Pantone Quilt Challenge has been announced, I start thinking how much I wish I had a good idea or plan to make something to enter. I did manage a quilt top for the Marsala challenge (read more about that here), but was excited about the color for this year: Ultraviolet.

It brings to mind black lights & crime shows & light spectrums, but nothing that prompted a quilt design in my brain. Until last night. Seriously - last night, as in the final hours for the challenge. There's nothing like last minute ideas & the threat of a deadline, am I right?!

In anticipation of the Eastern Conference Finals hockey game >Go CAPS!< it finally hit me - a lightning strike! Seeing as it was the Tampa Bay Lightning of course. I searched some storm photos on Google for inspiration, dug through my purple drawer of fabrics and started cutting. It was fun to work fast on this one - it meant I had little time to agonize over the fabrics or my freehand cloud-making skills.

I call it: Lightning Crashes

I free-cut & pieced the background and the clouds and main lightning bolt are fused, raw edge applique. I used my walking foot to make it rain during this storm, then switched to free motion quilting for the rest. Some field-like texture in the black, outlines in the clouds for added stability, swirling clouds at the very top and then outlining the bolt and adding in more lightning tendrils. I used coordinating Aurifil threads #1240, 2535, 2692 & 3840- a variegated purple.

Again, I matched the binding on this mini - that's been a trend for several of my recent minis - which was done fast as the deadline loomed.  I managed some quick photos and posted to Instagram (go follow me there!) so I could link up at No Hats In The House with 10 minutes to spare. whew! It measures 19" x 16.5" and all I need to add is a sleeve so I can hang it up on my wall. 

Certainly a fun challenge and a fast finish for me this week - all told I think this took 4 hours.  I do love it & am happy with how it turned out to be the exclamation point on a Good day!  Linking up with CrazyMomQuilts for Finish It Up Friday as well.