Category Archives: Inspiration

Isolation {a finish}

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Idea

Have you ever felt left out, or just on the outside of a group or even cast out? I assume most people at one time or another have felt like that. I have at various times, more than once. This quilt was originally designed based on that feeling of being on the “outs” from a group.

Design

I started the design with an idea of a group people being represented by 10 lines; 9 black (representing the group), 1 red (representing me or the person who was feeling left out). The other big decision I made was on the placement of the red line. Originally, I had the red line to the right but still in alignment with the group of black lines.

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In the end, I moved the red line down 50% and decided to emphasize the mis alignment.

Create

The piecing was relatively simple. I did stitch the Width of Fabric (WOF) black and white strips together before I cut them to size to make it easier and more precise. I used Robert Kaufman Kona cottons for the piece; White, Black and Ruby.

Backing is Moda Fabrics Chicken Wire print. I choose this as it fit the theme of being in prisoned or cordoned off.

Quilt

Since COVID-19 isolation, I have been looking at this unfinished quilt top, and it speaks to me now of self-quarantine and the distance from our friends and family. As a person with Asthma, considered to be in a riskier group (if I catch COVID-19 my symptoms may be more severe), I am realizing I might be here in quarantine for a couple more months.

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These feelings of being into quarantined introduced the idea of ripples and how things effect other elements. I decided to show this effect by using overlapping circular designs around the two groups. The top negative space is then finished with vertical lines and the bottom with horizontal lines, again showing different forces with the direction. All the quilting is 1/2″ lines.

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Finishing this quilt did lift a weight off my shoulders, I did not know needed to be lifted. It was great being able to express yourself through art. The feedback from the community and how people have related has been so wonderful. Thank you all.

Details

Name : Isolation
Design: Original Design
Fabric: Robert Kaufman Kona Cottons White, Black, and Ruby
Backing: Moda Fabrics, Chicken wire
Binding: Carolyn Friedlander, Carkai
Dimensions: 34 x 41 in.
Quilted: 1/2″ Circular & Straight line quilting using Aurifil #2021

 

On the angle {a finish}

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Just before Christmas, I made a couple of mini quilts as gifts. I have not shared those makes with you yet. One of those quilts was a striking black and white minimal quilt.

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Idea

This quilt was inspired based on a drain cover discovered on our family walk around the neighborhood. I loved the diagonal pattern of lines.

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Design

During the design phase I used those 45 degree lines in the top part of the design. In the drain you have this bar 1/2 way across the lines, giving it a broken line feel. For me, that translated into this break a a random angle with the lines then being distorted back the opposite angle. fullsizeoutput_13c6

Create

The creation was relatively simple, using PBS White solid and black fabric at 1″ unfinished, I stitched 16 pieces together. Making sure the angles were at a 45 degrees I then cut an angle that closely matched the design above. The remaining fabric, I removed the excess lines and added a much larger white section to the stripes for the lower negative space.  I lined up and pined where the lines best connected. Once pinned, I cut the fabric at the appropriate angle and stitched the two pieces together. It was both liberating and a little scary as I did not measure or carefully planned these connections. Luckily, it turned out as expected.

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Quilting

As this was a small piece, I kept the quilting design simple. I stitched about 1/8″ from exhaustion of the stitched lines (both sides of the line). I did not bind the quilt to finish, as the final piece was framed and ready to be hung.

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I swapped this gift for 6 ginger pear galettes from a local baker, Meg. The family loved them. So amazing (including the extra banana pecan bundt cake that was added)!!

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Details

Name : On the Angle
Design: Original Design
Fabric: Black & White Painters Palette Solids, Paintbrush studios
Dimensions: 12 x 14 in.
Quilted: Straight line quilting using Aurifil #2021

Published!!

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I have been a little on the slow side sharing some of the great news over the last 4 months or so. The first is that I was lucky enough to be included in Uppercase new encyclopedia “Quilted“.  This volume includes two types of articles, Artist Profiles and Interview and Quilt Stories. My quilt, Sunday Best, was selected for one of the quilt stories. I am so happy in getting to celebrate Sunday Best in this beautiful book.

The celebrations continues though. At QuiltCon this year, I shared a room with a friend who woke me up with gleeful text messages and then a wake-up call, to explain that Sunday Best published in Quilted was highlighted by Mel Giedroyc (on her new instagram account @melgquilting). I was like who??? Since then, I now know that she was one of the presenters/judges from The Great British Bake Off, who has started a new and the funniest weekly podcast, Mel Giedroyc is Quilting. I listen every week, and am honored for the mention.

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In January, I received my copy of Curated Quilts issue 10: Black & White. Inside was my article on learning how to see the world around you to find inspiration for quilt design. This was the first time, my photographs were also published, which I was super excited about. The photos are my forever memories from a trip to New York, Morocco and a family beach vacation I took last year. When I saw Amy and Christine, they commented on how much they loved the photo’s. They also suggested I submit again. Yay!!

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Lastly, in Curated Quilts Issue 11: Appliqué, Manicured Gardens was curated into the issue as one of Gallery quilts. This issue is so special, as it also includes quilts from my close friends, Ginny Robinson and Melissa Herboth (our quilts share gallery pages).

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I am super excited to start my year off like this. Who knows what else will come for 2020?