2012 Quilt Projects
Below are the quilt projects I completed in 2012.
All photos on this page are “clickable” to enjoy a larger view.
1. The Sisters Collaborative Quilt - Completed January 27, 2012
This quilt was a collaborative effort between my sister, Paula, and myself. In October 2010 Paula had just undergone surgery for cancer and was starting chemotherapy…and I was back in New Hampshire with her. We decided at that time to create two quilts using blocks that we both had made over the course of one year.
Using the book by Gwen Marston and Freddy Moran called Collaborative Quilting: Talking it Over, we established some “rules” for our block construction: they had to be a size divisible by three (to make construction of the final quilts easier), we had to use bright colors, and the blocks needed to be liberated trees, stars, and houses (or a combination of those images). During the year we spent making blocks, we did not share what we were doing…which made it REALLY fun when we got together and started putting everything together. As much as we were alike, we discovered we were also different. I saw houses and trees differently than how Paula saw houses and trees. Our choice of fabric varied wildly. We also found that in putting together our quilts, we had a different vision of how blocks went together. The result was two very individual quilts even though they used blocks made by each of us.
Size: 53″ X 67″
Fabric Used: Much of the quilt is constructed with scraps. The blocks are all different sizes…so in putting them together, Paula and I had to create “filler blocks” which included rectangles of fabric as well as some pinwheel type blocks. If you look carefully, you can see that there is a letter “P’ and a letter “W” in the quilt…which is, of course, our initials! I used a variety of fabrics for the border, including a Kaffe Fassett orange stripe and a Kaffe Fassett flower print. I bound the quilt with a Kaffe Fassett purple stripe.
The Back: The back of this quilt is pieced. Both Paula and I made letter blocks to spell out sisters on our quilt backs. We also made a large star block (I made Paula’s and she made mine) for the back.
Quilting: The quilt is quilted in a free motion using a very free-form outlining of the houses and trees, and using a meandering stipple over the rest of the quilt (except for the borders which I straight line quilted).
The Label: Hand embroidered and “framed” using some colorful ribbon.
Below are thumbnail images of the quilt (click on each to enlarge):
2. Summer Sampler Quilt – Completed February 13, 2012
This was my first effort at paper piecing. I joined The Summer Sampler Quilt Along and jumped in, ready to try something new…and I loved it!
Size: 43.5″ X 61″
Fabric Used: I used Sandi Henderson’s beautiful Meadowsweet line for most of the fabrics and sashed the quilt with a Kona cotton gray solid. I added cornerstones in the sashing to give it a little bit of pop. Choosing a binding was a bit of a process. I ended up choosing a wavy, almost-stripe from Amy Butler’s Midwest Modern line of fabric. I think it compliments the quilt well.
The Back: The back is pieced using solids and more of Meadowsweet. I crafted a mariner’s compass block from a free download and placed it in the center of the back.
Quilting: The quilting is mostly straight lines in the sashing, but I also quilted around each block and did a little bit of outlining of some of the block features.
The Label: Hand embroidered and positioned off center on the left and right just above the mariner’s compass block.
Below are thumbnail images of the quilt (click on each to enlarge):
3. Rockin’ Robin Quilt – Completed February 25, 2012
This quilt was part of a fantastic quilt-along hosted by Jen at Reanna Lily Designs, Anne Marie at Gen X Quilters, Heather and Megan from Quilt Story, Melissa at Lilac Lane, and Lisa Marie at That Crazy Quilty Girl. Based on the concept of a Row Robin quilt, the hosts of the quilt along each designed a block which we could customize and place per our own tastes. I decided to mix the blocks up (rather than have them all stay in one row) and I loved the free form look this quilt took on as it went forward. It also has a lot of negative space which allows the fabrics and block designs to shine.
Size: 58″ X 58″
Fabric Used: I used Bonnie and Camille’s Bliss fabric as the primary fabric, although there are also some other fabric lines represented too. This quilt has a really fresh feel to it with all the white and the pops of red and turquoise. I used a deep, Kona red solid for the binding.
The Back: I wanted the quilt to be completely reversible and so I pieced the back using left over blocks from the front. I also constructed some strip sets and made blocks from them. The back is really random, but carries over the block designs from the front.
Quilting: I decided to free motion quilt this one using a meandering stipple design and white thread.
Label: I hand embroidered the label and then decided to make it part of a house which I then stitched onto the back. I like how the label blends in with the rest of the design.
Below are thumbnail images of the quilt (click on each to enlarge):
4. Swoon Quilt – Completed April 7, 2012
I 
am grateful to Katy at Monkey Do (formally, I’m a Ginger Monkey) for starting the Swoon-Along and the companion Flickr group to help motivate me to get this one done. This quilt is the biggest quilt I have quilted to date. The blocks are a huge 24″ square and so the quilt itself came together quickly despite its large size.
Size: 83″ X 83″
Fabrics Used: I used the gorgeous Etchings fabric from 3 Sisters by Moda with a coordinating Bella Solid. The binding is a red fabric from the collection which reads as a solid.
The Back: I really love the back on this quilt which I designed to make the quilt reversible. I made an extra front block and centered it on the back; then used large and small cuts of Etchings to piece around it.
Quilting: I was really scared to try quilting this one myself. It is large and the fabric is bulky. But, I pulled my sewing machine out of the sewing room and set it up on my dining room table so the quilt would be fully supported as I worked. I quilted with free motion in a meandering stipple (which is my “comfort zone”). Although it took time, and my shoulders and hands got tired (necessitating lots of breaks), I found it was not as hard as I had anticipated. It took me about a week to complete the quilting.
Label: Hand embroidered and pieced.
Below are thumbnail images of the quilt (click on each to enlarge):
5.
Wendy, all your quilts are so wonderful! Of course I have a soft spot in my heart for the collaborative quilt! How awesome you must feel to have complete 4 quilts in less than 4 months this year…..(clapping hands here)
Thanks, sis! It is so much fun to share this art form with you