Interesting border with Union Star

I found another interesting quilt on the International Quilt Study Center and Museum website dated from 1875-1895.

http://explorer.quiltstudy.org/#/quilt/1997.007.0053/

I think it is interesting because the "unknown" quilter chose not to predictably have a sashing border. Instead "he or she" chose to allow the blocks to float on the outer white border.

I enjoy a quilt that shows someone chose not to take the typical path, but instead to try something new.

Courage always catches my eye. I hope you or someone you see this week chooses to stretch artistically.

Carlene

Treasure trove of quilts to inspire you

I was surfing on the International Quilt Study Center and Museum website and found this quilt in their amazing collection.

http://explorer.quiltstudy.org/#/quilt/1997.007.0051/


So I went to my Electric Quilt 6 program and recreated the quilt and resized it to 101.5" square. What an attractive quilt with my favorite details....triangles and flying geese blocks. I think I am going to have to make this one!


This week I hope you find an inspiration that you choose to dream about.


Carlene

Leftovers

I found some leftovers in My Pictures and had to share them with you because they are related to the last two blogs. The colors chosen are more edgy.

I think the pumpkin and white is very peaceful.
Hmmmm, all I can think about is pumpkin pie with Cool Whip. Guess I am hungry.

Onto the green and pink quilt which is saying "Look at me!!!" Those large stars in the corners are quite demanding.

It is hard to believe both quilt drawings (on Electric Quilt) are sized to 100" square.
They each have such a different feel.





















These are crazy quilts and I am a crazy quilter. It is almost 3:30 a.m. I must go to bed.
Hope you are more prudent.

Carlene

Inspiration redirected

If you read the last blog, you saw a quilt in five different color settings.

Now you are seeing that quilt revised into a circle of stars around a center double star.

I ended up making the white and red "Stars in a Circle" shown below. The 100" x 100" quilt contains only 17 blocks (18 of you count the "center" of the center star.)

I think this is a wonderful quilt for a gift. To me it represents family gathered around in a celebratory mood for a wedding, anniversary, graduation, whatever.

I hope you have the courage to revamp a quilt design to tell your story. It makes the quilt "yours" in every sense of the word.

Carlene

Variations on a theme...Stars in a circle

In 2007 (I believe) I went to the Machine Quilting Symposium in Overland Park, Kansas. The winning quilt looked something like this one...white with yellow stars. It was, of course, quilted beautifully, but it was the star layout that really caught my eye.

I went to my computer and using Electric Quilt I designed it in several colors. Here is periwinkle and white.

White with pink stars.

White with green and then green with white.

Which is your favorite?

I must confess that each one is special, but the darker ones really interest me the most.

Whether it is the stars, the moon or the sun (and its sunshine)--I hope you see something outdoors that sparks your imagination and appreciation today.

Carlene

Quilt inspiration from the movie "Baby Boom"

Do you remember the art work behind Diane Keaton when she was sitting in her New York apartment in the movie "Baby Boom"? I have been trying to think of a quilt I could make to display on my living room wall. It has to be compact and more modern (definition: less traditional) and this "quilt idea" came to mind.

I have changed the background to blue and green, kept the same bright colors and tweaked the borders. That gives me more to think about. I want to use quilts in my home, but haven't found the "right" mix yet in the traditional floorplan.

I hope you can find just the right quilt to make next.

Carlene

Say cheese!

For some reason I am totally into orange lately. Maybe it is all the gray skies here in Iowa. Maybe it is the lack of it in the colors of our clothing. Whatever the reason it is speaking to me.

So I went into Electric Quilt 6 and designed and colored a two color quilt with white and orange....and then orange and white.

Which do you prefer? Doesn't it remind you of "Dreamsickles"? Perhaps you knew of them as "Pushups"--vanilla ice cream coated with orange sherbet (or as we said..sherbert).

Hmmm...would these quilts keep you warm or cause you to shiver as you slept under them....not sure.

Perhaps this pink one would warm you up more.

That is what I love about quilting....the emotional connection to color and design.

I hope you have a warm quilt on your bed tonight. Sleep well and dream of the colors in your life.

Carlene