Monday, May 21, 2012

A Festival of Quilts

With all the sewing going on over here, I thought it appropriate to participate in the Bloggers' Quilt Festival this year!  People have been making some great quilts, and it's been great to hear a bit of the process or story behind them.

I'm going to talk a little bit more about my favorite quilt that I've made - the Rainbow Vortex Quilt.

Top Spiral

When the American Museum of Folk Art had the "Infinite Variety" showing of a vast collection of red and white quilts, I was floored by the red and white vortex quilt.  I couldn't stop thinking about it!  Pictures kept popping up online, adding to my obsession. 

Right around this time I picked up a rainbow of Kona solids - a half yard each of 12 different colors.  I had no specific plans for these colors - the only "rule" was that it could only be supplemented with white fabric. 
Possibilities

I continued to think about the vortex quilt. I got out some paper and mocked the whole thing up, did a lot of math, tried out different things.  I thought about the easiest way to cut and piece the whole thing.  I thought about it all again.  And again.  And again.
Sir Drafts-A-Lot on A Saturday Morning

I finally got out the rotary cutter and set to cutting.  I managed to sew the majority of the pieces together over the course of an afternoon.  The center of the top features an absurd 48 seams over a very very small amount of space - I had to trim these back, and in the end I placed a quarter-sized circle of white fabric in the center. 

Getting There!

Due to the close proximity of many of the seams at the center of the quilt top, I thought the best way to go about quilting this was by hand.  But I also wanted it to be DONE.  I invited some crafty ladies over and we had a splendid quilting bee, each working an arc of color in a matching thread. 

This quilt it gigantic, but definitely one of my prouder quilting achievements.  I'm thrilled with how it came out, I'm ecstatic that my math WORKED, and I love how the colors play together.

34 comments:

  1. yeah, this was the quilt that put you way over the bar for me. you are amazing and so is this quilt.

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  2. This is amazing!!! I can't believe you figured out all the math yourself. You must be very smart!!!

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  3. Have loved this quilt of yours for a long time. Still pretty much blows my mind.

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  4. Yay for mathematical success - the quilt is gorgeous!

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  5. Beautiful, i like the what colors you chose:))))

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  6. Your quilt, and the workmanship that went into it is amazing! Perhaps most amazing however is that you "managed to sew the majority of the pieces together in an afternoon". Wow.
    Thanks for sharing your story.

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  7. Wow wow wow! This is seriously amazing! You should be so proud!

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  8. A very interesting piece. I notice that their are several rainbow colored quilts. Was there a competition of some kind?

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  9. Incredible piecing, beautiful quilt. I would love to see it quilted.

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  10. amazingly beautiful! I am in awe of your skills!

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  11. This is stellar amazing fantastic.

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  12. Me too! Speechless...WOW! Absolutely amazing!

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  13. wonderful work! I congratulate

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  14. You did an amazing job. I love the quilt.

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  15. I am speechless...simply spectacular!
    Smiles~Beth

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  16. Brilliant. So, so wonderful to look at.

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  17. un énorme travail de préparation pour ce résultat surprenant mais je vous comprends pour moi aussi j'aime les calculs et la conception qui excite le réflexion,félicitation

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  18. I love quilts that have dimension and this one certainly does. When friends get together to quilt, it is always a fun day. Enjoyed stopping by and seeing your quilt.

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  19. Beautiful! An amazing accomplishment! And congrats on your nomination!

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  20. This is an amazing quilt. Great photography, too. I am honored and humbled to be included among the likes of you! And a fellow Kona lover!!!

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  21. This is AMAZING!! If you ever decided to publish a pattern, I would certainly buy it!

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  22. je me suis permis de mettre la photo de votre quilt dans un message ,j'espère que cela ne vous pose pas de problème ,merci d'avance

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  23. It's scary! I will get sucked in while I am sleeping!

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