Having been brought up on a rounded diet of dressmaking and quilts, I have a healthy respect for the traditions and stories behind patterns and structures of patchwork. Living around the corner from Bird in Hand, and having a quilting teacher for a mum, ensured I am well versed in the Bear’s Paws, Ohio Stars and Double Weddings Rings abundant in textiles history.
The only resulting glitch is anxiety about stepping far from that well trod path and playing with the artform…
This lovely little number has FINALLY been finished after languishing for three years on the pile of UFOs… Not exactly rocket science, but I’m a sucker for the clashing of prints and patterns next to each other…
gotta love a bit o’Liberty…
And a quick gander on the blogs shows I’m not as boring as I feared (though i can of course see that my colours aren’t nearly as bright and breezy as these lovely examples…)
Projektownia Jednoiglec , Red Pepper Quilts and Picnic Quilt (detail)
Others, however, seldom feel so restrained, either by time, by skills, or by design:
Owl by Flying Blind on a Rocket Cycle
White and Stripes by Patchwork Notes
Grey with Rick Rack by TwistedSister#5
And then a few ‘in progress’ ideas too…
Circles on Linen Baby quilt by Blooming Poppies
Trying out layouts by Stefanie Dean
On reflection, maybe these designs aren’t all that modern and unusual after all… Maybe it’s just a brightness to the prints… But then, if my textiles history knowledge is anything to go by, the Victorian quilts were just as vibrant (or garish, depending on your point of view) with the influx of new dyes. It’s just that those very same dyes are wont to fade. Quickly. And leave things looking old and dull.
Dutch Quilt Cat’s fabulous double-sided family quilt from 1610 – nearly 400 years old… Extraordinary.
And who said traditional would necessarily be dull anyway…?
Just a fabulous children’s room… Such great colours – bright and fun without being garish and over-stimulating. How gorgeous.
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