Kaleidoscope Batik Quilt

Kaleidoscope Batik Quilt

Kaleidoscope Batik Quilt

On my bucket list of quilts to make is a kaleidoscope quilt. The appeal for this quilt is the fact that although you see curved lines in this quilt, there is no curved piecing. Artfully arranged batik fabrics create interlocking rings in blue, aqua, purple with a touch of green. The pattern, American Patchwork and Quilting, April 2010, must be closely followed to achieve the kaleidoscope effect. Completed in May, 2014 this quilt measures 40 inches x 40 inches, uses cotton batting and is quilted by Carole Beery.

First ribbon received from Lake Farm Park Show

Displayed at Streetsboro Quilt Show 2014, it received a Blue Ribbon; Lake Farm Park 2015, an honorable mention, and Stow Munroe Falls Library Show 2016, third place.

Destinations Quilt

Venice, Italy, 2011

 Destinations Quilt

Traveling to Italy in July 2011 has to be one of the highlights of my life. Experiencing Venice, Florence, and Rome were breathtakingly beautiful, extremely hot, and filled with historical monuments. Shortly after my trip, I discovered a fabric with famous destinations, printed on it. Of course, one was Italy. For several years, I collected fabrics with different types of destinations on it, both physical and emotional. Eventually, I found the perfect pattern at the International Quilt Show in Cincinnati. "Color My Fresh and Modern World" pattern by  Allison Quilt Designs, a traditional quilt with a fresh and modern appeal. Each block uses 3 fabrics with the neutral background fabric in strips to easily create a block.

Each block is different, using pink, red, yellow, tan and brown fabrics with a light cream background fabric.

Squares on point, arranged in a pleasing order, create the simple border.

Destinations Quilt

Displayed in Stow Munroe Falls Library Quilt Show in 2015, it received a Second Place Ribbon.Quilted by Joyce Coburn of Coburn's Quilting using cotton batting.

Destinations Quilt is an example of how one favorite fabric can turn into a fresh and modern quilt!

Sunshine

For about 18 years now, I have seriously been making quilts . By this time, my quilt closet is pretty full, so I make a few each year to give away as gifts to specially deserving people. My daughter, Carly, has been friends with Kelli since, well, since they were 2 years old and in the same Sunday School class. Carly and Kelli went to the same high school, marched in band together, attended the same college and still remain very good friends today. While they were still in high school, I came home one day and noticed some of my quilt books had post it notes with names on the quilts they liked. Kelli marked one she liked but specified that she would like it for her wedding quilt in yellow. Kind of a hint, don't you think?

So when Kelli became engaged to Ryan--on top of the Eiffel Tower, no less-- I had to get busy. Her favorite color is yellow, sunshine yellow, but it is not my favorite, so honestly, this was the first yellow quilt I have ever made. But I have to admit, I truly enjoyed making this "first" for Kelli and Ryan.

Pairing yellow fabrics with gray, really toned down the bright yellow fabrics and using a very pale gray with small white polka dots fabric for the background made the stars pop. Using the same pattern as Atmospheric, (found in a 2013 post here) but a smaller size, I began making half square triangles.

half square triangles

I prefer using Thangles to make my half square triangles so all the squares are uniform.Four matching half square triangles are sewn together to make a pinwheel, then sewn with other pieces which are carefully placed with background squares. Using just blocks, no borders, made this quilt easy to finish with a modern appeal. Gray with yellow polka dot fabric for binding finishes the quilt and draws the colors together. Best wishes to Kelli and Ryan!

Pattern: Inspired by Celestial Waltz by Gerri Robinson, published in McCall’s Quilting magazine, March/April 2011