I’ve been privileged to have met a number of really talented quilter, but rather than pursue their style directly, Ive created my own freestyle quilting that involves detailed handwork, but no set patterns.
I love quilts that are made for using, to cuddle up, rather than to hang on the wall. I think quilting is am important tradition and incorporates many of my values of attention to detail, patient pacing (as opposed to instant gratification), community, and commemorating special moments in life.
See what you think:
The Bear Quilt
I was inspired by the intricate stitching I saw in Guatemala to make this colorful front of the Bear quilt – about two feet around each side are hand-quilted in freeform spirals of many colors like this
The center of the quilt has a checkered pattern with fabrics I got on trips to Japan and Puerto Rico, plus a favorite lotus print I found in Berkeley
The back, which winds around as the quilt’s binding, is flannel bears, I love the way the colored stitching looks on top
The Graduation Quilt
An up-close shot of my freeform cursive stitching of a TS Elliot poem on my very first quilt, which I made for myself as a university graduation present
I used William Morris and William Morris-esque fabric prints, and knotted the quilt in an old fashioned way, the center of each main square had a patch of this pretty flower pictures, I think they were from old seed packets
The Poodle Skirt Quilt
I used the free-form foot on my sewing machine so I could move the needle in all directions to quilt this rather simple quilt. One side is pink poodle flannel, the other a 50s bed spread I found in Portland at a huge thrift store, then edged with bright blue embroidery floss and a bold print binding
I looped around each poodle
And made matching pillow cases with some of the extra binding fabric