A Unique Twist

I have been discussing how every quilt tells a story, which it does. However, in addition to my passion for quilting, I also have a passion for writing. As I journaled my thoughts, it occurred to me that I could design my quilts to illustrate my writing. Instead of using a finished quilt to inspire a title and a story for me to write, I design a quilt to be a picture of the story I'm writing. I have become both author and illustrator.

Freedom!

When I considered the many ways of looking at a specific quilt pattern, I began to see how contemporary quilts were just another way of telling a story with fabric and design. There is a great deal of freedom to be found in letting go of the rules of traditional quilting and embarking on a journey through the world of abstract quilts. The richness of today's fabrics in both color and design make the sky the limit for the contemporary and traditional quilter. I have decided I can't be satisfied with one or the other. I will continue to make traditional quilts, but I am also exploring a whole new world of contemporary design. As with traditional quilts, there are many techniques and styles to try until I find my niche. It is exciting to let my mind fill up with countless ideas for my quilts. Bring on the fabric!!!

It's All In How You Look At It

To follow my line of thought regarding traditional vs. contemporary, even traditional blocks like the Bear Paw are abstract designs made up of various geometric shapes to show someone's concept of a bear's track. In some other parts of the United States, the Bear Paw is known as Duck's Foot in the Mud, and in Pennsylvania, it is called the Hand of Friendship. This further illustrates my point that every quilt tells a story based on the designer's imagination and her creative use of shapes and patterns.

For Your Information

I did a little research to find out the story behind this particular quilt. The Bear Paw block is well over 100 years old and originated in pioneer America. I imagine a creative woman designed the block from her impression of bear tracks near her cabin or on some wilderness trail. Regardless of how it actually came to be, the pattern has survived through the years and is a very popular traditional pattern. In pioneer America, quilters who wanted to make a quilt for someone who was planning a dangerous undertaking often chose the Bear Paw design.

Art Quilt on eBay

I just posted an art quilt on eBay. You can see it on my other blog by clicking here.

Traditional vs. Contemporary

In my early years as a quilter, I focused mainly on traditional quilts. I love old things, including houses, furniture, dolls, photographs, etc. If I could have lived during any other time in history, I would have wanted to be a pioneer woman. As a child, I thoroughly immersed myself in the "Little House" books by Laura Ingalls Wilder. It was the Log Cabin, Schoolhouse, Bear Paw and similar quilts from that time period that captured my imagination. Contemporary quilts were too abstract for my taste, and I largely ignored them..... until I realized that every quilt tells a story.

I Found It!

After writing about my first quilt in my last post, I decided to get it out of the hope chest and have another look at it. Actually, it seems to be in pretty good shape. I think that I will have to display at least one of the blocks, or I could put six together to make a wallhanging. It brings back so many memories!

Bear Paw Block

How I Got To Where I Am Today (Part 2)

In the first year of my marriage, my mother-in-law introduced me to the world of quilting. She had joined the bandwagon of quilters in the '70's and was eager to share her craft with me. (If any new mother-in-law out there wants to establish a lifelong friendship with her daughter-in-law, teach her to quilt.) I decided to use a Bear Paw pattern for my first quilt. I chose a blue solid and a blue and white tiny floral print for my two fabric selections, and in my mind, it was going to be the most beautiful quilt in the world. Carefully, I traced each triangle with a template and cut it out with scissors (no rotary cutters in those days). Then, because we were such purists, I stitched each piece together by hand. In order to be a genuine quilt, we felt it had to be entirely hand-stitched from the piecing to the quilting.

Today, my mother-in-law and I still enjoy getting together to work on quilt projects. We save our handwork, such as binding or hand-applique, for these times. There will always be a special appreciation in our hearts for handwork, but as far as piecing and quilting are concerned, we now state emphatically, "If the pioneer women had owned sewing machines, they would have used them!" That goes for longarm quilting machines, too! We certainly accomplish a lot more with this new philosophy.

By the way, I'm sad to say I never finished that blue and white Bear Paw quilt. I guess I got overwhelmed by the enormity of the project and all the hand-sewing. Come to think of it, I believe I'll take one of the completed blocks out of the hope chest and frame it. It will be a sentimental reminder of "how I got to where I am today," don't you think?

How I Got To Where I Am Today (Part 1)

My mother taught me to sew when I was a teenager. She was an accomplished seamstress and made many of my clothes when I was a young girl. She was of the opinion that no good woman should be without a sewing machine; thus, my sister and I were both expected to purchase our own sewing machines before we got married! Little did I know that my mother's "sewing machine requirement" would take me on a lifelong journey of various sewing adventures, including many of the garments in my wedding trousseau, dozens of dresses for my own little girl (after having three wonderful little boys in a row), French heirloom lace creations for my daughter and porcelain dolls, household decorator items, a soft-sculpture nativity that still graces our mantle every Christmas and of course, quilts! Did I ever say "thanks" Mom for sharing your love of sewing with me?

Art Quilt on eBay

I just posted an art quilt on eBay. You can see it on my other blog by clicking here.

Click here to view my art quilt.