One January night I was up in the wee hours of the morning sketching out an Idea that had me at "hello". I wasn't trying. I had other plans for my next online class. And, I could tell this idea would deserve grand efforts, all my attention. It was just one of those moments when the heart pours out of the fingers, the vision is born, and you can't, don't even want to, resist.
The Idea became a framework - miniature pictures, small geometric piecing, intricate sashing, a pointy frame - when after QuiltCon I redrew the entire quilt. I threw out regular gridwork and traditionally placed sashing. The quilt went through the blender. Now blocks are a smorgesboard of sizes, sashing falls here and there for movement, layers of interest. The border is broken up and resized in a decidedly unpredictable way.
My next class will run August-October this fall. We'll need all 3 months to make this quilt, and we'll draw on a range of intermediate techniques including applique and machine paper piecing. It's about the details, careful fabric choices, sweet/unexpected motifs, enjoying the process and creating something rather amazing in the end. The result will be fully machine-washable, finishing as a small or large throw or a twin bed quilt.
Today I want to share with you the images inspiring this quilt. Early on "Scandinavian" folk motifs captured my imagination. I started a
Scandinavian Pinterest Board to collect a cash of Scandinavian folk images or color stories that represent the mood I hope to achieve. The quilt incorporates many traditional elements like the dala horse, birds and flowers, while the quilt's unusual layout and playful scale pay homage to the modern Scandinavian aesthetic we all know and love (think Ikea!).
I've started making individual blocks, which I'll be sharing here and there. Let's hope that my actual quilt holds a candle to that first vision. Sometimes a good idea is a lot to live up to.