February 10 ~ Quilt of the Day
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Little Bear’s Quilt |
Lessa writes, “Except for a 7th grade home economics class, I didn’t really know how to sew when I started it and certainly didn’t know how to quilt but after years in grad school studying art history, I was itching to get back to my roots in design and actually make something myself. Little Bear’s quilt was the result.
It was inspired by the clean, graphic simplicity of traditional Amish quilts and by contemporary quilt artist Nancy Crow’s updated interpretation of the log cabin block. About halfway through the process of making the top, a friend gave me a copy of a recent article in Martha Stewart Living on a ‘young and upcoming quilt maker’ named Denyse Schmidt. The article featured her ‘What a Bunch of Squares’ quilt and I couldn’t believe how much it resembled the top I was piecing together on my design board—right down to the blue center squares! I was struck by the way she randomly swapped out similar tones to give the quilt a truly patched-up and handmade look and incorporated this technique into my own quilt. Needless to say I’ve been a huge DS fan ever since.
I relied heavily on the book Quilting for Dummies to learn the technical aspects of quilt making but readers interested in this particular brand of wonky log cabin design can find instructions in the 2005 book Denyse Schmidt Quilts: 30 Colorful Quilt and Patchwork Projects.
Although time consuming, I find hand quilting to be a soothing, meditative process. It lends a unique and quirky quality to a design that can’t be replicated by machine.”
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86 Responses to “February 10 ~ Quilt of the Day”
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I really love these quilts that show it doesn’t have to be perfectly geometric to be beautiful. I’m alot better at the slightly wonky squares than the perfect point, and so I’m happiest when I just allow it to be a design element.
LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this quilt!!! I’m on my way to look up Denyse Schmidt – thanks!!
I love this quilt! Wonderful job!
Jenny in VA
I clipped out that same article about DS! I have it tucked away and refer to it every now and then. DS definitely has a unique and fresh look that has captured a generation of quilters.
Reading this article gives me hope, as a beginner, that I can really create a beautiful quilt even though I haven’t been quilting for years. Absolutely beautiful!
Oh!! I really like this! Thanks for sharing!! Libby
I so love this. The blue centers make it so beautiful! Lovely, lovely!
This is really fantastic – just what I’ve been looking for as inspiration. I’ll have to check out that DS book.
Fabulous! I’m surprised I like it as I usually have an aversion to harvest gold, brown and avacado green. Maybe I’m getting old enough to appreciate/long for the colors of my youth?
The first thing I noticed about this quilt was how the blue centers just pop! It is simply beautiful!
I love everything about this quilt: the non symetrical look,the quilting, and the colors! It’s beautiful!
Love the colours!
This is a great quilt (color & pattern) for a little boy to grow up with
This is a truly lovely quilt. I love the story behind it, too – very inspiring.
Very beautiful quilt!
That is a gorgeous quilt! Great colors for a boy.
What a cool quilt! I love the simplicity of it!
wonky lines give me hope—none of me points meet so far!
I love this quilt! I’ve been so intimidated by doing the off center patchwork. Seems like such a cutting nightmare to me. This makes it look worth it!
Wow, amazing, especially for a beginner (at the time…)!
What a lovely quilt! I think that would be a great one to start for my boys as well as for learning on myself. ^-^
Thanks so much for all the inspiration!
I love the colors, the design, everything about this quilt!
It’s absolutely gorgeous! I love asymetrical ‘square’ style quilts.
What a lovely quilt!
Is the DS article in this months MSL? I should go and take a look – I’m assuming March is already out, and that is the one you are refering to?
Beautiful quilt! I would love to do one in all blue tones!
That is a stunner! I love the colors and the flow. Nice design!
oh that is just so sweet! I love blocks of color!
Very nice, so cozy looking with your color choices. That was one lucky baby that got it!
what a neat idea for a baby quilt!
Wow! That is so cool that this was being design right around the time Denyse Schmidt was breaking through. It’s beautiful, and I love the colors used for a little boy! It’s as cool today as it was 10 years ago~!!
Probably my favorite so far. I love the colors and the asymetrical nature of it.
Beautiful colors and great design! I like how the kinetic feel of the colors and angles are balanced by the calmness of using mostly solid fabrics instead of busy prints.
absolutely beautiful!! I’m really enjoying all of these great quilts!
That quilt is amazing! I can’t wait to learn more!
The colors work so well together!
Love the colours and how the centres are slightly askew. I think any boy would love this one!
I had sooo been waiting for the start of quilt month and then last week my computer up and dies. I do get to check in once a week at my office, but it has hampered my momentum some. All the quilts i’ve seen so far have just been beautiful! Hopefully I’ll be able to add some quilt blocks to the photo pool soon…
That gives me great hope for my first one that I am working on! Thanks for all of the inspiration!
Amazing. These colors really are beautiful together. I think this would be the perfect quilt for any baby, regardless of gender. It is timeless.
I love it!! Very encouraged that she was a beginner when she started this project. There is hope!
very cute quilt- reminds me of Gwen Marston..the liberated quilting.
Holy Cow! Thanks for all the kind words about this quilt made so many years ago. It’s great to be “virtually” connected to so many quilt enthusiasts who like the asymmetrical modern approach. Can’t wait to see what everyone else creates as a result of the quilting month tips and inspiration.
Leesa
A spectacular quilt. I really, really want to do one like this.
So lovely -what a lucky baby! I really like the baby quilts that don’t look babyish and use colors that can really grow with a child – they will treasure this forever.
I love those colors.
Stacy
Such a beautiful first quilt! I love how the blue pops.
I’ve already checked out one of the top favorite quilting books (Quilts, Quilts, Quilts by Diana McClun and Laura Nownes). Now I’m putting my name on the list for the one mentioned in this post. I love this quilt.
Wonderful quilt!
What a great quilt!
That quilt is gorgeous. Very inspiring.
Beautiful. I love the simplicity of it, and the colors. Although a baby quilt, this could easily follow someone into adulthood as a throw.
Love the non-symetrical look of this quilt. Can’t believe she made this without any quilting experience…it gives me hope!!!
Great Quilt, thanks for the inspiration. I’m trying to decide on a pattern for a first quilt – I only have about 200 hundred ideas, but I like this one.
This is a truly amazing quilt. I love the design and colors.
This is a fantastic quilt…I love the design.
I really like the warm tones.
This quilt is great – I love the colours.
What a great quilt to give a baby. This is something that will grow with him/her forever. A beautiful heirloom for sure!
Beautiful combination of colors!
-violet
this is gorgeous! the colors are so relaxing and comforting, it makes me want to wrap up and sit in front of a fire and eat popcorn.
At first look I thought – wow – love that Denyse Schmidt quilt!!! Rank yourself right up there girl… you created a beautiful quilt. Would love to see what you’ve created since. I’ll have to go visit your site. Keep up the beautiful work – you have a wonderful eye.
Wow…I love this quilt! Has to be my favorite…or at least in my top five favs!!!!
I often fight with my urge to make something perfect. I read on WeeWonderfuls to allow little accidents to happen, because that is what gives the item character. It also allows the viewer to see that the item is hand made (both hand sewing or machine sewing to me are hand made). Imperfect shapes, drawings, lines can be so wonderful. Variation is a key to good design.
People have often stated to me, after hearing that I am an artist/crafts person, “I can’t even draw a straight line”. My reply to them is that there are no straight lines in nature, so why should you worry about drawing prefect when just trying to draw and create is the adventure. You have some control over the outcome, but the struggles along the way are what make us better crafts people.
love it! I am so in love with ds’s drunk love- this quilt shown is so… folky. (can we make up words here? )
very good color scheme, too. what a lucky child to receive this beauty.
Wow! I love this! Totally want to make one too! I’m glad to hear something good about actually doing hand quilting since I’ve been interested in it for a while. Great quilt!
Love this quilt design! So whimsical with perfect colors for a boy. Great job!
That is a gorgeous quilt. Thanks for the recommendation on where to find information on learning to quilt.
I absolutely love that quilt! well done!
What a lovely contemporary quilt that also has a somewhat traditional feel to it as well.
This is incredible, especially for a first quilt!
I thought “Denyse Schmidt!” when I saw the photo. Interesting to read that she hadn’t “met” Denyse yet when she designed the blocks. Obviously a soul-mate.
Oooo!!! I like this and can’t wait to read how it was done!
I love this quilt! I always think “oh, I can do this” but my one attempt was required much more concentration than I was prepared to give. But I’m inspired to take it on again! This is gorgeous!
beautiful!
I love this quilt too!! It is so great to see all the quilts you have found.
I love this pattern and I’m so impressed by this simultaneous creation! Leesa’s artful eye is very apparent.
Here I wanted to add that after I designed the squares for the top, I enrolled in a short course in quiltmaking at a local arts center which went a long way towards making the first quilt something I could be proud of. Although I think you can absolutely teach yourself to quilt from books and online tutorials, part of the whole history of quilts is its collaborative nature. I truly enjoyed the class at my local art center, the feedback of the group, our very different designs (I think they thought I couldn’t sew a straight line but were supportive nonetheless) and the group input. If you’re a beginner or even an advanced sewer/quilter, don’t discount the value of what others have to share and teach. But hey, you’re already reading this thread so you probably knew that!
What a stunning quilt. Great job. Unbelievable to think that it was your first.
Very nice! I love how the colours go together.
i am working on the planning stages of a quilt like this for myself, inspired by dsquilts ‘what a bunch of squares’, and it is always fun to see others out there along the same vein.
What a gorgeous quilt!
b.
This is exactly the inspiration I was looking for while trying to decide what sort of quilt to make for a friend and her soon to arrive baby girl. It is so classic looking yet not so traditional, I love it. Hmm, I see a trip to the fabric store for pink and green fabric in my near future.
LOVE LOVE LOVE the colors! I’m so attracted to the color combination and the design. Also, I was inspired to read that you really didn’t know how to quilt when you started it. Quilting seems overwhelming to me. But after reading your story, I’m anxious to get started!
It´s an impressive quilt, with this lovely color combined with the shapes. I like it very much.
I LOVE this quilt. I love the colors, I love the asymmetry, I love it all! Wonderful job and great article!