Transparency Quilt 1

I wish I could keep better records of my quilts, so I'm going to try and get some details down before I forget!  

Started: January 2016

Finished:  March 2016

Fabrics: Kona oyster (background), assorted solids from my stash, freespirit, Bella, modern solids from Alissa H. Carlton, moda crossweaves, cotton couture.  I don't discriminate. Wink wink.

Backing: Amy Butler, Meadow Bloom in Minty and Lizzy House Tonal Pearl Bracelet

Binding: Kona Oyster

Batting: Pellon natures touch, white, 100% cotton with scrim (my favorite, very low loft, love the drape)

Thread: Aurifil 50, 2000, light sand

Pieced and quilted by myself.

(Photo below by Alison McQuain Photography, quilt hanging in KMQG Show at Striped Light)

I made this quilt based on a design from my friend, Ashley Pace's Color Theory class.  She teaches classes at the University of Tennessee, College of Art and Design.  I love the designs that come from her classes.  She uses Color Aid papers to create color illusions.  (I hope to make more transparency quilts!-- but, I'm getting ahead of myself.)

I decided on four colors and used the shape from her class as my jump off point.

I also decided, I wanted it to be very organic and free, so I went ruler free for cutting.  This included trimming around the edge before binding.  For each color block, I started by drawing on paper the overlapping rectangles.  This helped me to visualize the end result.  After I made the four color blocks, I had thought I'd over lap those four again.  See below:

But I wasn't sold on it.  I struggled and just waited a bit.  During February, Season Evans, had a challenge with the Mighty Lucky Quilting Club.  She spoke about subtraction and minimalism.  I knew at that moment, the middle had to come out.  Stephanie Ruyle (spontaneousthreads) suggested I off center the colored blocks within the background, of course I listened!  So, I subtracted the middle and cut more Kona oyster and repieced the top.  I've never regretted it.

Then, it came down to the quilting...  I looked into other Josef Albers works (thanks Michelle Bolt!) to help with inspiration for the free motion quilting design.  I found several that led me to my final design:

I love this quilt.  I'm hoping to enter it in the 2017 QuiltCon show.  Fingers crossed.