Wednesday, December 19, 2012

seminole quilt

Seminole quilt began as strips of red and yellow fabrics 

the sandwiched Seminole while I was quilting it at DC Modern Quilt Guild [photo by Jessie Aller]

Keith caught me sewing on the yellow calico binding

the back is tiny white pinpoint dots 



back machine quilted lines match the top side stripe pattern 

I like the stripes all bunched up to make a jumble of patterns
final the Semiole quilt completed


It is all done. The red and yellow Seminole single quilt. It's 76 x 52 inches and all machine pieced and quilted.  Piecing this project was a lot of fun working to create the various stripe patterns. Using a rotary cutter, straight edge ruler and cutting mat helped make this easier than it would have been with scissors. All that I have left to do is make a label and attach it to the back. I made it this year 2012 from start to finish. It has rows of straight line quilting to match the stripes on the top. Very simply done made it go fast and reduced the stress and anxiety of making mistakes. I laundered it yesterday and it came out just about like it went in, I can't see any difference but it's softer. I got a few good pictures before it goes in the wash just in case something goes wrong. This is a traditional Native American design I know I will be using again.
Now back to the Rose-Star project, quilting by hand, a much slower but still a very satisfying experience.
Today I discovered another man who quilts while looking at Pinterest quilt boards. Joe Cunningham has been quilting since 1979. He works abstractly and makes some very beautiful modern quilts. He has a blog here as Joe the quilter. He has written several books and does shows and lectures classes etc. in addition to quilting. His latest book is "Man Made Quilts: Civil War to the Present" a catalogue for the show of the same name at the Shelburne Museum in Vermont. It is interesting to think about quilts made by other men because in America it seems so unusual. It wasn't always this way and Joe wrote a book on 30 men who quilt which is going on my wish list today...

Happy Holidays everybody!

7 comments:

Elle said...

It looks fabulous! Congrats on a quick-er finish! I'm always amazed at finishing anything within a year of when it is started! And now you've made me want to get back up to the Shelburne...I saw quilts there with my mom before I was really an active quilter. It would be fun to go back and look at them now with a more "experienced" eye. Field trip! :)

Frederick Nunley said...

Thanks Elle, I would love to go see the Man Made Quilts or any museum quilt show. I was once in the New England Quilt Museum in Lowell, MA and it was a delight. The 30 minute NEQM visit was what made me so curious about English paper piecing; when I saw the tutorial for the Rose Star project I took a chance on that exotic technique. Museums make a huge difference in my life. I wish we had more places in DC to study old quilts.

Beth said...

Wow - that is beautiful!

Jessie said...

Wow, you are done already! Great job! My favorite photo is the one where the quilt is laying in soft folds, jumbling up the pattern. Very inviting.
I have been to Shelburne, but a long time ago now. I would love to go back and to the NEQM too. Doesn't the Museum of American History have a quilt collection? I have heard that it's not on display but if you ask, they will take you to see them. Pretty sure it's American History. Perhaps that could be a field trip!

Frederick Nunley said...

Jessie, I had to get it done it was taking up my creative space waiting. I am not sure about Smithsonian Amer. History having quilts but I know Smithsonian's American Crafts at the Renwick Museum often has old and new quilts on display with all the other amazing hand made arts.
Looking on google for Smithsonian quilts I found this video introduction to the collection you heard about.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_7JvsKwCWfk
Now how do we get to see them?

Frederick Nunley said...

Jessie, I have seen at least three quilt shows at the Renwick over the last ten years. African American Quilts, Abstract Amish Quilts and Western Frontier quilts. There are also modern quilters works in the permanent collection of the American Art Museum which are displayed at Renwick. The websites are a nightmare to find anything on for Smithsonian but it is a good idea to get tied into the blogs for tips on whats coming in their shows and what's in the collections of Smithsonian Art collections. I like to get the blog posts from "Eye Level" http://eyelevel.si.edu/

Anjeanette said...

Wonderful finish! I adore the yellow binding. I am glad I got to see this baby in person too.