Kaleidoscope Quilt

Welcome to 2021. This kaleidoscope quilt inspires us to dream about going to a real (not virtual) quilt show again, in person, in the near future.  We wish you good health and happy quilting for the year ahead.

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Kaleidoscope Quilt, 54x 70, by Gail L. Weiss, Oregon. Quilted by Nancy Stovall

Gail explains, "This quilt was made from 3,113 pieces using 5 different shapes. Cut and stitch lines were screen printed onto the back of 21 different Kona Solid fabrics, and a running stitch was used to sew them together. "  We enjoyed viewing Gail's lovely quilt because it projects a lighted glow that seems to originate behind the fabric, much like holding a kaleidoscope up to a sunny window.

Gail adds, "It took 10 months to sew the top together, then it was given to my co-collaborator, Nancy Stovall, who did an amazing job with her hand-guided quilting. It added to the top, without detracting from the design."  Gail's work is a fabulous example of the English paper piecing method of assembling patchwork. Her juxtaposition of light and dark values, along with the intermingling of warm and cool hues results in a luminous and sparkling work, to which the name "kaleidoscope" very aptly applies. 

If you would like to sew this spectacular quilt on your own, then you're in luck !  Gail has this pattern available for purchase as a PDF download on her website,  GailLizette.com. At the bottom of the book listing, there's also a link to Gail's very helpful  tutorial on English paper piecing. 

Image Credit:  Photos were taken by by Quilt Inspiration at the January 2020 Road to California Quilt Show,  Ontario, California.

Hexagon Quilt Inspiration

Today's post is inspired by some outstanding hexagon quilts we've seen over the last few years.  The hexagon shape is so versatile, it can be used to create flowers, diamonds, tumbling blocks, and even pixel quilts (check out the Hexie Hummingbird, below !)

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Hexie Hummingbird No. 2, 42 x 36", by Gail L. Weiss

Gail L. Weiss created her original design, Hexie Hummingbird No. 2, with 474 one-half-inch English Paper Pieced Hexies!  This quilt is hand pieced, appliqued and quilted with fine silk thread on the Hummingbird, and with #12 Perle Cotton for the background.  Gail describes Hexie Hummingbird as "A quilt that makes me happy!"

You can find a pattern for this quilt, and for more of Gail Lizette's wonderfully creative works, at her website (click here: gaillizette.com.)

Lupines by Karen McCarty

Winner of a ribbon for third place in the Applique - Solo category at the 2020 Quilt Arizona show, Lupines was inspired by a photo which Karen McCarty took in Ushuaia, Argentina, in 2014.  She says, "I knew that someday it would be a quilt. Just needed to find a way to make those tiny hexies."  We admire Karen McCarty's excellent technique and the many artistic details, including tiny bead embellishments.

City by Crystal Bray

Inspired by Libs Elliott's "Weight of Love" quilt, this quilt combines whole hexagons and hexagons divided into 60-degree triangles, radiating from light to dark, creating a 3-dimensional appearance. Crystal Bray says that she pieced hexies by the values in the Hoffman City fabric (shown below), hence the quilt title, City.  This quilt "reads" modern without being overtly minimalist... we love the look!

Oranges, Lemons and Limes - Oh My!  by Lynn G. Kough

Made by Lynn G. Kough, a member of the Arizona Quilters Hall of Fame, and exhibited in 2015, this quilt is a whimsical celebration of citrus in Arizona.  The fragrance of citrus blossoms is a beloved scent in the Valley [of the Sun] and throughout Arizona's warmer regions.  Small and large hexagons combine to create a lively mixture of lime green, orange, and lemon yellow hues. 

Diamonds Are Forever by Susan Cox, quilted by Jessica Gamez

Bright colors in many different hues create the sparkling diamond-shaped emblems in this beauty. Winner of a second place ribbon in the Scrap Quilt category, Diamonds Are Forever is made up of 4066 hexies. Susan Cox created this heirloom quilt using the traditional English Paper Piecing technique and many, many hours of work -  a true labor of love.

Image credits: Photos were taken by Quilt Inspiration at the 2020 Quilt Arizona show (Lupines), the 2015 Quilt Arizona show (Oranges, Lemons and Limes), the 2018 Road to California quilt show (Hexie Hummingbird), the 2018 Quilt Arizona show (City), and the 2019 Quilt Arizona show (Diamonds Are Forever).