Peek

It’s done! Not only did I finish in time to submit to Quiltcon, I also beat a stomach bug that hit our house hours after I hit send.

But that’s no way to start a finished quilt post! This is:

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This quilt, for me, was an exploration of some basic tenets of modern quilting– contrast, solids, minimalism, use of negative space. It started as a very logical thing– I like this shape, I will make a modern quilt to submit– and became a very personal quilt very quickly.

I will admit that I foolishly thought that minimalism would be easy. Oh boy, was I wrong.

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Though my guiding principles were simple and elegant, as I made it this quilt started to feel kind of rebellious and punk rock. Like, I’m just going to take a block out, because I like the way it looks. I said it would be an all-solid quilt, but I’m throwing some white-on-white prints in. And, you think white is boring? Watch how I add texture to make you stare at the white (shoutout to Molli Sparkles, whose white-on-white has inspired me from day one).

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I thought carefully about every detail– the lack of quilting in the “panes” of the blocks are meant to imply glass, for example. And I went the extra mile for those details– on other quilts I might have chosen an easier path, but I chose to quilt in a way that required a lot of burying threads.

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I fought to keep simple interesting, and I found myself defending the quilt preemptively against invisible quilt police and haters. It was my way of dealing with any self-doubt that would pop up, and it made me really fall in love. In a way, it made me better. I definitely feel stronger.

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On this Thanksgiving weekend, I have to send a huge thank you to anyone who encouraged me during the making of this quilt. I faced a lot of self-doubt and a lot of time-related anxiety, and my Instagram friends were especially awesome in helping me deal with it.

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I am so excited to write the pattern and start showing the world how versatile and fun the Peek blocks can be. Up next is a version using prints, probably in a throw size. It’s a great way to practice and perfect 1/4″ seam allowances, and I’m so excited to be teaching it at Mid Atlantic Mod in April. (Registration opens to the public tonight, by the way! Join us!)

The stats on Peek:

Size: 78″ x 90″

Fabric: Kona Tangerine and Snow, Cotton + Steel white on white grid. Back is Plentiful Earth in Saffron by Leah Duncan. Binding is Botanics by Carolyn Friedlander

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IMG_1295Now comes the wait, and the acceptance that more than a thousand quilts have been submitted to the show. Even if I don’t get in (I also submitted Love Letters and Trill), I’m so glad I made it. And I’m so thankful I have you to share it with.

Category : finished quilts, quilting process, quilts