Tag Archives: quilts

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What’s in a Word – The Patchwork Quilt

The word quilt can mean simply a blanket. However for some, the word is intertwined with memories of a cherished grandmother who provided warmth and a hug through a patchwork creation of love.

The language of quilting, is both simple and complex. It is a craft developed around a utilitarian skill, but unlike its fiber cousins, weaving and knitting, quilting can mean the entire process as well as the specific skill of sewing together the quilt sandwich.

The word quilting describes the task of sewing together two or more layers of fabric, with the modern quilt usually having two layers of fabric sandwiching a middle layer of fiber called batting or wadding. However, historically, the process often was used to bind together many layers of fabric in order to create a dense fabric structure used for armor.

The term quilting has also become synonymous with the process of making a quilt. Piecing the patches of a patchwork quilt is less often used. It is easier to say, “I am quilting,” and have yourself understood than it is to say, “I am piecing,” or “I am doing patchwork”. Plus, not all quilts are pieced or constitute patchwork. Whole cloth quilts and comforters are examples of quilted items that would not require piecing and would not be called patchwork. Plus there is also a category of quilts that are tied or tufted. These are still considered quilts by many (especially when they are patchwork in nature), but these have no quilting stitches.

So what is in a word – the word quilting? Is is just another English word that causes many to shake their head over the confusion of the English language? Or is it a word that is fluid, adaptable, and timeless? It can mean many things – different things to different people, and also many things to one.

In my dictionary it has many definitions. Including the following one.

Quilting is the process of making a hug.

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This week’s video shares a few more of the quilted items under construction in my home at the moment, as well as a couple finished quilts. I also have another patchwork block to share.

Ayla’s Christmas BlockDownload

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Just for Fun

Trying a new pattern just for the fun of it. Windmill was inspired by a block in Barbara Brackman’s book Facts & Fabrications: Unraveling the History of Quilts & Slavery. I was drawn to the windmill image the block created. I added two center applique circles to emphasize the imagery.

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Download the Pattern for this block here.
windmillDownload

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Or simply make your own template following this diagram.

Small or large, this is an easy template to make. Just start with a square.

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Four More Blocks

It’s been eight months since I posted the first of thirty blocks designed for an English Paper Piecing sampler quilt. Today I share the final four blocks in the set. I will begin assembling them into a quilt top, possibly resembling this rendering, in the next few weeks. Then the hand quilting will begin.

The blocks I am sharing this week are called:

Glimmering Star, Double Tulip, Rising Sun, and Prudence Penny’s Compass.

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27-glimmering-starDownload

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28-double-tulipDownload

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29-rising-sunDownload

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30-prudence-pennys-compassDownload

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I share these blocks and more in this week’s video.

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The Joy of Completion

No matter the reason you put off working on it, no matter how displeased it made you feel at times, a finished project will stir your heart when it is completed, if for no other reason than it is done.

A productive week! Three quilts finished, as well as finally finishing the silk I’ve been spinning on-and-off for months. I share these completed projects in this week’s vlog. I also have another English Paper Piecing block to share. It is called the Gemstone Star and can be downloaded below.

26-gemstone-starDownload

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Plus I created a couple short reels this week when I ventured out of the crafting room 💜.

You can check them out on Instagram or Facebook

@pioneerlady_at_pithyponderings

https://www.facebook.com/PioneerladyatPithyponderings

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Keeping Our Mojo while Pursuing Success

In a world were the pressure for perfection is ever present, the quest for success can overwhelm us, thus causing our creative mojo to get lost somewhere along the journey. This is often the case when we are creating to meet the demand of others, but it can also be the case when we are creating for ourselves. The scale we use to measure success, sadly, is seldom one we create ourselves, thereby placing us at the risk of becoming overwhelmed when our efforts fall short of an unrealistic norm.

As creators, or makers to use another term commonly used in social media, we rely on our creative mojo to keep our inspiration flowing and our ideas vibrant. Our ability to keep creating often relies heavily on our feelings of accomplishment, and therefore how we determine success is instrumental in our ability to create.

In my video today, I ponder the notion of success and the question of whether my latest project is a success. I determine success is achieved when three criteria are met – functionality, structural-soundness, and joy. We are makers not machines. Variables in our creative efforts are part of what makes our product unique and desirable. When we hold onto this knowledge, we can better keep hold of our mojo even as we pursue success.

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This week I have three English Paper Piecing blocks to share.
22-grandmas-broochDownload
23-grandmas-spring-broochDownload
24-flower-basketDownload

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A New Year and an EPP Block to Celebrate

The new year has been full of fiber and fun. I have found my spinning, knitting, and crochet mojo again, but I am still embracing the joy of hand piecing quilt blocks. This block, while having been around for quite awhile, historically had no dominant name. So I named it in honor of the fireworks that fill the night sky on New Year’s Eve. It is a simple block, containing only four shapes (not counting the boarders). I hope it brings a sparkle to your patchwork project.

PDF pattern for can be downloaded here.
EPP 18 New Year’s EveDownload

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A Star

Star blocks are some of the most beloved designs in the patchwork quilt community. I’ve been drawn to them since my earliest days of patchwork. Foundation Paper Piecing and English Paper Piecing can bring precision and complexity to the process of getting sharply pointed stars. In the week’s to come, I will be sharing more stars, and even a compass. There will be a flower or two thrown in for good measure, but stars will dominate.

This week’s block is the seventeenth in my thirty block collection. Fittingly, for the season, it is known as the Bethlehem Star, named as such in 1938. It was also called the Star of the Magi in 1937.

You can download the pattern with this link.
Bethlehem StarDownload

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Sometimes We Need a Map

In quilting, much like in life, the path we travel often lacks complexity; a routine can be followed that will keep us on course. Other times, we need help a map can offer. This week’s English Paper Piecing block, Morning Frost, reflects the complexity that has settled into my life this season. On the surface, it looks simple. Yet without the map guiding me, the subtle differences threatened to trip me up and make the task more difficult than necessary. Taking the time to make a map, or a set of steps to follow, preserved the easy and joy of the journey.

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You can download this week’s block with this link.
Morning Frost EPP BlockDownload

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Also, be sure to check out this week’s podcast to hear more about the Christmas Tree Saga of 2023 and more.

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A Hexagon by Another Name – EPP Block 14

A hexagon? A wagon wheel? A snow flake? A Christmas Wreath? Sometimes a simple shape can be the most confusing to name. This week’s English Paper Piecing block is an example of how the humble hexagon can be transformed simply by changing the fabric colors and placements.

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Pattern for this block with both the solid and segmented centers.
Wagon WheelDownload

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The Color Makes a Difference: Harvest Star

One of the first things a quilter learns when researching or designing a patchwork block is that color makes all the difference. Sometimes, the placement of light and dark fabric will change the overall look, and even the name of the block can be different because of the choices. In this week’s block, designing with three high contrast, warm colors created a star that was reminiscent of a yearly wheat harvest. Changing the fabric choices to a Christmas theme created a different look all-together. Since I am working on a vintage fabric quilt, I chose fabrics with less contrast, but still high impact because of the cream background. Whatever you choose, this pinwheel star is perfect for any season or palette.

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This Week’s English Paper Piecing Block
Harvest Star EPP Download

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