I call this quilt, "American Patchwork". Its my first quilt ever accepted into a quilt show. I am so excited! It will be in the Winter Quilt Show. The show is put on by the Wisconsin Museum of Quilts and Fiber Arts in Cedarburg Wisconsin. Its an amazing venue filled with exquisite exhibitions of quilts and fine fiber art.
My quilt is dedicated to my great-great grandfather and the many great grandparent who immigrated to the United States from 5 different countries through out manyyears. I am so grateful for their courage. I'm sure their journeys were not easy and perhaps their acceptance into the United States was not always welcoming. But they came to build a better life for themselves and their families. They worked hard. They cared for their children and their children's children. I owe my entire life and the family I love to them.
Lady Liberty Pattern by Ingrid Alteneder
The amazing paper pieced pattern used for the main block,
"Lady Liberty" is designed by Ingrid Alteneder. Her shop on Etsy is
JoeJuneandMae. She has over 500 patterns in her shop and they are all stunning. She has everything from classic quilt blocks to intricate portraits and animals. Not only is she incredibly talented, but she is also wonderfully kind and generous with her talent and encouragement.
The pattern was a delightful challenge as it contains over 135 pieces. But, they all go together like a fun jigsaw puzzle. The directions were spot on. I wouldn't recommend it as your first paper pieced project. I actually love paper piecing! But, a basic knowledge of the technique is required. She does have some basic patterns such as a LeMoyne star. She also has an informative and inspirational
blog to help you get your feet wet or take a deep dive into paper piecing patterns and projects.
I designed the lettered block. I have so much respect for paper piecing designer such as Ingrid. I do love a challenge so I jumped right in. I used a variety of textured solids and Kona white to add some joy to a heavy word. My 65 year old brain was really tired trying to figure out how to draft the pattern. But hey, they say its important to exercise those brain neurons once in a while.
I would have to say that the stars in this quilt are 2 fabrics from Cathe Holden. I love the warmth they bring to this quilt. They speak to the past and infuse that charm and warmth into a very modern block. It was hard to take the leap into combining so many colors and prints into a very busy quilt block. But, in the end I'm so happy I trusted my gut and dove right in. My advice when taking such a risk is to use your camera often to read values and essential contrasts.
Vintage Soul fabric by Cathe Holden for Moda
Leather and Lace and Amazing Grace by Cathe Holden for Moda
I was really proud of the fact that I entered a quilt into such a special quilt show. I really never considered myself a quilter even though I've made many quilts. Most of the quilts I make are part of a homeless quilting mission with a local church. Its quick piecing and quantity is far more valuable than quality, although I try to combine the two. This year I completed my first quilt commission for a lovely Etsy customer.I dabble in all the quilt elements such as binding and machine quilting when I make little mug rugs for my Etsy shop.
When creating this quilt for a juried submission I really stressed about the details. I tried so hard to get the technical details right. In the end, I worked right up to the deadline which is typical for me. All in all it was a labor of love. I didn't think I had the credentials to enter a quilt show. In the end, I just decided to try and I am really happy I did. Who knows, maybe I might make it a habit.
If you happen to live in Wisconsin maybe you will be there. Its February 14th from 9am to 4pm at the Washington County Fair Park in West Bend. You can find more info here -
Winter Quilt Show.
I was worried about making an immigration quilt. Speaking out has sometimes been bad for my blog and my shop. Its hard to have a voice and a business in these divisive times. But, I felt it was important to say something.Ingrid wrote a lovely blog post about this very subject. I hope you find the time to read it.Its called "Why Quilting is Political and Why that is not a Bad Thing". I hope you understand how important it was for me to honor my past and my family. I wanted to convey why the word immigrant belongs to us all. Even our beloved Statue of Liberty is an immigrant.Everyone in this country is an immigrant. I just wanted to celebrate the word for all of the love and bravery it holds. I wanted to celebrate my love for this country.
I make many things and work with many special people from all over the United States and the world. I find that creative people and those who value the handmade process are really amazing. I love what I do because of the people I meet in my shop. Quilters are some of the most generous and caring people ever. We may not agree on everything. But, we do our best. That is all the really matters in the end.
Happy sewing!
Jill
