Hi there! Missed you my friends. Clearly I have been hanging out on IG (you can find me there @entropyalwayswins) but life has recently gotten a bit busy for blogging somehow. In any case I wanted to introduce you all to a new quilt I have been working on.
About a year ago, I was in SF and noticed a building with wonderful long thin windows. Though I didn’t take a picture, they were similar to these windows here I saw with Stephanie Ruyle and Christine Perrigo in Austin at Quiltcon 2014.
Fast forward to the last couple months when I pulled out some shot cottons, woven striped fabric and left over bits of yellow fabric and started making some blocks with these windows as inspiration. I made up a new (at least new to me) piecing technique that I call Tethered Y Seams and intentionally changed the grain orientation on the tops and sides so as to add visual interest.
The blocks started to get especially fun when using the striped fabric and different angles, giving a fun 3 dimensional effect.
As I was sharing these on Instagram, someone introduced me to The Chapel of Notre Dame de Haut in Ronchamp by architect Le Corbusier. Proving that there are few truly new ideas, I had been unintentionally channeling the lovely windows from this amazing building. And as I was sewing up the last seam on my quilt top, I started to realize how different this quilt top was for me. SO MUCH PURPLE! I never use purple. Absorbed in my pondering, the amazing quilts of Molly Upton featured at Quiltcon 2016 came to mind. Somehow this quilt top (though clearly much more humble in execution) reminds me of her work in color and style. We are subliminally absorbing so much I believe.
And there it is, a quilt inspired by a local building, a crazy cool church in France and a gifted, now gone Modern Quilter : “Molly’s Windows”. Now I’m hoping Molly will inspire me how to quilt it.
Hillary
Great job, Hikkary. Love the colors and the design
I love this Hillary. The changed orientation of the striped fabric, as well as the fact that the strips don’t perfectly line up, makes for a really fabulous depth. I’d love to hear more about your tethered y-seams technique, since I just tackled my first y-seams but didn’t find them all too bad (I’ve only done 6 total so far, so take it for what it is). May your quilting inspiration come smoothly–but either way, I know this will be gorgeous finished.
Thanks Kitty!
This is beautiful and fabulously creative! I could stare at it for hours. I agree with kittywilkin – I hope you share your tethered y-seams technique!
How nice of you to say. Thank you and I do hope to share this technique at some point. Fingers crossed.
Hillary
You are so right – I’d often have an idea work it out ans then see something not too dissimilar already made. This is gorgeous and I’d love to see how you quilt it!
Thanks Ruth. I am waiting a little for my inspiration to shine through. wish me luck
Hillary
I love the effect of the stripes around your elongated windows, Hillary.