Almost every week I say the same thing; I have excellent customers who bring me exciting and challenging projects! I am currently working on a longterm project that is a wonderful example of an interesting and creative challenge. A customer has hired me to reproduce, as closely as possible, the quilt from the 1995 How to Make an American Quilt movie. My customer specifically referenced the movie, which astonishingly, I had not seen. So I spent time watching the movie several times to see the details of the quilt, and I discovered the movie is based on a book, so I read that, too! I enjoyed both! The movie centers around a quilting bee that is making a quilt for the main character. As the blocks are made each woman’s story is highlighted. Love, loss, independence, joy, mistakes, and complicated relationships abound, and the blocks reflect the makers. I also found a book that catalogues the quilt and its blocks. The book is called Where Love Resides: Reflections on Love and Life by The Patchwork Place, and the book has been an excellent resource when designing the quilt and its blocks.
The Where Love Resides book is open to the Community Block picture and the hand drawn 16” block is laying under the book, so that some of the flowers, leaves, and stems can be seen.
My customer desires a king size quilt, which will be 96” square, with the blocks finishing at 16”. I am using the sewing methods from the movie: hand applique and hand quilting. I drew the blocks to their appropriate size, and now I am working on the hand applique. The Community block is every other block, so I am making those first.
Two hand drawn blocks from the movie. The left one is two intertwined flower stems creating a “u” shape in the middle of which are the two rings. The right block is a paint palette with a paint brush.
Various hand drawn blocks including the mermaid block and the couple holding hands.
I am really excited to share this process with you and to discuss the fun bits I have found as I research each block and how it is made…one even has folded flowers! Maybe before I share another update, you can read the book and/or watch the film!
Sending Quilting Love,
Ginger
Reading Now: I finished the Louise Penny book I was reading, and I picked up the next one A Brutal Telling! I am further along in You Can’t Go Home Again, and George is heading back to New York. If you recall, I recently reread The Lord of the Flies, and I am now watching the new BBC miniseries for it. The series is beautifully done, and the boys are captured very well. I am going to be heartbroken; I can tell.
NPR.org is a great place for balanced and informative news.