Color Blocks Quilts

This series of small (16" x 20") wallhangings began with a challenge from the Alternative Quilts group on Yahoo! We were each to choose a painting, write a bit about why we think it "works" as a painting, and then make a quilt inspired by the painting.

The painting I chose was "Young Woman with Plant" by Rafael Soyer, an artist associated with the "American Street Scenes" movement in the 1920's and 30's. This particular painting was made in 1968. I took the colors from the portrait for my quilt, which is just meant to evoke a feeling of the 1960's, when I was growing up in Boulder Creek, California.




Marion Barnett, another member of the Alternative Quilts group, celebrated her new living room drapes by cutting up the old drapes and sending pieces to members of the group. As I recall, only a handful of us met the challenge to use the "curtains from hell" (Marion's term) in a quilt.

I loved the pink and grey color scheme. This quilt almost met the trash bin...it just didn't balance somehow. Then I realized I just needed to add that little bit of dark pink in the lower left flower panel to define that corner of the design.



So what do you do with a handfull of scraps of a to-die-for print that you rescued from your best quilting buddy's wastebasket? I made this little Color Blocks quilt. I wish the colors showed up better because it's really quite pretty.

By now I thought I might be onto something, so I put together a short workshop in designing these little quilts, and have presented it at two guilds and one show. It's a great way to use those novelty fat quarters you can't resist, but don't have a clue what to do with!