In this earlier post I talked about creating the fabric I used in my quilt Urban Sunset. My original plan was to use the fabric as-is and create several whole cloth quilts. However, the more I looked at the printed fabrics (shown below), the more I thought I’d need to cut them up.
I wanted this fabric to be the majority of the quilt, and I decided to use circles since I was looking for an abstract sunset over a city. I dyed some fabric a very dark blue to use as the background night sky, and eventually I got the nerve to cut into the fabric. Here’s the first circle pieced into the background.
I pieced the circles using Dale Fleming’s technique which involves freezer paper and glue sticks (see the HGTV video here or on The Quilt Show episode #704). It’s a great technique for me since it yields very precise circles yet doesn’t require pinning fabric or precise sewing.
I added a second circle.
And a third. I marked the top with a light grid pattern using white chalk so I could get a better feel for placement and orientation of the circles.
Here’s an animation of the circles as they’re added.
And here’s the completed top.
x
All my life’s a circle;
But I can’t tell you why;
Season’s spinning round again;
The years keep rollin’ by.
— Harry Chapin (1972)
— Albert Einstein, in a letter in 1950
Jean, I really enjoy your blog. Talented gal. The above quilt needs to be entered in major shows. From a distance, it is outstanding & up close, the quilting is fantastic. Keep it away from public until you can enter it. Mary R. Beat
Thanks Mary. I was at the Sewing and Quilting Expo yesterday and saw the Art and Science exhibit for the first time — loved it all, including your “Horticulture and Psyche” quilt.
Pingback: “Urban Sunset” — Completed Quilt | Color On Cloth