To celebrate Flag Day, I just finished the second doll quilt in my series “Quilts Styles I Will Never Get Around to Making as Bed Quilts, so I’m Just Going to Make Them as Doll Quilts.” The first quilt is this series was a Lemoyne Star Medallion based on an antique doll quilt. This latest one is 21″ square, and each small square is 7/8″. My inspiration for this little quilt came from two of my favorite quilters, Lori at Humble Quilts and Karen at Log Cabin Quilter, who both enjoy making folk art and holiday themed quilts, although they are experts at appliqué, while I am more of a piecer.
It’s funny to me that I avoid most technology when it comes to quilting, since I worked for 16 years as a Technology Assistant at my children’s former elementary school. I do spend a lot of time on my various devices — just not for designing quilts. My process is low tech (just like my method of making a quilt), and for this design involved only graph paper and some colored pencils, although I often use a compass and protractor as well. I’ve never been good at math, but I’ve learned how to draft a pattern, and I’m not sure why, but sketching design ideas seems to help in the creative process.
To give you an idea of what I’m talking about, below is my final drawing for the above quilt, after several failed attempts. I notice the diagonal design in the center is more obvious on my drawing than it is on the actual top, because I used all those scrappy fabrics (especially the shirtings). The quilt is mostly made using antique blocks and tops from my collection, but the indigo border is a repro, as are a few of the shirtings in the 4-patches.
