Minimalism is a popular way to abstract an image. Taking inspiration and distilling it into key components can create a dynamic composition, regardless of whether the source image is readily apparent in the final artwork.
In the final quilt in the Telephone Tag Series, I have employed minimalism to (hopefully) tell a simplified compositional story with the source image as inspiration.
Over the past few weeks, I have shared the quilts I contributed to the 2026 Telephone Tag series, a collaborative challenge I participated in with my regional SAQA group. Based on the game of telephone we played as children, this version is entirely visual rather than auditory. For the first quilt, we worked from another group member’s photograph to make a mini quilt, but all subsequent quilts are inspired by the mini quilts made by the person before us in the rotation. Today I get to share the final quilt in the series!
The Inspiration Quilt
When I first saw the inspiration quilt, I was struck by the painterly effect in the background. The way the colors flowed through the composition was the most dominant aspect, and I was excited to highlight it in my reinterpretation of the image.
My Design
As I looked closely at the inspiration quilt, I noticed how the colors in the composition formed four sections of dominant colors, with a rosy-rust color at the bottom, followed by a sharper yellow-green, then a grey-violet, and finally a dusty blue. Having the colors towards the top of the quilt become cooler and more grey creates a sense of aerial perspective that helps define the composition.
To my eye, these four fields of color were the critical elements in the design, and I decided to embrace minimalism by using only these four colors to piece the quilt top.
Quilting
In a nod to the painterly effect of the inspiration quilt, I decided to use matchstick quilting, in which matching thread colors extend into neighboring fields of color, creating a subtle filter-like effect.
To enhance the effect of the matchstick quilting, I did all the quilting with a heavy 12-weight thread on top and 50-weight in the bobbin.
Finishing
To maintain the overall design’s simplicity, I chose a faced edge finish for the quilt.
Quilt Stats
- Title: Color Fields
- Size: 12” x 12”
- Techniques: Piecing
- Quilting: Matchstick Quilting with a Walking Foot on a BERNINA 770 QE PLUS
- Fabric: Solids from my stash
- Batting: A scrap of Hobbs 80/20 Cotton/Wool blend
- Thread: 12-weight and 50-weight Aurifil
- Edge Finish: Facing
The Telephone Tag Series
Below are all four quilts I created for my contribution to the telephone tag series. I am thrilled that I was able to create distinct quilts using techniques reflecting the source image. Techniques that I incorporated include:
- Quilt 1: Hand Appliqué
- Quilt 2: Foundation Paper Piecing and Hand Appliqué
- Quilt 3: Improvisational Piecing
- Quilt 4: Traditional piecing and Matchstick Quilting
This series will be exhibited in clusters of four quilts, each paired with the original photograph. When we know the exhibition location and schedule, I will share it in the newsletter!
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