Mini Quilt Mania continues this week with Implied Spiral which is the third mini quilt finish for the year!
I started this week by doing some drafting for a theatrical scenic design which included two spiral staircases.
The first thing I do when drafting a staircase is to rough in the stair placement, and it occurred to me that this type of visual may be an interesting inspiration for a quilt. I especially like seeing several spiral staircases together (like in the step by step image above) When looking at a spiral staircase from the front, the stair placement shifts from one side of center to the other. I sketched designs with and without the central post, but ultimately decided I liked the simplicity of the design without a separate vertical design element. I did, however, want to emphasize the shift from one side of the quilt to the other. This is how I decided to use a color shift to define the vertical areas of the design.
I started a pair of bright colors for the background with a single, sharply contrasting color for the stairs. Then I experimented with a black and white version in which the stair and background colors would reverse on each side. Finally, I combined the two ideas by using a consistent “stair” color with contrasting background colors.
I enjoy using complementary color schemes, and blue with orange is one of my favorites. In looking through my stash, I was happy to discover some Carolyn Friedlander prints. The architectural feel she uses in many of her designs reinforces the architectural influence of this design, and I had the same print in both the white and blue color ways. Another fabric from her line is used for the orange “stair steps.”
I made up a quick cut list and layout for the design to help in translating the design from the computer to fabric.
Once the quilt top was assembled, I selected a blue from the stash to serve as a background. I knew I wanted to do heavy horizontal quilting, so I thought a solid would show off the stitching without competing with it.
The quilting lines are mostly orange, but I did incorporate two white stitching lines through each “stair.”
I wanted to create a sense of continuity in the application of the quilt binding, so I chose to split the binding fabrics at the center line of the quilt.
I like the linear simplicity of this quilt, and I may create a longer version to function as a modern table runner.
Quilt Stats
Title: Implied Spiral
Size: 12″x25″
Techniques: Traditional piecing
Quilting: Tightly spaced horizontal lines
Fabrics: Front and Binding- Carolyn Friedlander prints. Back- Blue solid from stash fabric
Batting: Scrap of Cotton/Polyester blend
Thread: Pieced with white Gutermann Mara 100. Quilted with orange cotton Mettler and white cotton machine quilting thread
Binding: Straight grain binding, cut in 2″ strips, machine stitched to the quilt front and hand stitched to the back. Binding color shifts to match the background fabric.
What was New:
- Using fabric from one designer for an entire quilt design
- Matching binding to the background fabric
I am linking this post to Finish it Up Friday at Crazy Mom Quilts, Show Off Saturday at Sew Can She, Sew Cute Tuesday at Blossom Heart Quilts, Let’s Bee Social at Sew Fresh Quilts, Needle and Thread Thursday at My Quilt Infatuation, and Whoop Whoop Friday at Confessions of a Fabric Addict. Please drop by to see all of the wonderful work being done!
20 Comments
Mini Quilt Mania 2015 | The (not so) Dramatic Life
January 16, 2015 at 10:36 pm[…] Implied Spiral: Mini Quilt #3 […]
Kat
January 16, 2015 at 11:21 pmThis is awesome! Great design.
Cynthia Brunz
January 16, 2015 at 11:57 pmBrilliant! You are so very talented.
Marla
January 17, 2015 at 12:05 amYour design process is fascinating as is your quilt. I enjoy reading your posts.
Kate Yates
January 17, 2015 at 8:26 amThis is such a cool design, and I think the fabric you chose is perfect! it would make a really nice table runner too, very modern 🙂
Jake
January 17, 2015 at 10:27 pmThat is an awesome design! Beautiful.
Megan Null
January 19, 2015 at 4:36 amWhat a fun quilt! I loved seeing your design process.
Maartje Quilt
January 20, 2015 at 12:13 amI love your design and colorchoices. I will come back to see the results.
Kaja
January 21, 2015 at 2:54 amVery interesting to follow your design process – thanks for taking the time to put it all down. I like your finished quilt very much.
Judy
January 21, 2015 at 5:02 amSuch a cool mini! Love the bold orange quilting! It is always so interesting to read a quilter’s design process and you weave a great story! 🙂
Lorna McMahon
January 21, 2015 at 5:18 amWhen I seen your post title, the first thing that came to mind for me was spiral quilting. Seeing your drawings and plans brought me around. Love the fabrics and the quilting. And the matched binding. I am so enjoying seeing your mini’s each week. Your work is truly amazing!
Margaret
January 21, 2015 at 7:53 amI love your mini quilt, so simple, yet with a lot of thought put into it. Very different from many of the others I’ve seen around sewing world. Thanks for showing us how it’s done too!
Yvonne @ Quilting Jetgirl
January 21, 2015 at 10:21 amI love the design – I can totally see the stairs from the suggestion of your piecing and title of the work. I also really like your choice of orange for the quilting.
Lynette
January 21, 2015 at 6:58 pmNicely done! I love your design and the visual effect. And it’s so generous of you to share your cutting specs!
Sew Cute Tuesday - Blossom Heart Quilts
January 26, 2015 at 2:00 pm[…] And also a mini but unrelated to the swap, is this stunning take on a spiral staircase from Cassandra. […]
Adrianne
April 8, 2015 at 3:58 amAnother lovely quilt with lots of well thought out design details.
tusen
April 12, 2015 at 4:29 pmIt’s a lovely quilt and it’s so great to read about your design process too.
Terry Aske
April 13, 2015 at 10:50 pmWonderful!
Carolyn McMath
April 15, 2015 at 10:58 amI am thinking of enlarging this design by doubling the measurements and duplicating it to have four of the spirals. With your deminsions, I’m thinking of converting it from 12″ to 24″ (x2=48″) and the length 25″ to 50″ for a lap size quilt of 48″ x 50″. I am always looking for quilts that can be masculine or feminine and this one is fantastic. Great quilt! Great inspiration! Fabulous detail of design process!
Lateral Ascension | The (not so) Dramatic Life
December 4, 2017 at 11:59 pm[…] quilt is a larger and even more simplified version of a spiral staircase mini quilt I did a couple years ago. Â A spiral staircase is a really beautiful thing to look at in its […]