A Guest Blog from Judy Morris on a Four-Year Quilting Project
Do you know... there's an estimated 30-million active sewists in North America? And of that number, up to 11-million of them are passionate quilters.
Quilting has a rich history that dates back centuries. Originally a technique for recycling fabrics, quilting has evolved into a popular craft. The art of quilting is the process of joining layers of fabric together through manual stitching or with a sewing machine to create a bed covering or garment. Recently, my longtime special projects producer, Judy Morris, shared some photos of a friend who is about to finish a four-year long quilting undertaking inspired by a Civil-War era quilt design and fabrics.
Here are some photos, enjoy.
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- These are some of the fabrics Judy’s friend, Nancy Chick, purchased for her version of Mrs. Billings’ Coverlet quilt, a piece originally made between 1805 and 1810. Nancy’s color palette includes pinks and reds…
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- … different shades of blues…
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- … as well as tans and browns. It took Nancy about two months to locate all the fabrics she wanted to use in her quilt.
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- And this is the inspiration, the 95-inch square Mrs. Billings’ Coverlet quilt made from 15-rows of sewn hexagons, squares, triangles, diamonds, and kites in all different sizes. Some of the fabrics used date from the 1770s and include dress and furniture prints. Nancy purchased the pattern from Karen Styles who owns it. The original quilt is kept in the collection of The Quilters’ Guild of the British Isles. It is a very difficult pattern to make, but Nancy was determined.
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- Here are the tools Nancy uses to create her quilt – fabric pens, glue sticks, scissors, and her threads.
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- And here is a sample hexagon template, a cut piece of fabric, and the paper to which the fabric is glued before stitching into the quilt. The templates are all part of a kit from Somerset Patchwork and Quilting.
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- This is the very center medallion of the quilt and the start of the quilting process. A hexagonal flower with hexagonal pieces surrounding it. Nancy selected colors that would pop in the center.
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- There are different methods for piecing a quilt together, but Nancy cut each shape using a template and then affixed the fabric onto a matching piece of paper.
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- Here, Nancy shows the center plus the first few frames of the quilt. Other shapes are now used. All the fabric is inspired by Civil War era prints and patterns.
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- Kites, diamonds, and triangles are popular shapes in quilting. Quilters use them to experiment or show varying colors, fabric prints, and layouts on a frame.
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- Seeing it in stages shows how long and arduous quilt making can be. Nancy spent an average of 10-hours a week over four years to work on the quilt.
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- Next, these are called hexagonal flowers. Each one made separately.
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- They are also gathered together to make this border frame.
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- Another frame shows diamonds and triangles. Quilters often use a variety of fabric designs to reflect their personal styles or to display patterns or scenes from a certain point in history. Nancy uses prints popularly used in the 1860s in keeping with the theme of the original piece.
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- It is looking more like a quilt here after three years of sewing. The word quilt comes from the Latin word meaning “culcita” or stuffed sack. The more familiar English word was first used in the 13th century.
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- Several more rows are in the process of being sewn here. The Mrs. Billings’ Coverlet pattern for the quilt provides a border order, so every step is clearly illustrated.
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- Here’s a closer look to show squares and different sized triangles sewn together in a patchwork.
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- And here is another frame of what are called “hexies” – small hexagonal patches used to create more intricate designs.
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- And these are “hexies” sewn together to make triangles. These are used to create the final border.
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- Here is one side of the finished piece. Nancy expects to finish it within the next week. And then this quilt will be entered in the Pine Tree Quilt Show in Augusta, Maine this summer.
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