If you happen to be in downtown Berkeley, any time between now and January 15th, I have a quilt in the mini quilt show in the Addison Street Windows. This is on the same block with Berkeley Rep and Freight & Salvage, on Addison between Shattuck and Milvia, on the south side of the street. One of my quilts is in there, but it’s hard to see because there are so many quilts inside. Below is an unobstructed view of my quilt.
Joseph’s Stars 2014
I made this quilt for Amish: The Modern Muse, a show at the SJ Museum of Quilts and Textiles. I designed it by making five liberated stars in three sizes. I put them up on my design wall, with black fabric behind them. Then I arranged them, and rearranged them until I liked the layout. I sewed them together using large chunks of black fabric to connect them to each other. When I was done, I decided it worked better upside down.
The use of two different shades of black fabric in this quilt is a quintessentially Amish touch. When I ran out of one black fabric, I substituted another, just as the Amish would have done. I like how it makes a subtle window frame around the stars. For those unfamiliar with Amish quilts, they are known for their use of black and vibrant solid colored fabric. Amish quilters don’t use patterned fabric because it is considered too frivolous or worldly.
