Monday, October 20, 2008

Where is Simrill?

This quilt was inspired by two friends from my Atlanta guild. I was inspired by Mary Lou to use the drunkard's path pattern. She made a scrappy one with the squares set like this, for her son some years ago, which I loved. I thought I'd like to make one like hers - and might still do that - but then decided to use the pattern for my black and white fabrics. In 2007, Marva had a quilted wall hanging in the East Cobb show. It was black and white with a thin bright green border. It was stunning and very striking. I was going to use a color other than green, but just couldn't find one which made me happy.
Some years ago, I saw a suggestion to use the pattern from the front for the back, just in a bigger format, for an interesting backing. I didn't do any measuring, and the four large blocks I made - with help from Casey - were not big enough.

When picking fabrics from my stash, I sometimes feel that a fabric is "too nice" for the quilt and want to save it for something else. Of course, it makes no sense but it happened when I was making this quilt and I didn't want to use some of the nice black and white fabrics I had left for the back! Thus the use of colored fabrics to set the squares and border them. While I think what I did was silly, I really like this back and think it makes for a very nice two sided quilt.
The quilt got its unusual name because Simrill happened to wear clothes of exactly the same colors as the quilt when I was working on it at quilt camp. When she stood in front of the quilt, she blended in.

The quilt is 72" x 84" and was machine quilted by Regina Carter. For now it is on the guest bed in my office so I get to see and enjoy it every day. If I can train Jesse to stay off the bed and instead use the very nice space I have created for him next to it, I hope to keep it on the bed.

1 comment:

Unknown said...

This is amazing,Charlotta! I LOVE the back!!! Here's to many many more quilts in 2009!! ... and maybe even finishing mine ;)
Happy New Year!
miss you!
~ela