Circle Up

>> Friday, June 22, 2012

"Circle Up" is about being a team -- a team of 8 friends supporting another friend from afar. It's about a community circling the wagons and barn-raising for a friend, even when we're scattered across the country. It's about encouragement in times of need, warmth in times of stress, and love in times of challenge. It's about investing in people and making that investment tangible.

On a design level, this quilt is a riff on Alissa Haight Carlton's "Red Square" quilt in Modern Minimal. There are three circles instead of a square and 4 vertical lines instead of 3, lines on right and left, more color and less neutrals, and no red, so the move from origin point to finish line was certainly meandering. In fact, I originally planned to make it purple, blue, and gray, but the solids I had access to just didn't mesh as well as I desired. The yellow vertical line? That was added when I felt the design needed some oomph. I suppose I just can't not improvise.

While the design rests of the graphic power of solids, the back -- gasp! -- uses a print. The gray is from Ellen Luckett Baker's Quilt Blocks collection, and is not only versatile but super soft. I added in some white, charcoal, and Betty's orange to make the back -- the solids are a mix of Bella Solids and P&B textiles. I don't love P&B solids, but I do love the magnificent shade of green they make.

I had a hard time deciding how to quilt Circle Up. Part of me wanted to use the same circle pattern Alissa used in Red Square, but I was concerned about manipulating a quilt this big (60x70) with the particular set-up I had at the time. Actually I was most concerned that swing around the quilt would pull the plug out of the outlet (it was a stretch) and I would end up stopping and starting all the time. That seemed like a plan laden with problems, so I opted for irregular, all-over, mostly straightish lines. And I like it. It's enough quilting to be secure, but with sufficient space to crinkle and drape well. And I avoided knocking out the plug, always a good thing with items electric.

10 comments:

torie June 22, 2012 at 3:03 PM  

You are awesome.

Karissa June 25, 2012 at 2:25 PM  

So great! You are killing it with those circles! :)

Rachel at Stitched in Color June 25, 2012 at 2:38 PM  

A quilt with a good purpose is such a beautiful thing!

Anonymous June 25, 2012 at 6:52 PM  

I love it! The recipient is one lucky person.

--amy

Chris Dodsley @made by ChrissieD June 25, 2012 at 11:53 PM  

I know it's a few rings short but it really made me think about the Olympics - but then maybe that's just because they're so close now?! Great quilt either way, ChrissieD from P&J blog hop

felicity June 26, 2012 at 1:01 AM  

I love this, and I especially appreciate the story of it.

Beth June 27, 2012 at 6:23 PM  

Such a great quilt! Front and back! And I like the quilting you decided on.

~Michelle~ June 29, 2012 at 6:09 PM  

What a lucky recipient! And I don't think I've seen that hexie print, I'll have to try to track some down.

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