Minimalism

"Minimalism"

31 x 38 inches

Here's my project that was inspired by the quilts of Yoshiko Jinzenji and Ingrid Press. I've titled this one "Minimalism". I've also been influenced by Jacquie at Tallgrass Prairie Studio blog. . . . I love the clean, spare look of her quilts. This is only to the flimsy stage - I have no time for quilting it yet.

This was fun and it came out very close to how I had visualized it even though I had no real plan when I started. This style of work still intrigues me and I'd like to do at least one more quilt in this style. I even already have another idea.

I know that Yoshiko Jinzenji has a line of fabric out, but 1. I don't know where to buy it and 2. No way am I paying something like $20/yard for fabric! After looking at the quilts on Monica's blog post about the Birmingham Festival of Quilts, I thought I could make it without the fancy fabric.

So, I hauled out my graphic white-with-black fabrics and starting cutting. I cut a strip @ 2 inches by width of fabric of each fabric. I used a maximum of 4 or 5 inches of each strip of the graphic prints. I used lots of the white fabric! I lost count of how many strips I cut of the white. Now I have enough of the graphics left over to do another black & white quilt!

You can see in these closeups how I inserted those graphic prints. Some of those little pieces are only 1/4 inch in width.

My seam allowance really show up here and I think that's because I have the quilt top on a piece of grey felt. I think they'll show less when it's layered with batting and a backing. I kind of like how they show anyway. I think it adds another design element to the top.

The hardest part for me, which kind of surprised me, was being minimal! It was so difficult to stay simple. I kept wanting to add more of the little strips of graphic fabric. I think I may still have too much in there - I could go even more minimal.

Oh, and the other hard part? Remembering from block to block how to construct the log cabin! Shhhh, don't tell anyone, but my log cabins are a little confused. Some spin one way and others spin the other way. We'll call it an on-purpose design feature, OK?

I found the funniest cat video today on Yahoo. Click here to see the cat who takes drinking from the kitchen faucet to a whole new level. I've never seen a cat do something like this before . . . it's just amazing!