Like the unpredictable wind, The Dancing Wind mini quilt turned out to be nothing like the quilt I had originally envisioned. I usually have a very good idea of the direction of my work starting from pattern writing all the way to the binding. Then, once in a while, a project comes along where it changes itself every step of the way. Over the years, I have learned to give in and let it take me for a ride. I love it when that happens, the unexpected turn is always exciting!
This is the other quilt I made using the same pattern for my beloved orange kitty.
Pinwheel Star combines the pinwheel quilt pattern inset within a star quilt pattern. I named it that not just because it is a combination of Pinwheels and Stars, but also after the Pinwheel Galaxy.
The Pinwheel Star pattern is a set of two patterns which can be used to create at least four different blocks.
When I thought of this quilt a couple of years ago, I had in mind a more industrial theme. However, as I was putting the blocks together, I kept thinking about rivers flowing with meltwater at the edge of growing woods. So I put my unfinished blocks aside, swapped the off-white fabric for a dazzling white fabric and restarted.
Once I finished the quilt-top, I started thinking about the quilting design. I was walking in the park one afternoon and saw the tall grass swaying in the wind. That gave me the idea for the wavy line quilting in the middle as if the gentle wind is flowing through the woodland. The wind grew more dynamic playing on the waters. Once it reached the snow, it swirled and turned with the careless nature of the wild.
These ideas meant that I would have to set my walking foot aside and dive full-on into the world of FMQ, another deviation from the original plan. I am new to FMQ so it took a lot of work, but in the end I surfaced with a quilt that I love.
Robert Frost is one of my favourite poets and The Dancing Wind reminds me of
Stopping By Woods On A Snowy Evening
See you next Thursday, May 5th, for Wandering Camera.
-Soma
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