Cottage Star Patchwork Quilt

I have been looking in more detail at star shapes and how mathematicians produce tessellation patterns. This site has lots of drawings which show how these shapes we use for quilting designs can be broken up in to more and more shapes to create ever more interesting visual shapes and structures.Go to Dissection Tiling

This is a patchwork quilt plan from the 1950s using stars, diamonds and squares.

I found this selection of quilts at Mishi and her blog with lots more to read and see is Mishi Blogspot

We have a Patchwork Quilt called Cottage Star that is in beautiful Autumn shades of brown and can be seen at Quilt Krazy

I hope you are enjoying these posts. I find these design connections fascinating.

Large Hexagon Patchwork Quilt

I have been looking again at the Hexagon as a patchwork pattern. It can be divided into so many combinations of designs. The photo below is one I took in Delhi in India at one of the famous tombs which shows India's Islamic heritage. The wooden trellis is carved with star shapes and open patterns to make a continuous flowing design. This would inspire a seriously bold black and white Patchwork Quilt for a dramatic effect. The light coming through made pattern shadows on the floor.



Below is a design from my 1950s book. I like the way that the hexagon and star image create a 3D effect. Again great inspiration for quilts. Below is a picture of the entrance to St. James's Palace in London which I took last year. Look close at the star in the clock design. This could inspire a quilt on the theme of Time. The Tudor architecture is interesting the towers could be hexagons or octagons.

Our patchwork quilt here uses the star theme and a bold contrast of colours. See it at QUILT KRAZY

Kaleidoscope Patchwork Quilts

I found these amazing kaleidoscope photos on flicker. If you look through these they are from digitally manipulated photos. I think they give superb inspiration for patchwork quilt designs and I like the way they are similar to the hexagon design below. It reminds me of being a child and being totally fascinated with the type of kaleidoscope you got from the toy shop and held up to the light and turned.

Go to see these at Through Joanne's eyes . Her site on flicker is full of inspiration . I think that our crochet covers give that feeling of continuity of design like the one below and relate well to these fluid designs. These can be seen at QUILT KRAZY

Hexagon and Diamond Patchwork Quilts

When I was on holiday in Bhutan I took this photograph of one of the woven bedspreads. It has also surface embroidery. It has vibrant use of colours and intricate patterns. Below is a 1950s quilt pattern and it just shows how different cultures often collide in their designs. I have read quite a bit about pattern forms and fractals in nature which show that there is structure in all the chaos of nature around us. I think that as we are natural we are really comfortable with repeating patterns and these designs fill that for us.

I love the interlacing of quilt design and the fact that there is no start or finish in a design just a whole repeating surface of hexagons so reminiscent of a bee's hive and volcanic columns in the one below.

I like the way this quilt below uses vibrant repetition, swirling hexagons morphing into stars and lots of colour. This traditional quilt called Grandma's Memories Quilt, see it at Quilt Krazy

Thanks for reading

Quilt Krazy

Circle Patchwork Quilts

This is a circular design painted on a doorway in Bhutan the Himalayan Kingdom. Below is the 1950s circular Patchwork Quilt design. I like the contrasting ways the artists have worked and in the Bhutanese one the bright use of colours. The centre design made of hexagons is similar to the yin and yang sign in the middle of the Bhutanese one. The repetitive forms of Bhutanese deign could provide lots of inspiration for patchwork quilts.

I like the way this Patchwork Quilt design has the circles and that brilliant orange colour of the Bhutanese Painting this can be seen at Quilt Krazy

Squares in Patchwork Quilts

As I was browsing through the photos on flicker I found these great quilts . I love the simple ideas of the basic square and what you can achieve with that along with great bold colour. You can view the whole set of photos at Shad0kitt3ns

I remember the first Patchwork quilts I made were from squares. My method was to cut out all the squares and arrange on the floor or a large table. Pin and tack together in long strips say all the horizontal bands. Then machine them together or do by hand. I then joined all the long pieces together. It can take ages but the results as those above show are really worthwhile.

Thanks for reading, Quilt Krazy

Abstact Flags Patchwork Quilts

Below is the patchwork quilt design from the 1950s book . it is really abstract but it also reminds me of Flags. This picture of flags of the world would make a great patchwork quilt. It would also be interesting to see how flags have evolved over time . I know the flag of the USA has gone through many stages before it got to its design today and all flags have a story to tell

This is a great patchwork Quilt which fits in with the flag and abstract theme and can be seen atQuilt Krazy it is called the Freedom quilt

Islay Patchwork Quilts

This amazing patchwork quilt has been produced by the Islay Quilters who live and work on the Isle of Islay. The Isle of Islay is one of my favourite holiday destinations in Scotland. This is a superb example of a very individual patchwork quilt that has been made by a group of quilters. I recommend that you look at their site for details of how to make this type of thing if you have the time. Go to ISLAY QUILTERS WEB SITE

Thanks for reading
Quilt Krazy

Op Art Patchwork Quilts

The patchwork quilt design above is from my 1950s book of needlework. I am just amazed at how similar it is to these Op Art pieces by UK artist Bridget Riley. In the UK there are a lot of 1960s ideas around in high street fashion looking back to Mary Quant with simple geometric shapes, bob hair cuts which go well with these, A patchwork quilt done in these styles below would certainly be eye catching. This article on Wikipedia will give you more information on the art of BRIDGET RILEY OP ARTIST

Thanks for reading

Quilt Krazy

Squares in Patchwork Quilts

Well to get me going I have been looking at an old needlework book I have had about 33 years. In it are some of the basic designs for patchwork quilts. Patchwork is now becoming so popular to either purchase or have a go at making. The first sentence in the book describes patchwork quilts as the Art of making designs by joining small pieces of odd materials together such as silk, satin, and chintz into a handsome piece of needlework.
Its manipulation requires both patience and neatness and also calls into play both the reasoning and artistic faculties, as the designs chiefly depend for their beauty upon the taste displayed in the arrangement and selection of the shades of colour used to make them.
This is a bit wordy to our use of English now but it really gives a good description. I would now add to this things such as recycling, environmentally friendly, individual, cool, quirky. So whether you have the time to make your own or you purchase they are beautiful things to have.
I love the 3D use of squares in this design
These are 2 patterns in the book to base a quilt on. The one above is called cellular patchwork and the one below is called Kaleidoscope Patchwork.
I think they are so like the OP ART of the 1960s. I like the use of the diamond type square in the middle. Visit the Tate on Line

Well that's my first post .I have really got inspired by these designs and I would love to see how they work in colour.

Thanks for reading

Quilt Krazy