Wall Hanging/Blogger's Quilt Festival

 Ripple Effect I 

 The spiral quilting reminds of the ripple effect of throwing rocks into a pond....it is the first of what just might be series of Ripple Effect Quilts. 

Ripple Effect I (35" x 39")

Detail of the spiral quilting.

 I started out with an assortment of bright graduating fabrics.....and just experimenting with reverse, raw edge applique.

Wanting to tone things down a bit, I sliced the blocks and set some strips in.

The blocks were quilted separately with concentric circles, before being joined.

As I worked on this piece I decided to turn it into a wall hanging rather than a quilt....binding it with facing type edges. 

I'm submitting Ripple Effect I into this year's Blogger's Quilt Festival Quilt Festival.
  

Thanks again for putting on this wonderful event, Amy. 

Find yourself a comfy chair and maybe a pot tea and enjoy the fabulous work our fellow quilters have submitted.....so much inspiration!!!

Ripple Effect II / Bloggers Quilt Festival

My usual tendency is to work on multiple projects, but every now and again, I stick to a quilt from start to finish, unable to stop. Ripple Effect II is one of those quilts.

Ripple Effect II (50" x 68")

One Sunday afternoon, I went down to the studio feeling restless and to be honest in a bit of funk, with a lot on my mind. I started playing with some wonky, curved piecing.

The quilt seemed to make itself as I tapped into the melancholy side of my temperament. I was hooked!! A little over three weeks later the quilt was done.

I was surprised by the visual impact the over-sized blocks created.

Life is not always easy....relationships  are often complex. The ripple effect of our words and actions can work for us or against us. Negativity and criticism can spread like a cancer, taking on a life of their own but positive actions and words also have a ripple effect.

As I quilted the individual blocks with ripple like quilting I thought of the many positive actions by others that have effected my life....and how even a smile or kind word can have a huge effect on someone else.

This quilt is my personal reminder........I would much rather have positive effect in this world than a negative. In other words....I do need to bite my tongue now and again or should I say on a regular basis.

I'm submitting this quilt in this year's Blogger's quilt Festival over at Amy's Creative Side. Amy does a wonderful job of putting together this amazing quilt show....pop over and enjoy, you won't be disappointed. Thanks Amy, this is always such an amazing event.