Two Halves

Two Halves
48" x 48"

Two halves make a whole.  If only it were that simple for our country....

This quilt began as an abstract. As I worked, the horizontal line became more prominent.  Could it read as a landscape?  Perhaps the orange blob is a setting sun? As time passed, the idea of 'two halves' started settling into my thinking.  In this quilt both halves are quite lovely, and if you look at the shapes and colors, they have a lot in common, though they appear different.  If feels like a metaphor for the two halves of our country, split and polarized.  And it could have been more obvious if I had selected more patriotic colors.  But, I didn't start this quilt with THAT in mind, it is just something that percolated while I was cutting and stitching.  And, it kinda of proves the point of why abstract art can be so great.  It can appeal to many different people, for many different reasons. The meaning lies in the eye of the beholder. And if you stare at it long enough, you can feel and think, and perhaps connect on a totally different level.  A great goal to aspire to!

And now for those of you who like to see behind the scenes, many, many more photos!

Cutting strips of fabric efficiently includes lining them up and cutting multiple layers, and multiple colors all in one slash with the rotary cutter.

Pairing up the colors and getting stacks of blocks ready to sew.

Half way there.  Next up, cut these blocks in half and then stitch in another center piece.

I make all my blocks too big.  This is because my sewing skills are not that accurate.  I like to square up the blocks and then trim them to the right size before sewing them together.

This is one of my favorite parts.  Finishing up a set of blocks and placing them on the design wall.  I have, on more than one occasion, taken them all down and tried different designs.  So much fun! I also like this stage because of all the negative space.  Just having partial block completion looks good to me!

Then it is time to baste the layers together and let the quilting begin.  This quilt did not feel that big until I had to quilt it.  Quilts with lots of tiny blocks get really heavy, really fast and are more difficult to quilt.

A close up of the quilting.  Notice the walking foot.  It is really working and doing a great job!

Next week, I will post photos and process of making the back.  Yes, this is a two-sided quilt. Thanks for stopping by.