Red Quilts

You Are Rouge Red

Of all the reds, you are the most energetic and vibrant. You never need to recharge, and in fact, you often recharge others. Gutsy and brave, you've never let your fears stop you from doing anything. You figure that life is all about experiences, and you'll always take that leap of faith.

What Color Red Are You?

This quiz, plus the challenge from Karen of "Threadstory" weblog to show her red quilts inspired this posting. Red is not my favorite color, but close. Really the orange family is at the top of my list. But I must say that my preference is for wam colors as opposed to cool ones. So here are a bunch of quilts that feature red.

"Queen of Hearts" - 19"x19" - 2005

I was "just playing". There had been a show on Simply Quilts that featured a way of sewing squares together, cutting them apart, sewing together, etc. This way of constructing complex blocks intriques me. It's like performing magic. Also, I wanted to make an irregular checker board pattern. This is the result. The piece was purchased by a friend and it hangs in a log cabin in the Smokies.

"City Cats" - 1996

This is a cuddle quilt I had made for my daughter-in-law who is a cat lover. Go to the previous posting "City Cats" to read more about it. It is machine pieced and hand quilted. I wasn't feeling the time pressure yet that pushed me into machine quilting. That came when I turned 60 years old.

"Warm and Fuzzy" - 36"x38" - 2006

This one was my answer to a guild challenge and was donated to "Saving Little Hearts". Go to this previous posting to read more about it. I used quite a bit of orange in this one as well as reds. I love that red border fabric with the blue spirals. Drats! It's almost gone.

"Coming Unstrung" - 28"x24" - 2002

Visually "it" is all barely hanging together. A collage of raw edged silk fabrics layered over cotton fabrics portrays emotions run amok. All this being contained in a regular shape with a loose grid within, depicts a trying to hold it together. Holes are cut through to different layers . The cut-away circles appliqued to the surface represents trying to put the pieces in place.. Yarn couched to outside edge contributes to the "frayed" mood. Again, this piece began by "just playing" with a technique taught by Kate Cox in a guild workshop. The piece was purchased by an elderly lady who stated it portrays how she feels a lot of time. It's hanging somewhere in New England.

"Land of the Unicorn" - 12"x12" - 2002

This piece was made as a study with the intention of making a really big wall quilt. I haven't given up the idea, but have donated this small one which was sold to raise money for our quilt guild. It is made in the collage technique that I call "ortwork" ... lots of bits and pieces layered under tulle.

"Hollyhocks" - 18"x22" - 2004

Another "ortwork" piece that was my answer to the challenge of interpreting a photograph. The blossoms are made from cut apart and reshaped silk flower parts. It is detailed with pastel oil sticks and paint. Many of the leaves are from the silk plants. The small ones are shapes cut from interior decorator fabric samples. This was purchased by a friend in Knoxville and hangs in her bedroom.

Then there are three large cuddle quilts that I paper pieced earlier this year that feature a lot of red fabrics. These are three of six memorial quilts I've made from my mother-in-law's fabrics for her grandchildren. I have three more yet to do (there are eight grandsons and one granddaughter). One of them will also feature the red wool that's in the border and sashings of this first one. I'll be posting more about this series of quilts in the future.

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