sunshine after the rain
I've been fascinated by log cabin designs ever since quilts first came onto my radar screen. I love the games you can play with the blocks, and the games they can play with the eye.
I suppose a log cabin isn't the obvious choice for Denyse Schmidt fabrics, but I wanted to do something unexpected with them. I bought a stack of DS fabrics in New York at City Quilter (they aren't available here at all) and looked long and hard at them. The 'lead' fabric was the grey and yellow floral (Daisy Bouquet in Putty) and I liked the idea of using a palette I wouldn't normally consider.
Once I'd decided on the scheme, the grey and yellow halves of the blocks fell into place. I added a few fabrics by Kaffe Fasset and Amy Butler, plus some very simple greys. I had also bought the fabulously orange Heather Ross Lightning Bugs design and thought this would make a great fire or hearth at the centre of the blocks.
As I was collecting the fabrics, I thought of the yellow and the grey as sunshine and rain (and haven't stopped singing the Elkie Brooks' version of Sunshine after the Rain) and decided a few patches of sky blue would be apposite for the effect of the sun breaking through the clouds. Of course, it had to be called the 'Sunshine after the Rain' quilt.
It's all worked to plan weather-wise as well. When I was machine-sewing the pieces we were in a period of constant grey clouds and rain, and when I was hand-quilting, it was bright, hot and sunny. And the central, orange squares remind me of Lord Leighton's painting 'Flaming June' (c. 1895), which fits perfectly with the month of making.
I used DS' Daisy Bouquet in Putty for the back and Vine Stripe in Autumn for the binding - both from cia's palette which is an excellent site.
The QA and I had a little debate about a border. The QA is my Quilting Apprentice, Thomas, who now deserves a proper job title as he is becoming really quite skilled at helping to design quilts. He said no to a border, but I overrode him and then we agreed that the fabric choice was critical.
He was amazing at helping me place the blocks. I made them initially with no plan for putting them together. Then the sunshine rays alternating with grey looked just right. But Thomas was the one who moved individual blocks until it all clicked. This is his favourite quilt so far and I'm sure it's because of the geometrics, patterns and optical illusions.
The finished quilt measures 67" x 67"/170 x 170cm.
I hand-quilted in diagonal lines which run the opposite way to the blocks to create some tension for the eye.
This morning I photographed it under clouds,
and in the sunshine (beneath our very un-English vine-covered pergola) all within a matter of minutes, so quickly do the grey and yellow alternate in our climate.
And now the sun is out again and I can go and watch some cricket.
This is a fabulous quilt! The colours are beautiful. I cannot believe how quickly it has come together.
Posted by: Michelle | June 21, 2006 at 11:29 AM
Fantastic! Excellent fabric choices - I love the color scheme.
Posted by: meg | June 21, 2006 at 11:35 AM
Perfect choices, all around.
(I think I need a QA to move me along!)
Posted by: Jan | June 21, 2006 at 11:50 AM
Beautiful quilt - I think the QA has a very good eye for colour and balance (you're not bad at the sewing bit either!).
Posted by: Anita | June 21, 2006 at 12:05 PM
So so beautiful, Janet! I think I agree with Thomas - though a very difficult choice this is probably my favorite so far. Yesterday i came across this photo ( http://www.flickr.com/photos/lawntffoto/132813079 ) of a vintage quilt with the same orange/red squares. Congratulations!
Posted by: Rosa Pomar | June 21, 2006 at 12:06 PM
'fields and furrows'! that is my 2nd favorite log cabin layout (i am very partial to 'barn raising'). wow it looks great. you are really giving me inspiration to get my butt moving on my log cabin, which of course, as log cabins, do, will have both a similar feel and a completely different one... thomas is amazing. one of these days he's going to be making quilts all on his own - it must be so much fun to work with him on them! i will have to try to get my nephew involved, despite how my brother will probably feel about it!
Posted by: carolync | June 21, 2006 at 12:30 PM
Crikey you get through them quickly don't you! Must be the help of the QA. It does seem quite boy like in it's structure and colour choice, you can certainly (fighting the urge to say deffo!) see his influence in there.
Posted by: Gemma | June 21, 2006 at 12:31 PM
i have to admit, i'm not a quilt-fan. but this piece looks so beautiful. the first thought that passed my mind was: klimt! maybe i was influenced of the auction of his golden painting of adele (imagine: what can you do with 130million dollar......), but when looking at the colours/prints of the fabrics, they just make the impression of a perfect gustav-klimt painting....
like it very much!
Posted by: sabine | June 21, 2006 at 12:43 PM
oh my gosh that is beautiful - I have to admit when I saw the original 'strip tease' back in May I wasn't sure about the fabric combinations, I should have known better - oh me of little faith.
Posted by: caroline | June 21, 2006 at 12:43 PM
It's gorgeous! Love the colors..fabrics...PERFECT!
Posted by: Dawn | June 21, 2006 at 12:44 PM
Ah, we have Flaming June in our bedroom! Now I am dreaming of orange quilts...
Posted by: JulieFrick | June 21, 2006 at 12:55 PM
just BEAUTIFUL jane! and i love the name that you have given your quilt. the art work is a great match and i don't know if you look at your "page" but i noticed the cover of the Nicholas Serota books seems to blend in too.
Posted by: laurie | June 21, 2006 at 01:03 PM
This is truly wonderful!
Posted by: Jill | June 21, 2006 at 01:07 PM
This is gorgeous, I love the way you have used grey but kept it looking so lively. I'm not normally drawn to the log cabin quilts but I love this take on it and it is lovely to see the Denyse Schmidt used in this way. You have a real talent for taking something traditional and making it your own.
Posted by: Rebecca | June 21, 2006 at 01:27 PM
Beautiful, just beautiful! Once again, your color choices are fabulous!!
Posted by: Amy | June 21, 2006 at 01:28 PM
Magnificent !
Posted by: Jayne | June 21, 2006 at 01:35 PM
Beautiful, another lovely quilt!
Posted by: P-la | June 21, 2006 at 01:49 PM
Wow, fantastic, Jane! I'm a big fan of the border, too - it frames it beautifully.
Posted by: Fiona | June 21, 2006 at 01:50 PM
Beautiful!
Posted by: bbmarie | June 21, 2006 at 01:51 PM
I love it! One of your best yet.
Posted by: Elizabooth | June 21, 2006 at 01:56 PM
Jane, the quilt is wonderful and so is the post; it had everything I love about your blog -- really creative work and beautifully articulate thoughts about the process.
And I agree with Sabine about the feel of Klimt's portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer the quilt has, especially the second photo, where you can see the little squares playing off the circle print. Thanks for showing it!
Posted by: Kelly | June 21, 2006 at 02:05 PM
Oh yes, here it is! Another wonderful quilt. It is such an unexpected color combo so it is quite stimulating to view. I really like the larger-than-normal "hearths" -- very striking.
Posted by: Amy | June 21, 2006 at 02:22 PM
A real beauty... and I don't even like the DS fabrics, most of the time (heresy I know).
Stepping back and looking at the whole quilt makes it an entirely different experience.
Posted by: korinthe | June 21, 2006 at 02:30 PM
Is Thomas good at maths? maths and that confidence understanding pattern usually go together (great job to both of you)
Posted by: p | June 21, 2006 at 02:35 PM
Jane, it is lovely!
Posted by: Robyn | June 21, 2006 at 02:46 PM