Saturday, October 29, 2011

Bloggers Quilt Festival

Dutch Windmill Quilt

The beautiful back.

Black thread for the black, variegated pink and orange for the windmills.  

Proof from where the fabric came.
Good morning!  It is Bloggers Quilt Festival time again and I've decided to participate this year by showing off the quilt I will probably always love the most of all my quilty children.   But, first some details on Bloggers Quilt Festival:  Bloggers Quilt Festival is a virtual festival hosted by Amy's Creative Side and I encourage everyone to go there and look at all the amazing quilts up for display this year.  Bloggers Quilt Festival is my kind of festival - you can look at all the amazing quilts while in your pajamas and drinking coffee with a cat on your lap (this may or may not be what I am doing right now).

Now that you are all encouraged to go somewhere else, let me tell you a little about my Dutch Windmills Quilt and why I've decided to put it up for display this year.  This quilt consists of fabrics I purchased last year at a fabric store in Amsterdam which specializes in reproduction fabrics.  I really wanted to make something to commemorate my trip to the land of Van Gogh, and I felt that a quilt made of these fabrics was absolutely the thing to do.  This quilt also marked a series of firsts for me.  It was the first time I bought fabric without a pattern directing me how much fabric to buy.  It was the first time I made my own pattern (based on a couple windmill patterns I found on line, but adjusted for the flowers in the fabric).  It was the first time I used two different colors for the quilting process (I thought black was  needed for the black parts, but I didn't want the black to overwhelm the blocks).  It was the first time I really tried to put "meaning" into a quilt; fabrics from a place I visited, quilting the windmills with a bit of orange to symbolize the national color of the Netherlands.  It was the first quilt I brought to work and showed off to my friends.

Looking back at this quilt, my skills were still a little raw (and they still are now for that matter), and I can see a couple of things that I would do different.  But, this is still my favorite quilt of all time; warts and all, I love it.  It hangs on a wall in my bedroom and every day I look at it an remember that great store in Amsterdam and the experience of escaping the tour for an hour with a fellow quilter to dash across the city, grab fabric and dash back to the tour.  It was so much fun and I love how my quilt tells me that story.

17 comments:

  1. What a beautiful quilt and I love your commentary with all of your "firsts" - that is very very cool! What a great memory-quilt!!

    ReplyDelete
  2. I can see why you like this quilt. It's very striking

    ReplyDelete
  3. -very beautiful, thanks for sharing ☺
    Bente- Germany

    ReplyDelete
  4. Really beautiful piecing, fabrics and quilting. You probably bought it at the same store I bought the fabrics for this quilt.. Check it out., if you like.
    http://randomthoughtsdoordi.blogspot.com/2011/07/circle-me-back-to-amsterdam.html

    ReplyDelete
  5. i have enjoyed looking around your blog and I have decided to follow you. Your windmill quilt is a beauty so many memories for you. Like you spinster quilt too.

    ReplyDelete
  6. great quilt

    you have stitched so many memories

    you should be proud!!

    ReplyDelete
  7. Really love that quilt. Pinwheels are one of my favorite patterns. Good job.
    Cheers
    maggie

    ReplyDelete
  8. this is stunning! I too bought fabrics in Amsterdam for a windmill quilt! Although you have clearly made air a lot further along than me ... this is lovely!

    ReplyDelete
  9. It's beautiful! The black background makes your blocks pop!

    ReplyDelete
  10. Beautiful quilt and great you got the fabric in amsterdam. A wonderful place. We loved our times visitng holland when stationed in germany. Had some beautiful experiences with the people. Thanks for sharing and have a great day

    ReplyDelete
  11. Hi there, slow poke sister! It took me a while to work my way here but I'm so happy to see your quilt and get the story. (A good one too).

    ReplyDelete
  12. What a lovely quilt! Excellent colors. :)

    Mary
    http://www.quiltgenius.com

    ReplyDelete
  13. Lovely quilt! Thanks for sharing. :)

    ReplyDelete
  14. I love this quilt! So beautiful! I just came across the bloggers quilt festival today. I'm a beginner and I hope to someday make a quilt similar to this, although I doubt I will be able to get beautiful fabric from Amsterdam. =)

    ReplyDelete