A Tale of Many Quilts

It is funny how I got interested in quilting only last month and suddenly, I see quilts everywhere. So here's a picture-heavy post with notes on my quilt-sightings.

On Friday, I played hooky from work and spent the day at a fabulous quilt show where dozens of local quilters displayed their best work. The morning started with the baking of a large batch of muffins, a little something to take to the quilt show for sharing. The recipe is Sunshine Orange Muffins from Alanna, one that was patiently waiting in my bookmarks for months. The main attraction of this recipe for me was the fact that a whole orange was blended with the wet ingredients. And that the resulting muffin looks like a plain, spongy cake, the kind I always loved from bakeries in India.

To make enough muffins to go around, I doubled the batch, and perhaps I used more flour than was necessary, because the muffins turned out a little dry. Other than this, I adored how quick and easy the recipe was, and how wonderfully spongy (and not overly sweet) the muffin turned out to be. Instead of the whole orange, I used three clementines, but I did peel them, because I was not sure how the waxy peel would work. All in all, if you're looking for a treat to enjoy with tea or to pack into a picnic or lunchbox, this recipe is worth a try.

Sunshine muffins basking in the sunshine

The quilt show just about overwhelmed me- the textures, the colors and the ridiculous talent on display.  I came away with ideas and inspiration, and a goal to work towards.

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A couple of weeks ago, I heard a talk about a quilting project undertaken by a quilt group from a town an hour or two away. A quilter from this group was a children's librarian and she had collected over a hundred children's books that included quilts as part of the story. Her idea was to create a quilt based on every book. Unfortunately, this quilter passed away from a serious illness; her quilter friends took on the project in her memory. In the presentation that I attended, they held up books, told us a brief synopsis of the story, and then held up the quilt based on the book. Books and craft came together in such a beautiful way. See for yourself at their website.

This group lends the books and quilts to individuals, schools and libraries, so do contact them if you'd like to borrow a beautiful quilt and matching book for your little ones to enjoy, or pass on this information to your child's teacher. It is very nice that our kids have all sorts of screen-based devices for entertainment and learning, but to touch a beautiful quilt hand-made with colorful fabric is an experience that would be very enriching for any child.

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The AIDS memorial quilt is the largest community art project in the world. Starting in the 1980s, the decade when AIDS started sweeping the world in a storm of confusion and suffering, the AIDS memorial quilt consists of quilt squares representing the lives of those who have died of AIDS-related causes. It has grown and grown to the point where it is estimated to weigh 54 tons and of course it is no longer in one piece. However, chunks of the AIDS memorial quilt are displayed around the world for the public to explore.

And that's how I got to see some of this quilt locally. Pieces of the quilt were laid out in a huge hall. The atmosphere was hushed and solemn as we walked around looking at tributes to people who died too young. The quilt squares were as diverse as you can imagine: some stark portraits of grief, and others colorful displays of personality. Most captured the unique interests of the person they celebrated- favorite hobbies, sports, clothes, pets were all represented.

  I don't know if it is obvious in the picture, but this is an actual net
sewn onto the quilt.

This must have been someone's favorite recipe, or signature recipe perhaps.
Sounds like a tasty black eyed pea stew.

Squares cut from old jeans sewn together.

Several quilts had favorite garments sewn on them.

A tribute to Anthony Perkins, the actor well known for his role in
Psycho- hence that bloody shower curtain.

Click on the picture to read the words.

Someone had placed a box of tissues near the quilts.
They were needed.

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As for me, I've finished my first quilt. I'm feeling a bit sheepish putting pictures in the same post where I've posted all those gorgeous quilts up there, but one has to start somewhere, right? This quilt was a joy to make, and when I was finally finally holding up the finished quilt, I felt such a surge of joy that I knew right away that there are more quilts in my future. In fact, I just started on my second quilt for friends who are expecting a baby, using the zig zag baby quilt pattern from Purl Bee.

Pattern: Road Trip Quilt

A detail of some of the panels- but don't look too closely;
I'm just a beginner. Stitching in the ditch is harder than I thought.

The back of the quilt.

Have a wonderful week!