In every regular issue of Quiltmaker, the QM Scrap Squad takes one pattern and creates scrappy versions of it to inspire and delight our readers. The featured quilt in Nov/Dec ’11 is Dream Catcher, which was part of the red and white “Infinite Variety” exhibit in New York City last March. The exhibit was mounted through the American Folk Art Museum using the quilt collection of Joanna S. Rose.
Courtesy American Folk Art Museum, New York. #76 Daisies Quilt; Artist unidentified; United States 1890-1930. Collection of Joanna S. Rose. Photo by Gavin Ashworth.
Today’s featured quilt is by Donna Amos from Decatur, Arkansas. Donna’s blog is donnasquilts4u2c.
Donna Amos
Here’s what Donna shared with me.
Over the past ten years or so, each year I have made a Christmas quilt. When I saw Dream Catcher, I immediately thought of the stash of Christmas fabrics sitting on my shelf and knew that it would become my 2011 Christmas quilt. Of all the quilts we have done this year, I had the most fun selecting the fabrics for this quilt. I am even getting to like paper piecing!
My quilt’s colors and fabrics symbolize different things about Christmas. The black background with Christmas trees and snow was the first fabric selected, and then I chose all the brightly colored “packages” to go around the trees.
The “peppermint” stripe was used in the first border. In the border background is the white “sugar cookie” fabric with the red and green “sprinkles.” The quilt is finished off with the brightly colored strings of Flying Geese “Christmas tree lights.”
My quilt is made like the pattern in the magazine, except I added the narrow peppermint border, and I made the flying geese with the Fons & Porter flying geese ruler instead of paper piecing them. I matched the strips to the size of the foundation and the geese came out correctly.
For the color placement, in each quarter of the quilt I tried to put some version of red, blue, yellow and green.
I pieced a backing using a Christmas panel for the center. Turns out I have a reversible quilt that can be used as a throw, a wall hanging or a table topper. The blue you see at the top is a sleeve.
This is a bright, cheery quilt that will hang on my wall at Christmastime and will remind me of happy Christmas memories.
When one of my grandsons was about 14 years old, he told me, “I always like coming to Grandma’s house for Christmas. All you have to do is reach out and there is quilt to keep you warm.”
What more could a grandma ask for? Sounds like Donna and her quilts have given her loved ones the priceless gift of family memories.
Don’t you just love all of the symbolism in this quilt? That makes the quilt even more special. And the reversibility is a bonus, like two-for-one! What a great idea. I hope Donna’s Scrap Squad project will inspire you. More Dream Catchers to come, so please stay tuned.
love the quilt how do i get the pattern
I JUST LOVE THE QUILT HOW DO I GET THE PATTERN.
Judith, the pattern is found in the Nov/Dec ’11 issue of Quiltmaker, which is at quilt shops and newsstands now, or you will find it here: http://www.quiltandsewshop.com/product/quiltmaker-november-december-2011/just-arrived
This is definitely inspiring and encouraging. I am amazed by Donna’s vision, to see what this pattern could be, done with her Christmas fabrics. Keep it coming, I can’t wait to see more. Beautiful work!
Kudos to those grandsons. They know a good thing when they see it (and apparently love it too). Put in a good word for them with Santa.
I really appreciate seeing all the different uses for this pattern. It’s always been one of my favorites, but I’ve stuck to “traditional” fabric choices for it. The Scrap Squad variations have opened up a new world of possibilities for my next one. Thank you!