Spring Cleaning
A few weeks ago I wrote a posting about my first “art” quilt, House Cleaning.
Right after completing that quilt I made a second quilt in the series. At that time I don’t think I had heard of the concept or term “working in a series”, as it’s not really a topic we covered in computer science graduate school. I guess this is just a natural way for me to work.
This quilt was completed in 1994 several months after House Cleaning. You can see I learned my lesson about trying to hang odd-shaped quilts and this one is pretty much straight across the top, at least enough so that I could attached the usual sleeve that holds a board so the quilt can be hung on the wall with just 2 nails.
This quilt was part of the 1994 Hoffman Challenge Traveling Exhibit and was also in the show Quilt Colorado in June 1998. For the Hoffman challenge you have to use a “challenge” fabric in your quilt, one that is manufactured by Hoffman. In 1994 the fabric was the butterfly fabric. They then have a competition and select many quilts to travel around the country to show off the new fabric (and quilts).
This quilt was made before I learned how to finish the edges without a binding. I think the butterflies as a binding really don’t look so good and this piece would be a lot stronger if it had no binding at all.
Spring Cleaning ©1994 43″ x 30″ (wxh)
In the past I almost always did fairly extensive piecing on the backs of my quilts. This quilt was no exception. I think the shape of the back of this quilt is interesting as it reminds me of a map of the United States.
I had always planned on making more “cleaning” quilts in this style but I moved from Virginia to Colorado in the fall of 1994 and my plans were disrupted and I never got back to it.
In thinking about it I see some similarities between these quilts and my new series of drawings: Plains. The same things interest me over and over again.
Posted by Lisa in: Quilts - Older Work
Mary Manahan said,
January 25, 2006 @ 4:58 am
I’m looking forward to your work on the Plains drawing. I think you
ve got something there.
Sally said,
January 25, 2006 @ 7:15 am
I very much like the piecing on the back of the quilt. Fun for the owner to find the extra bonus. A gift.
Where did you learn, or find information, about finishing a quilt without binding it?
Lisa Call said,
January 25, 2006 @ 7:24 am
Sally - I’m not sure where I learned how to finish off the quilt without a binding showing. A lot of it was just trial and error as I never had instructions from anyone. I think mostly I just saw the results of others doing the same.
I have plans to take some how to photos when I do the finshing on one of my next pieces. So check back in a couple weeks for some pictures and a description for how I do this.
Sherrill Pearson said,
January 25, 2006 @ 8:53 am
I’m so happy that you will be showing us how to finish a quilt without a binding! Thanks Lisa.
Lesley Bowden said,
April 7, 2006 @ 4:47 am
i am doing a quilting course and i am stuck on how to bind ny quilt, when going roulnd odd shapes ie bends, square, round and cut out pieces in the pattern.
Lisa Call said,
April 10, 2006 @ 10:04 am
Lesley, congrats for jumping into quilting and it sounds like you have quite a project.
I would recommend you ask your teacher for help with your binding. If she can’t help maybe your local quilt shop could point you to some books or a class.
I remember I just messed around until I figured it out to complete this quilt and ones like it. Experiment!