Yellow Springs Americana Series: Patio at the Winds Cafe

"Patio at the Winds Cafe," 18.5" x 28", by Pam Geisel, July 2013

Since I made this series of quilts to be hung in a group show at the Winds Cafe in Yellow Springs, I wanted to create a quilt that featured them.

Reference photo

This summer the Winds installed a new patio dining area. I love to eat at restaurants that have outdoor dining areas and was especially drawn to this area because of the lights they have.

I wanted this quilt to be a scene set in the evening so I could light the lights. I also loved the architecture that was included in this photo: the exterior stairs on the left and the building on the right that support the lights and the canopies.

This is all machine raw edge appliqué. The wires supporting the lights are the same black cord I used to hang the front porch swing in “Lazy Summer Afternoon” and for the bicycle chain in “Sunflowers at Whitehall Farm.”

For the fence in front of the table first I tried a piece of blue cord because I thought it would tie in with the blue of the canopies but I thought it felt too confining so I switched to a purply cord that picked up the colors of the fabric at the bottom of the quilt (the brick walkway).

"Patio at the Winds Cafe" detail

The lights were made by cutting small yellow circles and fusing them to the background then I cut larger circles from a yellow sheer fabric and stitched them to the circles. Then I hand pieced some large, iridescent sequins that helped cover the stitched and give the lights a “glow.”

More about this quilt and the Americana Series