Celebrating the 50th Anniversary of the Moon Landing with Moon Quilts

 

"Time Lapse Moon Rise" (above) is the art quilt that I made to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the moon landing. It is still travelling as a part of the "Fly Me to the Moon" exhibit and was also included in the "Fly Me to the Moon: An Art Quilt Journey" book. 

But it seems that I like to use the moon in my quilts as I've included it in at least five other quilts. Usually I like to use it as a full moon, but there is one that has a sliver of a moon. Some of the moons could also be suns, if that's how you want to look at them.

 Millefiori Moonlight

This moon (or sun) on this quilt doesn't have any quilting on it so it puffs out away from the quilt. I did add some extra batting behind it to give it even more shape.

Quilt Encounters of the Thread Kind

One of my more recent quilts, this one uses hand dyed fabrics and the fabric for the moon has some light purples in it.

Sheep Dreams Counting Sheep

This moon, and the counterpoint circle of light green fabric behind the sheep in the lower right corner both have yarn couched around their edges.

Mr. Moonlight

This piece was made from a silk necktie that was cut apart and sewn back together in a square. I usually make neckties into purses but the image on this one was so interesting I beaded it and wrapped it around a frame so it could be hung.

Gypsy Moon

The moon, and the swoosh above it, are a peach-colored taffeta. This quilt uses several non-cotton fabrics including silks, velvets, and shiny denim. 

New Note Cards!

I had some new professionally-printed note cards made of some of my quilts.

Top row, left to right: Birches, Reflection/Refraction, Mermaid Haiku.
Middle left: The View from My Hammock
Bottom left: Virginia Reel
Middle: She Paints with Fabric and Standing Tall
Middle right: Sweet Dreams Counting Sheep
Bottom right: Louie

They are available as singles ($5) and in sets ($25) at in Yellow Springs at Village Artisans, where ever I'm doing a show, and on my Etsy page.

Sweet Dreams Counting Sheep - Project Quilting

"Sweet Dreams Counting Sheep" 19.25" x 16", made for Project Quilting, Season 5, Challenge 3: Sweet Treats, Feb. 2014 

Challenge recap for  "Sweet Treats":

Choose one or more candies for your inspiration.

So here's an insight as to how my ideas are formed. I kept thinking about making a collage using candy. But in order for it to be a quilt, I'd have to make the candy out of fabric, and that seemed very time consuming. I tried to remind myself that I only had to be inspired by the candy, not actually represent it. But my brain wouldn't give in.

Then I realized that there was a type of candy I could represent, I could simulate cotton candy using batting! But what would I use the batting to make? As it happens, the art co-op that I belong to is working on pieces for the next lobby show and the theme is "The Lion and the Lamb." I could make SHEEP out of batting!

First I made the quilt top. To design the background I used an exercise from the book "Adventures in Design" by Joen Wolfrom where I selected a letter (lower case f) and a font (Elephant italic) then play with the letter and create a design that evolves from the letter's lines. Once finished, the original letter might not be recognizable.

I rotated the letter and used the curve of it's back to be the curve of the grass. The round "terminals" at each end were shifted and became the moon in the sky and a spot in the grass. Part of the crossbar was rotated and became a fence post.

I pieced 2" squares on point in blue for the sky and green for the grass then I cut the grass on a curve, lined up the squares, and attached the two by sewing the raw edge then couching green yarn on top of the raw edge. I also couched yarn around the two circles.

At this point I basted, quilted, and bound the quilt using a facing technique and it was time to make the sheep. The original idea was to make the sheep with batting but I've been wanting to make something similar to the "Three Shredded Christmas Pine Trees" that Diane Lapacek made for the Project Quilting Off Season Challenge: Happy Holidays in Dec. 2012.

So instead I cut small strips .5" x 1.5" and folded them in half and sewed them to the body of the sheep to give them a 3D effect. The sheep have couched yarn for legs and white sequins with black seed beads for eyes.

Because I didn't go with my cotton candy idea, I did include the word "Sweet" in the title. I also noticed that there is one fence, two circles, three sheep, and four boards in the fence.

Click on any of the photos to see larger images.

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