8 of Diamonds

This original design came to me in a dream, like many great ideas do. Much like the 8 of diamonds represents its numerical value in both the positive and negative space, this quilt has two patterns - competing and complementing each other. I wanted to learn about color interactions and play with foreground and background. To achieve this effect, I made “thrice-cut drunkards path” blocks with the long oval template from Jenny Haynes of Papper Sax Sten who originally taught me the “twice cut drunkards path” skill. Using color theory, the ovals recede and are overlaid by the orchid purple diamonds. The motif in the upper right is my visual anchor – a place to return to when I feel lost in the design.

Less than 10% of the quilt is made from new materials - most fabrics were leftover scraps from other projects or secondhand fabrics. I used leftover pieces and offcuts from construction of the front to create the design on the back. The Cotton and Steel XOXO fabric was purchased secondhand from Feel Good Fibers.