Everyday Quilt Inspiration: Previous Quilts

Mini Kaleidoscope art quilt31 Days of Finding Quilt Inspiration in Real Life

Have you ever made a quilt for someone and wished you had a second one to keep? Have you ever made a duplicate for that reason?

Or have you ever made a quilt that you thought could be better? And then been so driven to actually make the better version?

Sometimes the best ideas for your next project might just lie in your last project!

Finding Quilt Inspiration in the Everyday: Day 22

Since we are talking about my quilting friend Susan (well, at least we were, yesterday), I want to tell you about a quilt I made for her milestone birthday a few years back. I called it: Tomato on a Snoozy Pizza. Yes. Really!

Tomato on a Snoozy Pizza quilt
The Kool Kaleidoscope quilt I made for Susan

This quilt is a slight variation on the Ricky Tims Kool Kaleidoscope. I changed the method to better suit my strengths, but the overall principle is the same. I also added a little appliqué to the kaleidoscope at the last minute to correct areas I wasn’t happy with. The kaleidoscope’s colours came from the batik border fabric. I knew Susan would love it.

Now about the quilt’s name…… When I was laying out the large wedge-shaped pieces for the kaleidoscope medallion, my young son (who was about three and pronounced Susan as “Snoozy”at the time) insisted that I was making a pizza. And proceeded to “help” me by laying extra pieces of red fabric on top.

“What are you doing, matey”. 

“Putting tomato on Snoozy’s pizza, Mummy”. hahahaha

And Snoozy’s pizza it stayed!! 🙂

How I was inspired by Snoozy’s Pizza quilt

I was really happy with how Susan’s quilt came out, and she loved it too – I even managed to keep it a surprise for her. 🙂 I didn’t really want another one just the same, but I did want some token to remember it by. So, I set about making a miniature version art piece out of the scraps. 

miniature art quilt

 

At the time I did this project I had been learning thread painting and was also starting to take an interest in embellishing quilts with other materials. So this mini quilt has thread painting, ribbon and felt to represent the original, more conventional quilt. There is no piecing in this piece. Only appliqué and embellishment.

Kaleidoscope mini quilt detail
Thread painting and satin stitch were added to create some of the details.
Kaleidoscope mini quilt detail
Appliqué makes up most of the design. I used ribbon to do some of the finer details.
Kaleidoscope mini quilt detail
I used green ribbon to simulate the inner green border of the original quilt.

The only supply I purchased specifically for this project was the green ribbon for the inner border.

To finish  off, I stretched the mini quilt over a paint canvas and added a hanging wire. I am very happy with my token reminder of the original quilt Tomato on a Snoozy Pizza.

back of mini quilt
The back

I would never have thought to do a project like this, if I hadn’t been motivated to have a keepsake of the quilt I made for Susan. But now it is one of my favourite keepers.

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What about you? Have you ever made a quilt inspired by previous project Please comment, we’d love to hear.

2 Replies to “Everyday Quilt Inspiration: Previous Quilts”

  1. Love it! The original and the mini! You are very creative… I have a friendship quilt I am working on that is made up of mini blocks of classes/projects that my friend Alice and I did… we are both rather behind on that quilt…! Hopefully will get it done one day!! xx

    1. A friendship quilt… that sounds like a nice idea. I’m sure they’ll be very special to you once they are done!

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