Italica Quilt

The afternoon of New Year's Eve day, saw me putting the last hand stitches into the binding of Italica. Though it was windy, it was nice enough to go outdoors for picture-taking from the Bismarck palm in our front yard. 

Italica finished at 71" X 82". It has 12 different colors in it - 10 of which were Painter's Palette solids including some ugh-oh colors like Wasabi and Yarrow. Two solids were Kona: Wabi Sabi and Carrot.

Every quilt I make like this is a lesson in color, and is teaching me to buy and use ugh-oh colors. They "work" because they look right when they're beside another color. If there's nothing else about color I've learned, it's to always: "Look for colors that look good together." If I like it, it works!

Since taking Maria Shell @talesofastitcher improv workshop in September, I've discovered "patterned improv." It speaks to my heart and abilities.

Most of the different design elements (Maria calls them "bits") in Italica are found in Maria's book, Improv Patchwork.

When I begin making bits (ribbons, checkerboards, herringbones, and such) I don't know until they're arranged on the design wall which bits will be used and which ones won't. The bits rejected from the quilt front just had to be used in the back. No waste, right?

This is what my backing looks like after using as many bits and leftover yardage as possible. I completely used up five of the 12 colors. In my book, that's success!

Close-up of the backing. 

I quilted Italica on my Bernina 770QE with a walking foot, mostly in a 2" diagonal grid. 

Threads are a pale gold-colored 50-weight Aurifil on top, and 100-weight beige poly Wonderfil on the bottom. Batting is Quilter's Dream Cotton Request.

I didn't know what I'd name this quilt until I settled on making traditional Old Italian quilt blocks. I pieced six of them with dot bits (two-color checkerboards). 

Then, I Googled "Old Italian" to come across an article about Italica Grondona, a 102 year-old woman from Genoa, Italy who survived Coronavirus last March. 

Italica represents that woman; the quilt block; and the new, improvisational rhythm and pattern of our lives.

No doubt about it, but I for one, lived life differently for most of 2020!

Italica from the back

This was such a happy finish and end to 2020. 

I made a total of 18 quilts, more than I've ever made in one year. Admittedly, that number includes four small ones, though three were hand-stitched Kawandi. Eight of those 18 quilts have already been, or will be, given away. If you're so-inclined, you can view all 18 quilts on the 2019-2020 tab at the top of this home page.

😂 I'm starting the year of well... how 'bout you?! Linda