Snowballs for all seasons

The snowball pattern is one of the oldest and best-known of all Amish quilt blocks. It is another pattern that fools the eye by creating an optical illusion. From a distance, a snowball block looks like a round circle, but it is actually an octagon, an eight-sided figure. Snowballs are easily formed by taking a square of cloth and sewing a triangle across each of the 4 corners. The triangles turn a 4-sided square into an 8-sided octagon.


We associate the snowball with the cold days of winter, but snowball quilts can be created in endless ways to represent all the seasons.

Springtime snowball quilt, by Janet Wickell



Janet Wickell's springtime snowball quilt uses Asian-themed chrysanthemums, large floral prints, hibiscus and cherry tree blossoms to display the delicate greens, pinks, and whites of early spring. The black background helps to display these fragile colors and make them "pop".

9-patch and snowball quilt, by Martha Dellasega Gray


In the quilt above, Martha Dellasega Gray has hand-quilted an exquisite snowball which brings to mind the light and lacy colors of summer. The calico prints remind us of raspberry sherbet, the soft blue water of a mountain lake, and the lavender wildflowers of an alpine meadow. She has taken the snowball block and rotated it "on point" (see yellow highlight) so that the triangles across the corners blend in with the with nine-patch block which separates the snowballs. Because the snowball itself is white, it recedes into the background, and the nine patch block pops out into the foreground. We've shown the detail view; to see the full quilt, visit Martha's site at Q is for Quilter.

Hot and cold snowballs, by Valerie Page


Valerie Page of Page Quilts has created a snowball quilt that brings to mind the clear blue skies, golden sun, and russet leaves of autumn. She used the opposing colors of red/orange and periwinkle blue/purple to create a high- contrast pattern, in which each snowball stands out from its neighboring block. If you look closely, you can see the tiny diamonds that are formed by the juxtaposition of the triangles sewn on all four sides of the blocks.

Around the Twist, Amish quilt, 2009


The magnificent snowball quilt called Around the Twist, above, was made by the Amish Church of Hutchinson, Kansas, and was featured at the 2009 Mennonite relief auction. The quilt displays the somber, stately hues of winter, of a world in repose. The white snowball blocks and alternating 9-patch blocks are turned on their points, as shown below.



For information on the upcoming 2010 Mennonite auction, visit the MCC site here.

Image credits and links: Geranium fabric (in snowball block), Martha Negley collection, at Westminster Fabrics; Springtime snowball quilt by Janet Wickell, About.com; 9-patch and snowball quilt, Martha Dellasega Gray at Q is for Quilter; Hot & cold snowballs quilt, Valerie Page at Page Quilts; Around the twist, Amish Church of Hutchinson (Hutchinson, KS), courtesy of the Mennonite Central Committee.

Tumbling blocks divided by 4 or 9

We're continuing our series on tumbling blocks variations, and the artists who have inspired us with their creations based on this versatile pattern. In the versions we're showing today, each side of each block is made up of four or nine different fabrics. The tumbling blocks are oversized, allowing for each side to be divided into fourths or ninths without each "tile" becoming too small. The use of multiple fabrics in a single block adds to the mosaic appearance of the quilt.

Hand Painted Tumbling Blocks Quilt, by C. Jean Horst



Hand-painted batiks were used to create the above quilt, which was pieced and quilted by the Amish of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. The tumbling blocks are huge. Each side of each cube is made of nine different fabrics, such that each cube is made up of 27 individual pieces (3 x 9 = 27). Notice that the three-dimensional illusion is preserved by careful arrangement of light, medium and dark values. We can't help but notice the perfect piecing. For more information, click here.


The Big Tumble, by Diana McClun & Laura Nownes


In the Big Tumble, Diana and Laura have combined bright solids with dots, stripes and other prints to produce a riot of color and texture. Each cube is made up of twelve different fabrics (3 x 4 = 12) but the textures and colors are carefully repeated throughout the quilt to avoid chaos. For the pattern and workshops, including strip piecing methods, click here.

Images courtesy of John & Arlene Volk at Amish Country Quilts, and Diana McClun & Laura Nownes at Diana and Laura.

A Quick Trip to Patsy's Retreat

I took a trip to my friend Patsy's quilting retreat a few weeks ago and this is what I saw along the way. Cornfields ready for harvest.

The big work horses getting fueled up for the job ahead.

Brilliant colors on the maple trees near the Homestead Cabin Retreat.

And a quick shot of Patsy as she rushes around to care for her weekend quilting guests.

For the next two weeks she has her days free to sew. Every year at this time she turns the retreat over to the men in her life. Patsy always changes her decorations with the seasons and hunting season is no different. Click here for a peek at her blog.

Greetings From Wisconsin

On Friday morning I headed north to pick up my son from Duluth. It was a such a beautiful day for a drive. It makes my heart soar to travel across this state. The scenery is diverse and the forests seem to go on forever. The trees were bright green when I left our home in Southwestern Wisconsin. As I traveled North the leaves became sparse. Here Spring is two weeks behind. This photo was taken about 20 miles from the Lake Superior shoreline. The land drops off sharply here. I wonder if it was once an ancient shoreline. The temperature here is 65 deg F. Near the lake it was 41 degrees. Saturday I traveled on a shop hop with the Piecemakers Guild hop through rural Southwestern Wisconsin.
One of our stops was an Amish store near Cashton where our host Laura treated us to a bed turning. Laura has been selling quilts from her shop for more than 20 years. All quilts are made locally by as many as 65 Amish women. Piecing is done by hand or with a treadle sewing machine. All quilt tops are hand quilted with beautiful and precise tiny stitches. You can also find handmade baskets, rugs and wooden bowls at this stop.

Down the road a piece....

Another one of our stops was at "Down A Country Road", a gift shop that sells local Amish wares.

Follow this link to their website where you can view a short video about their business and a look at Amish life.

Barley Harvest

We live in an area with many Amish neighbors. It is not uncommon to pass more horse and buggies on the road than cars. The barley has been harvested and sits stacked in the field. I love this time of year. The grasses are turning pale shades of brown after going to seed.

I finally had my camera with me and had a chance to photograph the doe and her fawn. I see them every morning grazing in the apple orchard next to the house. This is the clearest shot I have been able to get of these two. The fawn is very active and hard to catch standing still.

Perseids Meteor showers will be at peak in the early am on August 12th. Look to the sky just after the moon sets.

Allow the world to live as it chooses, and allow yourself to live as you choose. - Richard Bach