HMD-104 Driftwood (58" x 58") is a pieced and paper-pieced quilt. The quilt is based on a traditional double card-trick block.  The majority of the quilt is pieced.  However, the small white sawtooth border that outlines one of the "cards" in each block is paper-pieced to ensure accuracy.  In addition, the wide angled triangles in the main border are also paper-pieced.  For these reasons, this quilt would be best suited for confident intermediate quilters and beyond.   

The Story of Driftwood

Here I am with Drfitwood at the March 2010 American Quilter Society Quilt Show in Lancaster, PA.  Driftwood was exhibited in the Wall Quilt Category.

Driftwood's Story

I was delighted when Moira Dewar of Island Batik fabrics, asked me to design a new quilt for their Fall Market Booth. This time she presented me with color options that she wanted to see brought to life in a quilt. I rarely work with blue, but after seeing the fabric samples, I couldn't resist!

My timeline is significantly shorter this time and so the challenge begins! I should receive all of the fabrics by the middle of August and the quilt must be in California by October 5th. I will need to have the pattern done by then, too! Quilt Market is earlier this year by several weeks and so I'm sure everyone in the industry is going to be a little bit more under the gun, me included! Looking on the optimistic side, everyone will tell you I work best under a deadline!

Here are the fabric swatches I will be working with:

It's a little hard to see, but the first blue swatch has 6" fish swimming around. The second ones looks like fish scales. The quilt design consists of one repeating 16" block set on point (my signature!) predominantly pieced with the blue fish. The brown sample on the second row will make up the sashing strips - hence the title "Driftwood." The finished quilt will measure approximately 60" square. Stay tuned!

The cutting has finally started! These are just some of the patches. Triangles again, of course! Made some last minute changes to ease construction. Goes together much easier now!

Here's the block! The brown sashing strips provided the name for the quilt. (They are not attached - just arranged for the photo.) The sawtooth points are paper-pieced for accuracy. Jsut enough paper-piecing to add character, but not too much to make you want to pull out your hair, while you're pulling out all the paper! Can you spot the fish? He's looking at you in the lower right hand blue triangle!

8/31/09: Just finished the center of the quilt. Everything went together like clockwork - gotta love when that happens! Of course it wouldn't be a true Helle-May Design without a surprise ending! Stay tuned...

9/25/09: The beginning of school and all it's preparations delayed things a bit, but here is the final result!

The top measured 58" x 58" before quilting, 56" x 56" after! Unfortuntaely the quilting is not very visible in this picture, but the entire top has a lot of texture due to my own version of fish scales (scallops), tight stippling and some curvy designs to accent the movement in the main blocks.

Can you see the illusion of the circle? I think it looks like the square center is floating atop a brown circle. What do you see?