Way back in the late 70’s EP Dutton Publishers started to publish an annual desktop calendar called The Quilt Engagement Calendar. It was edited by Carter Houck and Cyril Nelson. I bought one every year and I used them. My collection has moved with us several times. For our last move here I removed all the calendar pages and kept just the ones with the quilt pictures. The image above was from an early 1980’s calendar. I just loved it, though knew I wouldn’t be making a Crazy Quilt version. I would make an “Amish” one instead!
At the time I had been working through Roberta Horton’s An Amish Adventure (i learned so much from that book!). I wanted a challenge but something that had the “Amish” look. so I drafted it out on graph paper, made plastic templates (9 for each fan, all slightly different) and then I machine pieced it together. No EPP or foundation paper piecing!
All Things Bright and Beautiful, machine pieced, hand quilted. I had been to a lecture by David Pottinger which was based on his exhibit and book called Quilts from the Indiana Amish. There is a beautiful picture in the book of some Amish children looking up to the sky in awe at seeing a hot air balloon for the first time. So I interpreted that into a sort of hot air balloon quilting pattern. And then came the title All Things Bright and Beautiful. It has always been one of my favourte quilts that I have ever made in my 47 years a quilter!
Now fast forward to a few years ago, the internet has arrived and the quilt world had gotten a lot bigger. One day I found on Instagram another image of a very similar pattern from a book called Little Things (published by Cico Books, 2014) by Sarah Fielke and Amy Lobsiger.
Tumblers - Amy Lobsiger
The same but different, it has 7 units in the block instead of 9 in mine and the original one. I did write to Sarah and Amy about my version of the quilt but did not get a reply. I think it is a wonderful connection .I hope they like what I did! I should take another look through those calendars and see what inspires me, though my “to do” list for 2021 is getting longer everday!