Hanging In My Kitchen

This is Water Garden, currently on display in the quilt hanger in my kitchen.  I have a series of wall hangings that rotate in this position, the one large section of blank wall space in our kitchen.

I made Water Garden in 2001, at the height of my watercolor phase.  My introduction to this technique was a picture in a quilting magazine of a quilt made by Deirdre Amsden.  I immediately bought her book, Colourwash Quilts, which I think is now out of print.  But grab a copy if you ever see it because it is the most amazing quilter's eye candy.  Watercolor Quilts, by Pat Maixner Magaret and Donna Ingram Slusser, was my next purchase.  I was busily cutting up my stash into 2" squares, and made a couple of small wall hangings.  I loved the look but the technique was so labor intensive!

Then I discovered Watercolor Magic, by Deanna Spingola.  Ms. Spingola combines the watercolor technique with strip piecing, increasing the odds that you will actually finish your project.  I made several wall hangings using the strip piecing technique then moved on to new things.

Water Garden can currently be seen over in Qulting Gallery's weekly contest.  Click here to see it and other watercolor quilts, and vote for your favorite.