The inspiration for this work came from a stunning wall quilt that caught our eye in 1990, while on a bus trip to Quilt Canada, in Waterloo. It was "My Stars Another Charm Quilt" made by Marilyn Crawford of Lawrencetown, NS.

This project provided a way to address a few requests made on a group 'Wish List Survey'. They appealed for instruction on (1) pattern drafting, (2) three dimensionality, and (3) use of colour in quilts. It was launched with a workshop in the fall of '91. A few simple lessons were given for drafting the 60 degree diamond, as used in this quilt, as well as in other related shapes and patterns.

Members were also asked to bring to the workshop, nine scraps from the same colour family, with which they made one facet of the block. There was much swapping of fabric as they struggled to acquire the desired colour values. They learned to grade from light to dark the twenty seven different prints of one colour needed for each block and to place them strategically to achieve the three-dimensional effect. It is the value placement of the prints and the 'set' of the blocks that creates the three-dimentional illusion.

This group exercise in colour gradation was begun as a filler for idle hands on work days, and that it was. Everyone was caught up in the challenge of achieving the 3D illusion. Every successful block was a triumph. As more and more blocks were arranged on the wall, we watched the emergence of a stunning quilt.

'Tumbling Stars' was to be the Raffle Quilt at our Festival of Quilts III and we hoped to launch this fund-raiser for Rideaucrest at an upcoming Jinny Beyer slide/lecture. The pressure was on; we had just five weeks to get it finished. The quilting was accomplished in a record breaking span of twenty-seven days.

We hoped that our 3D quilt would be an attention getter for our upcoming show, and indeed it was. People were fascinated with it. Every ticket sold. We invited a VIP from Rideaucrest to make the draw and presented him with a check for $6000.00 at that time.

For a more detailed picture, click on quilt.

Send questions and comments to: khq at quiltskingston.org
Last modified by dhh: November 20, 2005