Where Am I Now?

Flower Pots and Stars, circa 1920

I have looked for this quilt off and on for years. It captured my heart over 3 decades ago. I found it in Metropolitan Home Magazine, January 1982 on a page titled: Design Portfolio, Moderne Quilts.  The caption said: "Flower Pots and Stars, circa 1920. Pieced in carnival pastels, this original quilt has the verve of early Disney animation." No kidding! The quilt was courtesy of American Hurrah of New York, which is no longer in business. I did contact a few quilt historians to see if they remember the quilt, but alas, nothing.

I called it Metropolitan Home Star and used it as the basis of a quilt featured on the cover of my second book, Supersize 'Em Quilts. I wanted to call it Metropolitan Home Star, but my publisher nixed that idea. I just called it "That Spikey Thing . . .

That Spikey Thing on the cover of my second book

Those are 21" blocks so I could paper piece the spikes on a regular piece of paper (7" printable section). You only paper piece 4 units per 21" block. The other 5 squares can feature a nice, large scale print.

I also made this quilt as a class sample using batiks

That Spikey Thing with a staggered block setting

Lastly, I found a picture of a quilt featured in an April 1996 issue of Quilter's Newsletter that reproduced Flower Pots and Stars, eliminating the top row with the single pot and two sets of spikes. It was made by Miriam Allen and she called it Joy of Spring.

Why have I posted about this today? Well, I was cruising the Pinterest boards and came upon the Antique and Vintage Quilts board of Darra Williamson (a professional quilter, famous in her own right for a few decades). It just took my breath away. She has over 750 pins of the most glorious quilts and you can bet where I'm spending my Pinterest time in the next few weeks!

I think that Flower Pots and Stars quilt is enjoying living in a private home somewhere. She will surface one day and capture more hearts with her exuberant colors and come-look-at-me attitude! Until then, if you happen to see her, will you tell her I'm looking for her?