Checkmate quilt

a summer berries scrap quilt

Quilt-making means so many things to a quilter. It is a way of showing love and a venue for artistic expression. It is a practice that often busies our hands and rests our minds, while other times requiring intense mental focus to master techniques. It is about color, about shape, about practical usefulness. Sometimes it is about nothing so much as losing oneself in the process.

Making this quilt was like taking a stroll along a well-worn path. The shapes felt familiar and sure. Using a designer’s color palette created a clear framework, while using scraps provided highlights and discoveries along the way.

My biggest stretch was finding a way to organize Anna Maria’s Check Mate fabrics so that they told a story that resonated with me. Her fun checker prints have so much personality already! Eventually I found that many of the fabrics felt cooler and others felt warmer. If you look at one half of the quilt at a time, you can feel either the cool impact or the warm one. I like that.

Which is why I made postage stamp blocks in color-coordinating scraps. The strategic placement of scrap fabrics emphasizes the color mood of the surrounding Check Mate prints.

I’m quite happy with the quilt back as well. It’s lovely in its simplicity - just a large swath of smooth blueberry blue fabric combined with yardage in one of my favorite Check Mates. Aaaaah. The solid backing really showcases the longarm quilting as well.

The quilting is a new-to-me pattern called Clover Meadow. LOVE. And she’s all wrapped up with white, striped Fableism binding.

With this quilt I definitely didn’t hold back! It’s so soft and quite light, thanks to all the woven fabrics, perfect in my imagination for summer picnics, getaway cabins and other happy moments.

In the end, Checkmate feels like summer berries to me: blueberries, raspberries, strawberries. There is a preponderance of blues and purples and pinks, combined with many neutrals, so that the overall feel is funky with a touch of sweet.

I trust someone is going to make memories here. You’ll find Checkmate quilt in my Handmades shop today. Happy trails!