Log Cabin Color Wheel

When my quilt was accepted to The Schweinfurth Art Center's Art=Quilts=Art competition in 1986, and won a 1st place ribbon, it was a very proud moment for me. It was my first juried show that I had entered. It gave me validation that I was choosing the right medium to explore my art. Jean Ray Laury, artist and author whom I admired, encouraged all quilt makers to apply art principles to their work. She said: It is not a matter of material, but rather what the artist brings to the material." As a young mother in 1982, I discovered quilts, and I knew that was what I wanted to do. I was excited when I realized I could combine my passion for textiles, color, graphic design, and sewing.
I was very inspired by Amish quilts. The Diamond in the Square is one of the most popular and well known, but I wanted to do a modern and original twist on the center diamond design. I chose the log cabin to design a color wheel, placing shades and tints of the center color on either side. At the time, there were very limited solid color fabrics available. In order to make a color wheel, I had to create my own shades and tints. I used bleach to get the right tints, and dye and tea to get the shades of the color I needed.