Pandemic Porch Quilt Show Launch!

This idea isn't original to me - hanging a different quilt outside every day to entertain pandemic walkers. A quilter friend in Louisiana did it first - I saw from her posts that she and her neighbors were enjoying it. Then I heard about members of a quilt guild in Northern California, who showed off their quilts at the same time, so folks could follow a map to visit them. 

Even then I might not have bothered, because hanging a quilt is a schlep! But then I needed to bring my hanging rack into our house's front room, for a Zoom presentation. The front room is right next to my front door, so my quilt show was launched! 

Here are the first five quilts I've featured. I'm mostly working backwards in time. 

Day 1: Luncheon Linens
This quilt is composed of vintage linens, with English Paper Pieced hexagon-shaped blocks overlaid on it. We are lucky enough to live in a beautiful old Craftsman house, so this sets the scene. My beautiful assistant, wearing his fanciest pandemic underwear, is on the right. 

A MUCH closer look: 

I think of this quilt as a lunch party. The old textiles represent the grandmas throwing the party. (The giant central square is a tablecloth). The new hexagon blocks are the young visitors, who travelled back in time from the next century. (Directions for making a quilt like this are in my book, "Hexagon Star Quilts, 113 English Paper Pieced Star Patterns to Piece and Applique," here. )

Day 2: Cherry Pie in the Sky with Diamonds 

I absolutely love red and white quilts - who doesn't? So when I was writing the book, I decided to English Paper Piece one. On my porch, I took this off-kilter photo. 

The book's photographer photographed it sideways, too.... 

The next photo was taken while I was constructing the quilt. I persuaded my daughter to hold up the central formation, first from the back. All the cardstock templates are still in position...

...And from the front. Much as I liked it as a freestanding piece...

...I ultimately did stitch it in place to a white backing. 

Closeups:  

Day 3: My Oldest UFO

You may have read about this quilt on my blog in August. It was created from an almost 30-year-old failed attempt at a Mariner's Compass quilt. 

Here's a better view, and you can read more about it in the blog post here. Most of the side blocks are curved English Paper Piecing, which is not always a good idea, as you can read in my blog post here.  

Day 4: Red and White Vintage Linens

This is a completely DIFFERENT red and white quilt from the one on Day 2. It's made of vintage linens, especially aprons,  and spectacularly kitschy embroideries, and a mystery textile on top. I blogged details of this quilt in July, here. 

Without the sunshine: 

Day 5: Hexagon Masquarade

This quilt was made from mask scraps. 

A better view: 

Blogged heavily, here.  

The next installment of my porch show, with days 6-10, is posted here.