Artist Statement: "My love of crazy quilts and wool appliqué were the inspirations for this quilt. I decided to use flannel fabric instead of wool because of the weight of wool. Each block is a design that starts with each letter of the alphabet. The 'C' block is my late cat, Mr. Siamese, the 'I' block is my favorite food, ice cream, and of course 'S' for sheep. All the background fabrics of the blocks, as well as the outer border, were crazy appliquéd on muslin with many added decorative stitches on my sewing machine. After I made all the blocks, I had intended to place them on the background and quilt through the whole quilt, but I realized how darn heavy the quilt was by this time and to quilt through all those layers was going to be a challenge. So, I decided I would quilt the individual blocks first and then appliqué them on the quilted background. Knowing that's what I was going to do made me realize that I could quilt something different underneath where the blocks were going. I decided I would quilt the alphabet in alphabetical order on the back so it would be a 2-sided quilt, like I had done with my quilt, "Charm School". I was able to stitch in the ditch on the top where the blocks were going to go so I knew what the parameters were for quilting letters on the back. After I quilted the entire quilt, I appliquéd the individual blocks on using a clear thread so you couldn't see the stitching on the back. It was a great unplanned solution to what would have been a mess to quilt through all those layers."
Road to California 2020 Artist Statement: "This quilt was inspired by crazy quilts, wool appliqué, and my love of the alphabet. Instead of wool for the appliqué, I used flannel fabrics. By appliqueing and quilting the blocks first, and then appliqueing them to the background, I was able to quilt a different design behind each block, making it a 2-sided quilt. And there really are four ewes in there!"
Houston International Quilt Festival 2019 Artist Statement: "This quilt is inspired by Crazy quilts, wool appliqué, and my love of the alphabet. Instead of wools for the appliqué, I used flannel fabrics. There really are four ewes in there and a surprise on the back!"
Fun Fact: "The 'X' block is copied from the actual x-ray of my hand when I broke my finger several months before. I quilt with gloves on so I had to cut the pinkie finger off my glove so my finger splint would fit through."
Techniques: Machine Quilting (Free-Motion, Walking Foot), Machine Piecing, Machine Appliqué, Fused Appliqué, Hand Embellishment
Materials: 100% Cotton Fabric and Flannel; 80/20 Poly/Wool Batting; Cotton, Silk, and Polyester Thread; Metal and Plastic Embellishments; Hand-Covered Buttons
Design Source: Original Design
Maker: Janet Stone
Quilter: Janet Stone
Year Made: 2019
Size: 81" x 86" Inches
Shows & Museums: National Quilt Museum - Paducah, Kentucky; AQS QuiltWeek - Paducah 2022; Road to California 2020; Houston International Quilt Festival - Fall 2019
Awards: Janome America Best of Show Award at AQS QuiltWeek - Paducah 2022; Marie White Masterpiece Award (Sponsored by Road to California) at Road to California 2020; Best of Show at Houston International Quilt Festival 2019
