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Copyright © 2011 Caryl Bryer Fallert
Size: 30" x 30"
Techniques: Digitally printed, machine pieced, machine appliquéd, and quilted
Materials: fabric: 100% cotton / batting: 50% cotton | 50% bamboo
Price: $2850.00

Design Concept

For many years a small clipping from a magazine hung over my desk. It was a picture taken through a microscope of spirogyra, a single cell, filamentous algae, commonly known as pond scum. This the third quilt I have made, inspired by the patterns of dots and curving stripes found in that image. This one has moved quite a distance from the look of the original inspiration, but evolved from the two previous quilt designs.

The whole quilt was designed in Corel Draw and printed out to make a full size pattern. The dots start at 2½" on the outside of the spiral, and graduate down to less than 1/8" in the center. All of the dots down to the ¼" level were cut from graduated rainbow fabric and machine appliquéd to the spiral template. Beyond the ¼" level, the spiral and dots were digitally printed and applipieced into the background.

This entire quilt is a study in intersecting color and value gradations. The fabrics used are all from my Gradations collection for Benartex. The spiral is quilted in a small meander pattern that makes the unquilted dots puff up. The multicolored background is quilted in a spiral pattern that echoes the pieced spiral, with corners quilted in the small meander pattern again.