The plan

1. I will make 23 quilts inspired by the book Simple Shapes Spectacular Quilts. They will not be exactly like the quilts in the book—not necessarily the same size or even the same exact layout or pattern. Some of the quilts look tedious to make (even if they are spectacular)—Damask Quarters, for example, with all those small curved seams. Others I can’t wait to try, such as Bicycle Wheel. Note that Kaffe Fassett didn’t actually make all the quilts in the book himself. He designed them. The key words for this project are inspired by. To me, that’s the point of the book.


2. I won’t make the quilts in the same order that they appear in the book. Yes, I am too old to follow someone else’s table of contents.

3. I will try to use fabrics from my stash, which is extensive. Really extensive. However, I will not rule out buying new fabric if I need it to complete the look I want to achieve. Wait—did I just give myself a new reason to buy more fabric?

4. I will use my UFOs (unfinished objects). I have several quilts in various stages of construction that use these simple shapes, including squares, quarter circles, and triangles.

5. I might take time out from this project to make other quilts, too. But I will blog about them.

6. Using photographs, I will show you how I make each quilt. My “how-to” may be different from the book. I will do my best to take good photographs.

7. Quilters and those who love quilts know that every quilt has a story behind it. Quilt stories are usually lost and all that remains are the finished quilts; we have to guess about the stories. I will share my stories with you—who the quilts are made for, how and why I make my color and fabric choices, and what happens to me along the way.

8. These stories are true—I won’t make up anything. Like everyone else, I have a complicated life and sometimes I wish I didn’t have to go through so many “learning experiences.” I have no idea what will happen during the course of this project.