It was only last week (mid-November) when I mention to my wife that I was not going to design any more quilts this year. I needed a little rest to allow the creative side of my brain to rejuvenate.
Well, I guess one could say that my assertion was not entirely truthful, because I came into possession of three Hoffman fabrics quilt panels called, "On The Road Again". Each panel is different. One is a very large American flag. There is one depicting a vintage red 57 Chevy on Route 66 and the one that I am going to turn into a lap quilt is shown below.
The quilt is going to be about 47" wide by 52" long when finished. It will consist of two sections, above and below the panel. These sections will be approximately 8" high adding another 16" to the quilt length. By the way, the central panel measures 42" wide by 30" high.
I have a couple of cool ideas for the two adjacent sections. The one above the panel will contain my vision of Route 66 depicted in a variety of colors. The other panel will be comprised of complimentary Route 66 fabrics.
Since the central panel is 42" wide, I am incorporating the two sections, so the quilt top is lengthened. As I see it, the only addition to the width will be borders to finish the top.
I have started work on the top section. It will consist of seven blocks, each approximately 6" wide by 8" high. These blocks represent all of the states through which this historic route traverses.
This photo is 3/7 of the total top section width. Why 3/7? There are seven states along Route 66. The states shown here are, from Right to Left, Illinois (where the route starts), Missouri, and Oklahoma. As I mentioned above, the colors are representative of each state. Illinois has blue because of Lake Michigan, and the gray represents the Chicago metro area. As the route travels southwest, it moves into farmland which is the fertile green and brown in Missouri. Oklahoma begins the largely barren landscape depicted by the golden fabric, although there are vestiges of farmland and ranch land along the route, denoted by the light green and rusty brown.
If you are wondering about the red blocks with the stars, they represent major cities along the route. Further, I have depicted the actual route by way of the black blocks and the black and white blocks.
This is a photo of the fully assembled section above the quilt panel. It measures 42" wide by 8" high. As I mentioned, each state consists of 3 blocks in width. The colors in the Texas block are similar to those in Oklahoma. As the route moves westward into New Mexico, the Land of Enchantment, the colors of dark green and gold are more apparent. Upon entering the Grand Canyon state, Arizona, pink, purple and gold portray the desert and the vibrant sunsets. Finally, with the route terminating at the Pacific Ocean, again there is a wide diversity of color to California, the Golden State.
Next up is the section below the center panel. It too measures 42" wide by 8" high.
This photo illustrates a couple of things I have done on the piece. First, I have added sashing around the center panel. The sides are adorned in the red with stars fabric and the bottom/top of the panel sport solid black. The section below the panel consists of coordinating fabrics from the On The Road Again line. In order to meld the top section with this lower one, I incorporated some of the colors from above along with the solid black and the black/white blocks indicative of the Route 66 roadway. While this section seems very busy, it contains subtle meanings relevant to each of the seven states through which the route traverses. Use your imagination, and you will figure out the hidden meanings depicted in this section.
Once the top and bottom sections are sewn to the central panel, the only thing left to do is cut and add the border. So, the next photo will reveal the finished top. It won't be long now. I want to get this finished, quilted and the binding on by the end of December, 2024.
