Kawandi Quilts

I made my first Kawandi quilt last October.  Then a new art quilt group wanted me to teach them how to make Kawandi quilts, at their very next meeting.  I had only made the one, so I made three more in January, so I could really learn the ins and outs of the process.  I started two more for the class, one to show how to get started on the outside edge, and the other (on another sewing machine) to demonstrate where one needs to make decisions as one proceeds.  I think it was a huge success.  They were all so excited!  So, I got excited too.  Yesterday, I finished up one that I started for the class.  It is red, pink, and white. It measures 16" X 14".

These quilts make great use of scraps, which I have expounded immensely on in past posts.  The large print with red and pink flowers are scraps a friend gave me a few years ago.  It is lovely fabric, and I am glad I saved it for just such a project.  This red, pink, and white is my #5 Kawandi quilt.  I have another, from the class, that is partially completed.  I may get back to it in a week or so.

This is Kawandi #3.  It measures 19" X 17.5".  I actually did some layout planning on this one, so the four colored roses on black background would be in the four corners.  The entire quilt depicts a flower garden, with blooms, stems, water droplets, trellis', garden art, birds, bees, and a butterfly.  

Making multiples of one style can really help me explore the possibilities.  My art quilt group was inspired also.  One said they would not worry about the little flaps that can occur if you always sew straight lines (do not swerve to sew the flaps down).  I said, "Embrace the flaps, alright!"  Another said they would like to try one with raw edges.  I love it!  In March, I get see what they have created.  They are called "Unruly Quilt Artists."

This is my #4 Kawandi quilt, measuring 21.5" X 21.5".  I used the same fabric for nearly the entire quilt.  Each piece I added, I rotated in the opposite direction of the previous piece. It is a large geometric print that has been transformed by being cut into small rectangles, then reassembled in the Kawandi quilt.  The original fabric is pictured below:

My Aunt Karen bought this fabric for me, when we visited the quilt shop in Colby, KS, in our RV adventure in 2022. The shop was called Curtains, Quilts, & Cabins, but now I think it is called The Quilt Cabin.  True, the #4 Kawandi quilt was not made from scraps, but from this amazing yardage.  I urge every quilter to look at some of their fabrics and see the potential in them, to be used in a different way.