Conversation on the Porch is the first quilt I purchased from Ruth, way back in 1994.  I think it is my favorite of all the Ruth quilts.  Of course, that is sort of like choosing one's favorite child, but this holds such a place in my heart.  Mostly because it is such a wonderful, expressive image, but  also because my late husband was one of three sons whose family went to the SCarolina beach in the summer, renting a "cottage" that had five rocking chairs on the screen porch overlooking the ocean.  The image of those three adult men with their parents all sitting and rocking is indelible in my mind.  They are all gone now, so all I have is memories and a few pictures.  And this amazing quilt.

"Conversation on the Porch"  Ruth B. McDowell  1993  54"W x 37.5L

Cotton fabrics, cotton batt, cotton thread.  Machine pieced and quilted.

 

All of the chairs are the same, but have been moved to overlap and show different positions.  The seats and chair backs are all the same fabric which Ruth has quilted with one of the fancy stitches on her sewing machine.  Notice the curved piecing on the porch which gives a sensation of motion and the extended values of the chair backs which does the same.  As she does sometimes, Ruth has inserted some traditional blocks referring back to the origins of her methods.  This quilt hangs frequently in my house and I miss it a lot when it goes traveling, as it has to Vermont this past week.

 

I hope you enjoyed a week of Ruth's quilts.  Congratulations to those of you who were able to go to Vermont for Quilt Festival and were lucky enough to hear Ruth's presentation. 

Thank you to those of you who have written and made comments on my blog, it has been fun "talking" to you about my favorite teacher and quilt maker.   

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