Breakout // a finished quilt and its journey

And here is the completed quilt. I named it Breakout. Not to be confused with outbreak. I am rather pleased by how abandoning the first idea led to this totally unplanned and unforeseen result. You'll have to read through the last two posts to understand where this is coming from.

Breakout, 163 x 113 cm
epp and machine piecing, machine quilted, my original design made up as I went.

To me the term breakout has both, a positive and a negative connotation and leaves room for interpretation. I myself remain undecided about what is going on in this quilt. But I tend to think positively. Especially after introducing the five appliquéd squares. I like to think of them as the odd ones that don't follow the rules. They have freed themselves from constraints and expectations and are floating towards adventures only the brave can experience.

The quilting of the straight lines forming a sort of tangled net is in the background suggesting the pieces are floating above the net, having somehow managed to free themselves. They broke out of what was holding them back. The odd ones have already gone a step further. The echo quilting in the zig-zag fabric enhances the dynamic forces going on.

You can read more about the backing fabric in the previous post.

Breakout will be a constant reminder that improvisation can lead to surprising and satisfying results. While I like to plan ahead in life and in some quilt designs too, I also think that it's best to cultivate both approaches. Lucky the ones that know when to set rules and when to let go. And are able to process.

While Breakout and Why Not? are the result of an improvisational approach and process, I'm already planning my next quilt. Thoroughly planning ahead this time. Breakout and Why Not? started with no vision of how the final quilt would look. For my next quilt I have a clear vision (except for the quilting) and a very detailed plan. I'm looking forward to the different creation process and we'll see if my vision materializes in the end.