Ann Quilts: Cycle of the Seasons Quilt

Long, long ago (early 1980s) in a design workshop taught by Nancy Halpern, I designed a pieced tree block that I called "Timberline." I made a set of 4 small pieces, one for each season.

A bit later, I redrafted the trees to make an octagonal quilt that can rotate as the seasons cycle through the year. It's been hanging in my upstairs hallway and turning to mark the seasons for nearly 30 cycles. In this format, I call it "To Turn, To Turn."

In drafting this pattern so long ago, I set myself quite a challenge. The piecing is not easy, I must say! The tree trunks are 1/4" wide and the tallest are 15" long. The center point is, well, tricky and then some.

The finished quilt measures 36" across. I quilted the sky to represent the seasonal changes, too, with winter snowflakes for example. I sewed a velcro strip on each of the 8 sides, and have 5 pieces on the wall, a full strip at the top and smaller bits to hold the top corners and the sides.

Just recently, I completed a second seasons quilt to mark a big anniversary celebration at Ronora Lodge, a retreat center in Michigan that we have enjoyed for many, many years. Here's a view down by the lake.

Here's the new quilt, and some close-ups to show the fabric choices and the quilting details. I've interspersed close-ups of the first quilt because I enjoy comparing the fabric choices.