To make a watercolor quilt, small squares or other simple shapes are grouped to form images and moods. The quiltmaker arranges fabrics from light to dark in a gradual transition, similar to a painted watercolor wash. Colors shift smoothly from one to another. Up close, the quilt looks like a hodgepodge of scraps. But from a distance, the individual colors and patterns blend into a whole.
Watercolor quilts look deceptively simple. In fact, they are endlessly challenging. Quiltmakers find them addictive and liken the design process to jigsaw puzzles and the elusive search for the perfect piece.
We began teaching this technique in 1991. One of our students took her watercolor quilt project to her quilt group for show and tell. Nancy J. Martin, owner of That Patchwork Place, Inc., saw the design and contacted us about writing a book. And the rest is history!