Drunkard’s Path quilt - Japanese scraps (1)

I think I like to sew varieties of scraps together. I somehow feel like I have to use them up. Also, I like to see diversities (individuality) when I forcus on a micro world. I like simple design when I focus on a macro world (collectiveness). So, I like both busy and simple designs. A micro world is within a macro world, maybe that is why I feel like a scrappy area needs to be confined by a single color.



I also love circles. I tried the simple circle design on the placemats (below). I enjoyed the colors and designs but sewing it was not as easy as I expected. I think the circles were too small to sew comfortably. It would have been much easier when they are larger. Since I did not use the method of applique, the background fabric needed to stretch to be turned in on the circle, and it did not stretch well - I could make bunch of slits on the eges of the cut-off circles, but I did not.





I still wanted to sew curves and wanted to make circles. It is easier to piece a quarter of circle than a whole circle. So I did. I did not mean my new quilt to be a drunkard's path quilt but ended up to be.



It is not a complete circle, but I think bumpy circles has an interesting effect.



I was thinking of making circles with the quarters, then realized I can make other patterns - I still did not notice this is a drunkard's path at this point.





I planed to make 80 blocks to make a lap size quilt. One day I did not have an internet, so was not able to look around and possibly download a pattern I like, I printed 80 blocks using Word, cut them, and lined them up. I do not have a software for making quilt design.









I tried to make something unique, but I think I would choose the last one.

It is interesting to see that a little difference of block direction creates a totally different effect.

Inclusion.



Exclusion.



After some thinking process, I wondered what drunkard's path mean. This website tells interesting history about drunkard's path. Drunkard means "a person who is habitually drunk," it may be associated with the temperance movement. I do not know the history of the word "drunkard" though. It looks like nobody know the fact. The pattern could be born from a person like me "Sewing a circle was hard so cut it in quarters, then relized I can make various patterns with the quarters."

Continue to (2)!