Modern Panel: Prairie School Window

Prairie School Window

By Georgann Eglinski

20-5/8" X 28-7/8"

Every month for the next year I'll post a free pattern for needlework inspired by the modern movement here. See the April, 2013 pattern at the bottom of the page.

Tree of Life

Cut-out Chintz quilt

Attributed to Florence Outerbridge, 1812

From the Flack Collection

Modernism pushed abstraction beyond traditional boundaries.

Tree of Life window

by Frank Lloyd Wright

1904

For the Darwin Martin House

Architect Frank Lloyd Wright's stained glass windows are based on plant life. He reduced basic shapes  to strict geometries and left out much of the detail.

Frank Lloyd Wright

for the Tomek House 1907.

Collection of the Art Institute of Chicago

See more here:

http://www.artic.edu/aic/collections/artwork/104393

Although the window designs are extremely abstract one can see plants in the linear layout and the complexity at the top of the plant where the flowers would be.

Frank Lloyd Wright

Window attributed to the Frick House

Frank Lloyd Wright

Window for the Boynton House 1908

Wright is classified as a member of the Prairie School of Architecture, centered in Chicago.

Inspired by Wright's abstractions (Here's the Darwin Martin window upside down) I designed Prairie School Window for the chapter on Modernism in my book Making History: Quilts & Fabrics 1890-1970.

Prairie School Window by Libby Fife

Libby made two versions

Prairie School Window by Libby Fife

Here she's pieced an abstract rose into the 

squares (G)

Here's a link to Libby's Blog: Quilted Craftsman

http://quiltedcraftsman.blogspot.com/

Below is the pattern taken from my book Making History:

Finished Size:

20-5/8" X 28-7/8"

Fabric Requirements

Background: 1/2 yard

Leaves, Stems & Border

     Dark: 1/2 yard

     Light: 1/2 yard

Rose: Fat quarter

Backing: 3/4 yard

Batting: 27" x 35"

Binding: 1/4 yard

Cutting

Border

A Cut 4 squares 1-7/8"  for corners

B - Cut 2 rectangles 1-7/8" x 18-3/8" for top and bottom border

C - Cut 2 rectangles 1-7/8" x 26-5/8" for side borders

Stems & Leaves

B - Cut 3 rectangles 1-7/8" x 18-3/8" for stems

E - Cut 6 dark and 7 light rectangles 1-7/8" x 3-1/4" for leaves

Roses

G - Cut 3 square 4-5/8"

Background

B - Cut 1 rectangle 1-7/8" x 18-3/8" 

D - Cut 4 rectangles 1-7/8" x 4-5/8"

F - Cut 2 rectangles 3-1/4" x 18-3/8"

H - Cut 4 rectangles 4-5/8" x 18-3/8"

Quilting:

Georgann quilted an abstract rose---a Glasgow Rose---into the squares at the top. Click on this picture, copy it to a word file or jpg and print it out. The square should be 4-1/4".

She emphasized the vertical nature of the panel by echoing the piecing lines in the rest of her quilting.