Washington D.C. Modern Quilt Guild Washington, District of Columbia, United States
I translated a traditional Moroccan zellij design into a modern quilt pattern with inset seams and partial seam construction. The mosaic pattern features three transitional shapes: the almond (lozah), the coin (dirham), and the folding knife (matwah). I used different hand-dyed fabrics for each half of the “matwah” shapes, emphasizing the seam that joins them down the middle. I was also aware of the weave of the black background fabric (used for the “lozah” and “dirham” shapes, as well as the border), and wanted the warp and weft to be part of the overall design and movement of the patchwork. I finished the quilt with dense, straight-line quilting. The title of the piece references the spiraling shapes undulating all over this quilt while recognizing the precision it took me to make it all come together.
