ann rhode
(busywork 2008 by ann rhode, 44W x 44L”)
the quilt block idea for busywork was inspired by the pattern ann saw in a gray rug. her intention was to alternate the two blocks and have the stripes emphasize a horizontal stripe that alternated with an on point stripe.
somehow, ann lost the original plan in the design process and the quilt became much more free form with a color/pattern emphasis. the result causes the viewers eyes to bounce around the quilt.
(kantha bouquet 2021 by ann rhode, 33W x 40L”)
when attending a big quilt show, ann bought a package of kantha quilt scraps that were rectangles and squares of various sizes. she designed a background and made a bouquet of the pieces using the original size pieces.
kantha quilts from india. they are hand quilted using a huge variety of block printed fabrics. ann had wanted to buy a whole quilt, but she could not narrow it down so she chose the variety package of the small quilted pieces and applied them with their raw edges exposed.
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(PB found pieces 2019 by ann rhode, 30W x 46L”)
PB stands for point bonita quilt camp that ann has attended for thirty plus years. each year, the campers bring fabrics that no longer speak to them and blocks that are left over from a quilt and throw them under the table where they are fair game to be claimed. in 2018, ann was bored with the projects she had brought and decided to shop under the table. the four patches were already made and the rest of the pieces were found. it was very satisfying for ann to work with fabrics she had not chosen and the limited quantity forced her to be more inventive. there were no scraps leftover to go back under the table! x0x0x
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(fly bye 2026 by ann rhode, 37W x 37L”)
ann’s fly bye was inspired by a quilt made of wood. she started in the middle and added borders of various scrap strips until it felt done. the flying birds seemed perfect to depict the freedom of the piece.
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(it’s only a little planet 1999 by ann rhode, 40W x 39L”)
it’s only a little planet is the result of a “challenge” that judi warren blayden set up. judi asked a group of quilters to respond to a quotation by robinson jeffers in quilt form. this quilt with repeating circular planets of varying sizes is ann’s interpretation of jeffers’ quote.
robinson jeffers:
“it is only a little planet, but how beautiful it is”
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(tulip bouquet 2018 by ann rhode, 44W x 46L”)
ann was given a beautiful bouquet of long stemmed tulips and each day they would dip and change their position in the vase. she captured them daily in photos and recreated them in fabric.
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(river run 2024 by ann rhode, 69W x 69L”)
river run is made with one block, a half-square triangle made two ways. some are made with only one fabric and some are made with a strip on one edge.
the colors are a contrast of warm neutrals with soft rusts in the strips contrasting with the cool blues to make the river against the sandy shore.
annette chavez fountain beautifully quilted river run using ripples in the water and pebbles in the sandy parts.
(challenge 2024 by ann rhode, 31W x 32L”)
twice a year ann attends “quilt camp” where she meets up with quilting friends for a week of quilt work, creative collaboration and socializing. they often “challenge” each other to design a piece with a certain fabric or pattern. this quilt is the product of one of these challenges. the blue and green background fabric was chosen as the challenge fabric. ann made a series of pillars in different fabrics and heights. she grounded them with contrasting horizontal stripes. for ann, it was a fun exercise and a way to play with value, proportion and pattern.
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(fuchsia 2021 by ann rhode, 42W x 43L”)
this quilt started with an inspiration photo of fuchsia blossoms with bright green stems. ann wanted to capture the intensity of the lush, vibrant colors.
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(violet garden 2021 by ann rhode, 68W x 45L”)
ann describes creating “violet garden” as an exercise in designing an intermittent “fence” or grid that allows you to see the florals behind it. she liked the idea of looking through something to view the unexpected.
violet garden is machine pieced and machine quilted. fabrics and batting are all cotton.
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hi friends! it has been so amazing to be back in my home state of california and i am thrilled about relaunching my interior design business here. to celebrate, we are hosting a pop-up art show featuring:
* the paintings of sarah kinn, a dear friend and boulder based artist whose bright, colorful pieces are all over my house as well as in the homes of many of my colorado clients. she is coming out to berkeley to paint and create in the california sunshine and to share her work at our pop-up. a few of her gorgeous paintings…
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(floating, 2021 by ann rhode, 80W x 84L”)
ann created “floating” in another attempt to reduce her scrap bag. the printed strips were all leftovers from other quilts. she estimates over 200 different fabrics were used, which gives a sense of the incredible size of her fabric collection. the scraps were organized by width and then arranged with the lightest value prints at the top and increasing to the darkest at the bottom. the horizontal solid strips were appliquéd in place after.
floating is is machine pieced and machine quilted. fabrics and batting are all cotton.
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(flower power, 20XX by ann rhode, 62W x 62L”)
ann created “flower power” to showcase her collection of big floral prints. when designing it, she felt it needed the darker verticals with the thin strips to give some structure to the piece and to encourage the feeling of dappled light peeking through. the wider horizontal strips provide tranquil pathways across the lighter triangles.
this piece did not end up making much of a dent in her big print floral collection!
flower power is machine pieced and machine quilted. fabrics and batting are all cotton.
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(teapots, 2019 by ann rhode 54W x 54L”)
for ann rhode, designing a quilt often begins with a geometric challenge. in creating tea pots, she originally wanted to make a one block quilt with curved seams. ultimately, she needed two blocks to make it pleasing. the emergence of the tea pot was a surprise!
ann used japanese yukata fabrics to build the tea pots, supported by solid fabrics and other small prints. the warm background fabrics offset the deeper blues, greens and reds of the tea pots. 100% cotton fabrics and batting were used. the quilt is both machine pieced and quilted.
contact jennifer@jenniferrhode.com for pricing information. to see the full array of quilts avallable for purchase click here.
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