A Different Kind of Calendar

So I'm embarking on one of the largest quilt projects I've ever attempted. A commission for our church, I'll be creating a triptych, or "a set of three associated artistic, literary, or musical works intended to be appreciated together." [Source: OxfordLanguages and Google] 

The subject of the trio is pretty specific - it will be a representation of what is called a liturgical calendar following the Revised Common Lectionary. In a nutshell, the calendar provides a three-year series of Biblical readings for Sundays for many many denominations in the US and Canada and beyond. The major seasons of the church year are represented by color, and that is the part that I am focusing on. I'm happy to tell anyone interested more about the colors and what they represent, but won't get into that unless asked. But I will share the graphic I came up with as I was planning the layout of the three pieces. Picture the gray as the wall behind the three hangings, then the other colors as what will be depicted in fabric.

So once I had a good sense of how large each of the three panels would be - approximately 52" x 68" - I could begin to consider fabric choices. Consulting with our minister of music & worship, who asked for me to create the panels in the first place, we agreed that the composition of each color would be constructed improvisationally, and each color strip would be made with a mix of solid fabrics and prints and/or textures. So I chose 3 to 5 fabrics for each of the seven colors, depending how large I planned for each section to be. IE. the greens would be needed for three 'seasons,' including the long green season that would actually stretch over two panels. So I selected five fabrics for that section. Where the black and yellow seasons were the smallest, and for each of them I selected just three fabrics. Etc. etc.

So just for the record - and possibly your interest - here are the 25 fabrics I have collected to begin this project.

Blue

Kona Riviera

Marcia Derse Palette in Royal Blue

Essex Speckled Yarn Dyed Ocean

White

Kona White

Essex Yarn Dyed Metallic Crystal

Diamond Textiles Top Stitch in White

Ruby Star Society Wink in Lunar Rock

Red

Kona Rich Red

Essex Ruby

Jennifer Sampous Chalk & Charcoal in Persimmon

Marcia Derse Palette in Cardinal

Black

KonaBlack

Diamond Textiles Crossed in Onyx

RJR Between the Lines Skinny Stripe in Crow

Purple

Kona Eggplant

Figo Fabrics' Ghazal Razavi Elements Water in Wine

Marcia Derse Palette in Grape

Yellow

Kona Corn Yellow

Marcia Derse Palette in Daffodil

Ruby Star Society Speckled in Sunshine Metallic 

Green

Kona Clover

Essex Kelly

Marcia Derse Palette in This Green

Jennifer Sampou Chalk & Charcoal in Grass

Cotton Couture Turf

So this week I started cutting and sewing! I'm working from left to right, beginning with the left-hand panel first. For my first big slab, I taped masking tape to my design wall, measuring the size I wanted it to be. Then I made small improv blocks using my three blue fabrics, and bit by bit, filled in the space.

Once that first slab was done, I hung it vertically on the design wall, and moved on to the first white slab. And I'll continue on in that fashion, one slab, one panel at a time. 

Obviously, this project will take me a while, so expect periodic updates along the way. Holler if you have any questions, as I know this isn't quite my normal project. But then again, all that improv makes me feel right at home. So maybe it is?