Night Sky Moon Art Quilts

Sometimes when I sit down to create a new quilt, even if, like this one, it is a new version of a previous design, I find myself toying with two options.  This fall I decided to simply make two night sky moon quilts.

In the past I have pieced the thin strips of fabric with the dark blue on the sides with the cream in the middle for the moon reflection, each one individually, which was very time consuming.  This time I decided to make a larger rectangle piece with a section of cream flanked by dark blue of a single fabric on both sides.  Then I cut curvy strips for the moon reflection pieces.  Each piece had to be additional cut down at the juncture of the cream and dark fabric on either side but this whole process was much easier and I think just as effective.  I had so many strips I could make two art quilt!

The first quilt has grey blue pieces added as raw edge applique as clouds over and above the moon.  The cloud piece on the horizon was pieced traditionally.  The rest of this quilt prior to adding the clouds was pieced in the traditional style.  With both quilts I pieced the circular moon by using four quadrants of white fabric again pieced in the tradition style of right sides together and then pressed open.  For both quilts I used about 3 or 4 different medium to dark blue fabrics for the water with the reflection strips which creates a more varied and almost textured water area of the quilts.  The non cloud quilt has very small stars added with embroidery thread around the sides and across the top of the sky.  (Note:  for  some  reason,  the  white  moon  in  second  quilt,  which  is  the  same  fabric  as  the  first  quilt,  does not  show  as  white  in  the   photos)