Skypilots
December 2014

This is made up of Surprise Package quilt blocks, I think. For Christmas last year, I got a quilting block and pattern-a-day calendar, which has given me a lot of quilt ideas this year. The design I was following said it was this pattern, but when I went out and looked on the Internet at other quilts that are supposedly the Surprise Package design, boy are they different than this! But, this is what I like about quilting – it is a form of art and everyone interprets it in their own way.

So why the name Skypilots? Backpacking in California’s Sierra Nevada’s is unparalleled, and I have backpacked many a well known trail or two including Milford Track in New Zealand and part of the northern Appalachian Trail. What never fails to amaze me in the Sierra’s is that such beauty endures in this harsh environment. The picture here is of Skypilots that were growing out of a crack in the granite on Pinchot Pass at an elevation of over 12,000 feet, which is in the Alpine zone, living much of the year below a deep snow pack. I did not change the orientation of the picture – this is exactly how they looked.

The colors I chose for the quilt reminded me of Skypilots, so the name seemed fitting. Most of the fabrics were leftovers from my past projects, while the lavender sashing was from Granny.

I donated this quilt to the County of Ventura, Children & Family Services, via the Children’s Services Auxiliary of Ventura County, in January 2015.