Indigo Courthouse Steps

Quilt with geometric blue and white pattern on a wood floor.

  • Linen, naturally dyed with Indigo, Tea, and Himalayan Rhubarb

  • This quilt is a single block courthouse steps design. The strips are cut by eye, so they are irregular in width. The courthouse step quilt is a variation of the log cabin block

  • This quilt was pieced with a machine and hand quilted. The linen was hand dyed by the artist. The indigo linen was immersed in the vat three times. The strips were cut by eye so they are irregular widths. The strips were cut at the end of a length of sewing instead of pre-measured and cut.

    This was hand quilted with thick Sashiko style thread along the seams.

    The binding is bias cut, sewn onto the front with a machine and hand stitched along the back for hidden seams. Mitered corners on each corner.

The Courthouse steps quilt is a perfect quilt to start with for beginners. In this approach, none of the strips are cut to length. Starting with three strips in the center, one light in the center, and two darker, the quilt starts. Sew one strip to opposite sides and then shift to the opposite color in a symmetric pattern. Each strip is cut to fit as you sew. The width and length of the quilt can be adjusted as you work to gain the desired shape and dimensions. In my case, I sewed till I ran out of fabric strips. Your own taste for regularity or irregularity with color and form will create your unique quilt. I love that this quilt style allows you to start without a pattern.

Not for sale.

  • Quilt with geometric blue and white hourglass pattern

    Quilt front

  • Close-up of a quilt with beige and navy blue color blocks on a wooden floor.

    Corner

  • Patchwork quilt with blue and beige fabric on wooden floor

    Quilt Back

  • Indoor scene with a window partially covered by curtains, a potted plant hanging, a radiator with folded fabric on top, and a floor lamp.

  • Folded quilt with blue and beige geometric pattern on wooden floor

  • A crumpled quilt with a two-tone beige and brown color scheme, spread out on a wooden floor.

    Quilt back

  • Close-up of a quilt with brown and beige fabric panels, featuring visible stitching lines.

    Back detail

  • Corner of a beige quilted fabric on a wooden floor

    Corner

  • Close-up of a brown and beige textured fabric with visible stitching and wrinkles.

    back detail

  • Binding by hand

  • Attaching the binding by machine

  • In process

  • seam side

  • beginning the quilt

  • Hand Quilting

  • Quilting while in the Porcupine Mountains

  • Strips

  • Strips

  • Process

  • Using it before it is finished

  • Studio Chaos

  • Me

  • Texture Detail

  • Texture detail

  • The beginning

  • A new idea

  • bedroom

  • living room

  • Juno