Quilter Spotlight: Twilight Quilt by Essie

Happiness quite unshared can scarcely be called happiness; it has no taste. –Charlotte Brontë

We always love to encounter others who have shared their love of Twilight through quilting. Recently, we met Essie, a Twi-Fan who lives in the Netherlands. She agreed to let us share her beautiful quilt with you!

Twi-Quilters: How long did the quilt take you?
Essie: I started this quilt in October 2011, during the Dutch Quilters Guild retreat. The assignment was to design and make a quilt with signs, lettering and/or text.

A lot of people made something with their initials, but I didn't want to do that. So while I was trying to think about what to make for this quilt I thought, “‘text’ ... ‘books’ ... why not make something with Twilight? The image on the cover of Breaking Dawn combined with the lettering that was used for the films?”

Of course I didn't have the books with me, but fortunately the hotel could print things for me, so I took quite a few trips to the computer in the lobby during those 4 days.

The letters Twilight were made with fusible appliqué. I had to make do with what I had at the time and I didn't have the option to print on fabric ... all the other writing is done with pens as they were too small to fuse. The quilt measures only 19 x 21 inches.

The block on the top left corner I did back at home as well as the ribbon. Between doing this and that, the quilt ended up on the "to-do"—pile and I quilted and finished it a year later in October of 2012.

Twi-Quilters: Do you have a favorite quilt block?
Essie: I loved making the part with the chess pieces, but my favorite part is probably the smallest ... it is the little howling wolf silhouette.

Twi-Quilters: Who is the quilt for?
Essie: I never intended to make this quilt for anyone, and seeing as Twilight is close to my heart, I think I'm just going to keep this one for myself.

Twi-Quilters: What is your favorite book in the Twilight series?
Essie: I don't really have a favorite because I love them all, and I see them really as one book, one continuing story. I think New Moon is special to me because it was the first book I read in the series.

But one I would really love to read more of is Midnight Sun, loved to hear the story and thoughts from Edward's perspective. I hope Stephenie finishes it one day.

Twi-Quilters: Which team are you?
Essie: Can I pick team Bella? If not I'll have to go for team Edward, because that's Bella's choice too.

Twi-Quilters: Who is your favorite character in the books?
Essie: Apart from Bella and Edward ... I really like Alice, love the way she moves in a fight as shown in the films.

Twi-Quilters: How many times have you read the books? Seen the movies?
Essie: Someone at work lent me a DVD once called Twilight for me to watch. From that time on I was hooked, and went straight to the bookstore to get the book New Moon. I must have read the books about 3 or 4 times, as for the movies ... I think I've lost count. With Breaking Dawn coming out on DVD, I can feel a movie marathon coming. ...

Twi-Quilters: Anything you’d like to share with us about Twilight, your quilt, or quilting in general?
Essie: I really enjoyed working on this quilt and also really like the quilts you have made with all the paper pieced blocks each with their own story to tell. It is so much fun to give your own interpretation to something you have been a part of and loved reading (and/or watching). One day I might make a bigger different version of this Twilight quilt.

Something else I like and might make a quilt of some day is The Lord of the Rings. I have some ideas for that one going around my brain for a while now, but before I start with that I need to finish some of my current ongoing products.

Essie, thank you for sharing your beautiful quilt with us. It was so fun to see pictures, hear about your process and get to know you a little better!

Twilight Saga Charity Quilt: Book Covers

If one cannot enjoy reading a book over and over again, there is no use in reading it at all. –Oscar Wilde

Twilight Saga Book Covers
Patterns by Cat and pieced by Elizabeth as part of our Give-to-Win Twilight Saga Charity Quilt.

Twilight

New Moon

Eclipse

Breaking Dawn

From Elizabeth:
I had done Cat's Twilight, New Moon and Breaking Dawn patterns each several times and enjoyed doing them. I had never tried the Eclipse pattern, though, so I was excited to try it. I enlarged the patterns to 12" and used my favorite Fairy Frost fabrics to give the blocks that shimmering vampire quality.

I especially love the beautiful quilting Angie did in these blocks (and throughout the quilt). Her work is amazing.

For every $5 donation to George Mark Children's House, you get one chance to win this quilt. Visit the Twilight Saga Quilt Page for more details.

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Twilight Saga Charity Quilt: Quotes

What really knocks me out is a book that, when you're all done reading it, you wish the author that wrote it was a terrific friend of yours and you could call him up on the phone whenever you felt like it. That doesn't happen much, though. –J.D. Salinger, The Catcher in the Rye

Book Quotes
Machine embroidered quotes from each of the four books done by Nicole as part of our Give-to-Win Twilight Saga Charity Quilt.

Twilight

New Moon

Eclipse

Breaking Dawn

From Nicole:
When we talked about having a quote from each book, we all worked together to pick the right quotes. I wanted to make sure the quotes chosen were unique to that book. I volunteered to embroider them. I think we picked pretty good quotes!!

For every $5 donation to George Mark Children's House, you get one chance to win this quilt. Visit the Twilight Saga Quilt Page for more details.

Make your donation

Twilight Saga Charity Quilt: Fido

"Allow me," I suggested. Silently, I lifted my doggy bowl off the floor. Then, with a quick, powerful flip of my wrist, I threw it into the back of Blondie's head so hard that — with an earsplitting bang — it smashed flat before it ricocheted across the room and snapped the round top piece off the thick newel post at the foot of the stairs. –Jacob Black, Breaking Dawn page 303 - 304

Fido
Designed and pieced by Krista as part of our Give-to-Win Twilight Saga Charity Quilt.

From Krista:
This is the first time I have taken part in the making of one of these quilts, and I was very excited to be asked!! I decided to create the "Fido" block because it was one of my favorite scenes in the book - classic Jacob and Rosalie! I wanted to keep it simple, but at the same time try to recreate that moment. I found a pale peach reproduction fabric with a small rose pattern on it for the background, thinking that the roses would be a perfect representation of Rosalie. I tried numerous times to make a silhouette of Rosalie's head, but was never thrilled with the results so I left it out. The grey fabric dog bowl was traced free-hand - I reversed the fabric for the inner part of the bowl - and used machine applique to sew it to the block. I added several lines of black stitching to create the illusion of the bowl flying through the air. After several failed attempts and trying to "write" the name onto the bowl with thread, I ended up using iron on letters to spell "Fido" - maybe not as pretty as Rosalie would have done it, but I still like it!

This block was such fun to make, and I am honored to have a small part in this amazing quilt!!

For every $5 donation to George Mark Children's House, you get one chance to win this quilt. Visit the Twilight Saga Quilt Page for more details.

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Twilight Saga Charity Quilt: Arm Wrestling

"You. Me. Arm-wrestling. ... Now."

"No problem," Emmett said with a gleaming smile. "Right this way, Bella."
–Bella Cullen, Breaking Dawn, page 518-519

Arm Wrestling
Designed and pieced by Joyce as part of our Give-to-Win Twilight Saga Charity Quilt.

From Joyce:
This is one of my favorite scenes in the book. Emmett is so much fun, and it’s great to see Bella ‘best’ him. I used the photo still that was released before the movie to get a sense of how this scene would look, reread that section of Breaking Dawn, then sketched my version of it. I used the tree fabric for the background so it would look like the forest around the Cullen’s house. The rock is the same dark gray as the lower cliff on the cliff diving block. I used black with curlicues for Emmett’s hair and a very pale fabric for Emmett’s skin. Bella’s skin is the same fabric in an even lighter shade. I used denim for her shirt and brown for her hair. I didn't think Emmett needed a shirt. I satin-stitched around Emmett and Bella to give more definition, then used a wavy embroidery stitch for Bella’s hair.

For every $5 donation to George Mark Children's House, you get one chance to win this quilt. Visit the Twilight Saga Quilt Page for more details.

Make your donation

Twilight Saga Charity Quilt: Bella & Edward's Cottage

I stared into the violet dark. There, nestled into a small clearing in the forest, was a tiny stone cottage, lavender gray in the light of the stars.

It belonged here so absolutely that it seemed as if it must have grown from the rock, a natural formation. Honeysuckle climbed up one wall like a lattice, winding all the way up and over the thick wooden shingles. Late summer roses bloomed in a handkerchief-sized garden under the dark, deep-set windows. There was a little path of flat stones, amethyst in the night, that led up to the quaint arched wooden door.
–Bella Cullen, Breaking Dawn, page 475

Bella & Edward's Cottage
Designed and pieced by Beth as part of our Give-to-Win Twilight Saga Charity Quilt.

For every $5 donation to George Mark Children's House, you get one chance to win this quilt. Visit the Twilight Saga Quilt Page for more details.

From Beth:
I have a thing for houses. How they’re made and how their pieces represent the people that call them home. So no wonder I loved bringing this image to the quilt! The description in the book is fairly succinct. It was just a matter of finding fabric with the correct patterns. I found a shop online and ordered several different patterns and colors of rock and stone, and they also offered different colors of roof shingles!

Once I looked at the pattern sizes and put together complementary shades, I drafted the cottage. I wanted an asymmetrical structure to add some quaintness with curving lines and dormer windows and, of course, a chimney. I planned on setting the house against waves of green fabric with my favorite lavender, scrolly material above as the “violet sky.” But when I found the forest-scape fabric, it was beyond perfect. It came in a deeper, darker green, but I chose this more vibrant green because of the yellows in the trees throughout, since it was early fall in the book. I moved the cut-out of the house stone around on the forest fabric until I found the backdrop look I wanted with the side trees and the pines peaking up above the chimney.

I appliquéd the stone of the cottage onto the backdrop, then the roof thatching (which was difficult around the dormer window cut out) and the chimney. I used some wood bark fabric for the front door, then hand-stitched outline details to give the chimney it’s 3D corners.

I cut out the backdrop fabric where I’d stitch in the violet sky, but after I put the lavender piece in, things didn’t look right. So I cut around the trees to add more sky showing on the sides and then top-stitched the trees for added reinforcement. I appliquéd on the three windows in a dark (almost black) gray, hand-stitched the door hinges, handle and dormer details, then satin stitched both sets of eaves.

I tried satin stitching the pathway stones in purple, but wasn’t satisfied with the result so I opted to appliqué each of those in an amethyst fabric. I had always planned on ribbon embroidery for the rose bushes and honeysuckle, utilizing simple brown floss backstitches for the rose bushes themselves, but with the lush green of the now-changed background, I was afraid they’d get lost. So I utilized one of the green patterns I had planned to originally use for the green waves of backdrop. I noticed the pattern had small bush-like groupings if I strategically cut them, so I free hand appliquéd those as well.

I used silk ribbon in red to ribbon embroider the roses on the bushes. I’ve always loved this technique and really like how it gives some texture to the block. Lastly, I chose very vibrant DMC flosses to free hand embroider the honeysuckle. I used backstitches for vine, lazy daisies for leaves, 5-point backstitched stars for flowers and French knots for buds.

Although I’m newer to quilting, this block will always be one of my favorites. I really enjoyed making it and am very pleased with the results!

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Twilight Saga Charity Quilt: Isle Esme

“Bella, look there.” [Edward] pointed straight ahead.

I saw only blackness at first, and the moon’s white trail across the water. But I searched the space where he pointed until I found a low black shape breaking into the sheen of moonlight on the waves. As I squinted into the darkness, the silhouette became more detailed. The shape grew into a squat, irregular triangle, with one side trailing longer than the other before sinking into the waves. We drew closer, and I could see the outline was feathery, swaying to the light breeze.

And then my eyes refocused and the pieces all made sense: a small island rose out of the water ahead of us, waving with palm fronds, a beach glowing pale in the light of the moon.

“Where are we?” I murmured in wonder while he shifted course, heading around to the north end of the island.

He heard me, despite the noise of the engine, and smiled a wide smile that gleamed in the moonlight.

“This is Isle Esme.”
–Bella and Edward Cullen, Breaking Dawn, pages 77–78

Isle Esme
Pattern by Linda Causee and piece by Angie as part of our Give-to-Win Twilight Saga Charity Quilt.

From Angie:
This pattern is another one from my happy pattern book, 365 Foundation Quilt Blocks. I managed to make this one totally out of scraps from my 'small bits bucket.' I don't know what it is about quilters but we manage to find a way to us EVERY bit of our supply of fabric. It's like squeezing all the last bits of chocolate syrup out of the Hershey's bottle. Before I even made a stitch on this block, I had found a package of buttons at Joann's with beach-ish things. I auditioned quite a few of them but in the end opted for the sailboat and I was pretty sure that using the sparkly sun button was imperative.

For every $5 donation to George Mark Children's House, you get one chance to win this quilt. Visit the Twilight Saga Quilt Page for more details.

Make your donation

Twilight Saga Charity Quilt: Bella & Edward's Wedding

Edward held out his hand. Charlie, took my hand and, in a symbol as old as the world, placed it in Edward’s. I touched the cool miracle of his skin, and I was home. –Bella Swan, Breaking Dawn, page 49

Bella and Edward's Wedding
Designed and pieced by Joyce as part of our Give-to-Win Twilight Saga Charity Quilt.

From Joyce:
This block required watching the movie numerous times, pausing, sketching, researching the details of the wedding dress, tuxedo, hair jewels, etc. I decided to create the moment when Bella gets to Edward. For the background, I used a light fabric with small green-leafed vines and a dark green for the ground. Edward’s tuxedo is satin in black and white. Bella’s dress resembles the design in the movie. The back is detailed like the wedding gown in the movie. I added seed pearls along the back which are under the ‘veil’. Her hairpiece is made of silver and blue beads.

For every $5 donation to George Mark Children's House, you get one chance to win this quilt. Visit the Twilight Saga Quilt Page for more details.

Make your donation

Twilight Saga Charity Quilt: Camping

You said she needed a space heater, and here I am.
–Jacob Black, Eclipse, page 490

Camping
Pattern by Quiltmaker and pieced as part of our Give-to-Win Twilight Saga Charity Quilt.

From Angie:
I had the great fun of making this block for the Eclipse quilt too. Since I already had a great pattern, it was just about picking the fabrics. I tried to portray the balance between 'hot' and 'cold' with the multi-colored batik. Can't you just see Jacob's warmth radiating from his side of the tent? The background fabric just looks like big chunky snowflakes too. This was my favorite scene from that book so I am very happy I got to make this block twice!

For every $5 donation to George Mark Children's House, you get one chance to win this quilt. Visit the Twilight Saga Quilt Page for more details.

Make your donation

Twilight Saga Charity Quilt: Edward's Diamond Heart

[Edward] pulled my left wrist away from my leg, and touched the silver bracelet for just a moment. Then he gave me my arm back.

I examined it cautiously. On the opposite side of the chain from the wolf, there now hung a brilliant heart-shaped crystal. It was cut in a million facets, so that even in the subdued light shining from the lamp, it sparkled. I inhaled a low gasp.

“It was my mother’s.” He shrugged deprecatingly. “I inherited quite a few baubles like this. I’ve given some to Esme and Alice both. So, clearly, this is not a big deal in any way.”

I smiled ruefully at his assurance.

“But I thought it was a good representation,” he continued. “It’s hard and cold.” He laughed. “And it throws rainbows in the sunlight.”

“You forgot the most important similarity,” I murmured. “It’s beautiful.”

“My heart is just as silent,” he mused. “And it, too, is yours.”

I twisted my wrist so the heart would glimmer. “Thank you. For both.”
–Bella Swan and Edward Cullen, Eclipse, page 438–439

Edward's Diamond Heart
Pattern by Cat and pieced by Wanda as part of our Give-to-Win Twilight Saga Charity Quilt.

From Wanda:
My Edward's heart block is the pattern of our very own Cat Magraith! I have a love of the heart shape and have made hearts for our last quilt. This heart is paper pieced and made with sparkling white fabrics which just made me think of Edward putting his diamond heart charm on Bella's bracelet. The background fabric shimmers in the night highlighting the brightness of Edward's love for Bella!

From Cat:
Well I had the bracelet pattern so I also needed the heart. I did this block as pattern for a BOM that I did a while ago. The diamond heart is more than just the charm that Edward gave Bella, it also represents him. It appears at first to be cold and hard, but it is also strong, indestructible and a real treasure. It also sparkles .

For every $5 donation to George Mark Children's House, you get one chance to win this quilt. Visit the Twilight Saga Quilt Page for more details.

Make your donation