Double-Dog Dare
80” x 92”
Materials: cotton quilting fabric
Methods: needle-turn hand appliqué, foundation paper piecing, traditional piecing, machine quilting
Quilt designed and made by Jill Huntington
Kodiak Siberian Husky Foundation Paper Pieced block pattern by Jill Huntington
(Labrador Retriever Dog Block pattern by Kerry Goulder, @kidgiddy)
All other blocks and lettering designed by Jill Huntington
2020
The idea for this quilt came to me one evening when I was working as a professional pianist. While playing on a dinner cruise ship, I saw a group of four friends sitting at a table with their heads bowed, seemingly praying before their meal arrived. I was moved by their quiet gesture, and took it as a reminder to count my blessings and contemplate gratitude. A minute later, I glanced back at the group, only to realize that, actually, they hadn’t been praying, but instead were face down in their phones. Each connecting to the online world, disconnecting from the world quite literally at their table.
Double-Dog Dare is my epic challenge to society, challenging us to pause and reflect on the impact of our phones - how much we’re scrolling, comparing, maybe even avoiding - and to think about what we’re not doing - being present, interacting with our physical surroundings, and focusing on what’s right in front of us. It’s not just a dare, but a DOUBLE-DOG DARE - the stakes have been raised!
The quilt has many symbols which are quite personal to me, a theme common in many quilts. The five bluebirds, considered harbingers of happiness, represent my growing-up family of five, and a time before 24/7 technology. The two dog blocks (“double dog”) represent the two dogs I’ve owned and loved, Kodiak and Georgia. The flowers, sun, and flying geese blocks represent nature, and my belief that spending more time outdoors, away from technology, could do us a world of good!
Although my message is a serious one, I wanted to create a whimsical look, one that would engage the viewer. I was inspired by Portland, Oregon-based artist Lisa Congdon after discovering her work when she helped design and paint a mural for the art building at my kids’ high school during Spring 2019. Her art is joyous and thought-provoking.
The backing fabric was a great find. The pattern is called “Lively Lanterns” by Rashida Coleman-Hale for Cotton & Steel. This fun, modern, geometric pattern has many of the colors found in the Double-Dog dare quilt top. It’s not always easy to find a good fit in terms of the look and colors I’m going for; I want the back fabric to complement the front, but not necessarily match exactly.
The Kodiak Siberian Husky Pattern is available in my shop.
© 2023-2024 Jill Huntington, Huntington Quilt Design, HQD
All rights reserved. Please do not reproduce, sell, or commercialize in any form without permission.
