One-block wonder

Mother and daughter bring art to life through a unique quilting project

Art has a unique way of expressing thoughts and emotions; turning abstract ideas into something you can see and feel. For Dakota Kerins of Mangum, Oklahoma, and her daughter, Alexis Edwards, that’s exactly what they’ve done — bringing their creativity to life through a one-of-a-kind quilt.

Kerins, a Harmon Electric Cooperative member, has always dabbled in various crafts, but recently, quilting has captured her attention. In 2023, she attended the Greer County Quilters Guild Fall Retreat, where experienced quilters walked her through the basics. From there, she dove in, joining the guild, following online quilt groups and learning from YouTube and Facebook videos.

At the same time, Edwards was wrapping up her degree at Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD). One of her class projects, titled “Love the Unloved,” featured a series of striking mixed media designs: a tarantula, a rat and a rattlesnake.

“Overall, my work aimed to convey a unified message: all things can be beautiful. Similarly, animals deserve this perspective,” Edwards says.

Inspired by her daughter’s unique artwork, Kerins was eager to find a way to incorporate the designs into a quilt. She came across a technique by Maxine Rosenthal called “One-Block Wonder,” which uses seven identical fabric panels: one as the quilt’s centerpiece, and the others stacked, cut into triangles and sewn together to form hexagons. This was the perfect method to bring Edwards’ tarantula design to life.

Kerins ordered custom fabric featuring seven repeats of the tarantula, and at the Greer County Quilters Guild Spring Retreat in March, she began stitching her vision together. The centerpiece of the quilt is a full panel of the tarantula, while the surrounding hexagons, cut from the other six panels, seamlessly blend into the design.

Although Kerins usually quilts with straight lines on her home machine, she wanted this quilt to be special. So, she sent it to The Quilting Alchemist in Kansas, where a quilter added tarantula-inspired patterns that took the piece to the next level.

“It meant more to me to be able to work with my daughter’s artwork and have that connection than to see the finished project,” Kerins says.

Kerins plans to have the two other pieces from the “Love the Unloved” series printed and framed to go in her spare bedroom, where the quilt will be laid out on the bed.

When she’s not quilting or hiking with her dogs in the Quartz Mountains, Kerins works at Altus Air Force Base. As for Edwards, a 2017 graduate of Mangum High School, she’s now a SCAD graduate and is diving into the world of freelance art.

Editor’s note: Judith Miller is a Harmon Electric Cooperative member. Miller became connected with Kerins through the Greer County Quilters Guild. To learn more, follow the guild on Facebook.