Playing With Circles in Quilting - For the Love of the Half Circle

This design has been stuck in my head for months and months. I had grand plans of making this quilt for Valentine's Day - for obvious reasons - but work deadlines got in the way of quilting for fun. I found myself with few immediate deadlines this week and a free morning. Et voila!

Beyond the design itself, I also wanted to make this quilt for another reason. I wanted to showcase some half circles in a design. So often I see two quarter circles used when the quilter could have easily made a single block. The construction is exactly the same, so why shy away from half circles? Is it fear? The unknown? Pure comfort with a quarter circle? I know that the final result is the same, but if you can avoid a seam, why wouldn't you?

There were some insanely gorgeous and creative quilts at QuiltCon, for example, that used quarter circles when half circles could have been used easily.  It might just be me, because of my circular predilection, but I think we need to bring the half circle the attention it deserves.

That focus is going to start with a pair of lips. Or hearts, depending on your viewing angle. That was kind of the point with this design. One big smackaroonie. And all the love for a half circle block too.

This quilt is scheduled to be in a quilt show in a month so I better get it off the rocks and under my machine. I see some free motion text in my future.

If you want more details on making a half circle block you can check out my Craftsy class on Inset and Applique Circles by Machine or pick up Lucky Spool's Essential Guide to Modern Quiltmaking.