Seabiscuit is a working quilt. All winter this quilt hangs over the drafty French doors of our owner-built cabin/house. A decade ago I discovered this top in Paducah, KY for $10. I liked the energy I saw in the topsy turvy triangular blocks. The wide black sashing is unusual. Once I got it home and studied my options, I decided to applique different batiks with an orange and black color theme in the white junctions. These circles added new geometric visuals, toned down the white, and resemble the sea creature called a seabiscuit.
Additionally, I was reading the book about the life of the famous race horse named Seabiscuit. The name seemed to fit. I used large free motion swirls in quilting the blocks, but opted for a contrasting orange thread and uneven straight lines to emphasize the importance of the wide sashing as a resting place for the eye among the busy blocks. The binding repeats the orange and black batik theme of the seabiscuits.
Living with this quilt for months at a time each winter has only increased my appreciation of Seabiscuit. I still admire the simplicity and the energy I see here. I wish I could consult with the original maker and see if she, too, is pleased with the results. I am glad her abandoned quilt top came my way!
