34 Quiltmaker • January/February ’20
Ancient Inspiration,
Modern Designer
She started sewing when she was only
three years old, and was selling hand-
made items at craft shows by the time
she was eleven. Sewing clearly runs
through Rachel Rossi’s veins. Her pas-
sion for modern quilt design is fi rmly
rooted in the belief that people who
sew and quilt have a special opportu-
nity to create something more than a
beautiful quilt. They create hospitality,
thoughtfulness, and love through their
stitches. Read on to learn more about
Rachel and the design inspiration for
the quilt Starline.
Inspiration for this quilt
My inspiration was actually found in
an archaeological center...somewhere
I don’t often go. My husband and
I were visiting Wheaton College in
Wheaton, Illinois, for a class reunion.
I was admiring some pottery shards
with ancient cuneiform on them and
knew these gorgeous shapes had to
be translated into fabric. I created the
Shorthand™ Template and have been
working with it ever since to create all
sorts of interesting quilt shapes.
Process
Myprocesschangeswithevery
quilt!SometimesI’minspired to cre-
ateexactlywhatI see.Forexample,
myAncientWordsquiltuses the
Shorthand™motif,butis almost a
directrepresentationofthe cuneiform
thatI sawin Wheaton.More often
thannot,I havea motifin mind that I
loveandI spendmanylate nights (and
earlymornings)playingwith it on my
computer.Thatis howI came up with
Starlineandmostoftheother great
designsusingmymotif.Do you have a favorite quilt in the
series?
So far, my favorite in the series is
Starline. I love the negative space to
play in and the interesting twist on
a star that this shape creates. I also
fell in love with the crisp points while
I stitched this up for the fi rst time!
Having said that, I have a few designs
that just came to mind that will prob-
ably be my new favorites once they
are completed—this series is just so
diverse!Designer Spotlight
Rachel Rossi
Photos courtesy of Rachel Rossi.Sara Bittner PhotographyAncient Words