African Merlot, 54 x 62 inch quilt by O.V. Brantley, 2014. For sale at ETSY.com/shop/ovbrantleyquilts

I call African Merlot a warm-up quilt. When I have been away from my studio for a while, much like an athlete, I warm up by making something that is extremely simple to get me back in the groove. African Merlot is a simple four patch quilt bordered by African fabrics.

Although the pattern is simple, the fabrics represent years of collecting. That is part of the warm-up process also — pick some fabric from my stash and make a quilt. I think the  fabrics add slow movement to the quilt just as you would see in a fine glass of Merlot.  Maxine Moore quilted African Merlot on her long arm quilting machine.

It’s a simple quilt, but I love it! Who says every quilt must be a masterpiece?