“Satan Pulls the Strings” is a playful and energetic quilt inspired by a class with Maria Shell, “Making Prints from Solids.” While I left the class with only a few rudimentary prints, the experience opened my mind to the endless possibilities of designing with composed stripes. Using a vibrant mix of colors, I created bold, dynamic stripes that move across the quilt, full of energy and rhythm.

The quilt’s name is a playful reference to an Avett Brothers song, which speaks to the tension between control and chaos. In the song, the “strings” symbolize the forces that pull at us, suggesting the complex ways in which we are influenced by outside forces, yet still maintain our own agency. This theme of balance between opposing forces resonates in the quilt’s design, where the interplay of color and pattern reflects both the unpredictable and purposeful nature of creative expression.