Celebrating Bodacious Beauty: The Child’s Play Quilt

Child’s Play, 68 X 68 inch red and white applique quilt by O.V. Brantley, 2025. Machine quilted by Maxine Moore. NFS.

My new red and white quilt series celebrates women who are bodacious, beautiful, and brilliant. I call that the total package! This series is inspired by barn quilts because I am a country girl at heart, and I absolutely love barn quilt art.

The Inspiration Behind the Series

For each quilt, I envision one traditional quilt block in red and white that must be very big. All of the quilts in this series are 68 X 68 inches or larger. But wait! My quilts must always carry a message. I imagine a life message inspired by the traditional name of each quilt block.

Child’s Play: A Celebration of Friendship

The third quilt in the series is a circle of friends at play. This quilt celebrates friendship and fun, harkening back to childhood. I named the quilt Child’s Play.

Child’s Play appliqué detail

Child’s Play measures 68 X 68 inches. Five diverse friends are appliqued on a four-patch block to form the center of the quilt. The four-patch block is the simplest of all quilt blocks. It evokes a feeling of a simpler time when we took joy in the little things.

Child’s Play scrabble tile detail

The Details That Make It Special

Five borders, including a pieced border, frame the circle of friends. The quilt is embellished with embroidered stars and the words “Dream Big.” The beautiful machine quilting was done by my talented friend Maxine Moore on her long arm.

Child’s Play word detail

The back of the quilt features a striking black and white African print. There is a hanging sleeve for easy display and a label that documents the quilt's journey.

Child’s Play back

Child’s Day label

I signed the quilt on the front and added a scales of justice charm to pay homage to my legal career, which I hope I practice with bodaciousness, beauty, and brilliance.

Child’s Play signature with charm

The Future of the Bodacious Series

This quilt is part of my Bodacious Beautiful and Brilliant series, which will premiere in early 2027. I am so excited to share this journey with you!

Join Me on This Journey

This quilt is more than just fabric and thread. It embodies the spirit of friendship and the joy of childhood. I hope it inspires you to dream big and embrace your unique journey. Let's celebrate the beauty of quilting together!

P.S. Please follow me on Substack for more frequent updates about my quilts and the African American quilting community at large at ovspeaksquilts.substack.com. Thanks! 🙏🏽