Introducing My Quilt Joyful Simple Abundance

Joyful Simple Abundance, 68 X 68 inches red and white quilt by O.V. Brantley, 2026. 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. The series is inspired by barn quilts because I am a country girl at heart, and I love barn quilt art.

For each quilt, I imagine one traditional quilt block in red and white that must be very big, so all of the quilts in the series are approximately 68 X 68 inches. But wait, my quilts must always have a message, so i imagine a life message inspired by the traditional name of quilt block.

The fifth quilt in the series is named Joyful Simple Abundance. It is inspired by the lowly nine patch block.

Joyful Simple Abundance measures 68 X 68 inches. The nine-patch block is often one of the first blocks new quilters learn because it is simple.

The large red blocks are South African shweshwe fabric purchased from French Connections in North Carolina. I used fused appliqué to add the words and the hearts to the quilt.

After it was machine quilted by my friend Maxine Moore, I added hearts, yo-yo-s and buttons to add dimension to the quilt.

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

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

I hope you will be able to see the exhibt in 2027, but meanwhile I hope you have a joyful Valentine’s Day!❤️

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! 🙏🏽