Quilts are double-sided by definition, but in reality, their utilitarian backs are often ignored in favor of their decorative tops. Emiko Toda Loeb’s quilts are meant to be viewed freestanding, from both sides. She uses a complex technique to sew two-sided Log Cabin blocks, and once assembled, they form two wholly different compositions. Loeb explores a range of geometric and biomorphic forms that break out of the rigid or repeat patterns typically associated with Log Cabin quilts. Sometimes, the elements on either side of a quilt echo one another. Often, there is a dynamic tension between the quilt’s dual faces, each emphasizing different kinds of line, shape, and color.

Originally, Loeb’s compositions closely followed the rectilinear forms that traditional Log Cabin blocks produce when joined together. Eventually, she began experimenting with curves. She devised a system for piecing individual “logs” (the fabrics strips that are built up around a center square) using multiple fabrics of varying hues and values. This enabled her to change a line’s direction more incrementally and organically, forming sweeping, arcing, and circular shapes. Today, Loeb prefers to create a rectilinear design on one side of the quilt and curvilinear on the other