Skip to main content

New Year's Reboot/Refresh

Ah....!!! The ritual of the morning coffee.

While I am on the yoga mat refining that "perfect"? posture, the ritual of preparing that perfect cup of coffee is underway in the kitchen. The likelihood of the coffee reaching that perfect state of zen is much greater then that of the yoga posture.


After the energizing reboot/refresh of the morning ritual, there has been some progress to my ongoing projects.

Stitching has been completed and the cording stage of the "calibri" (hummingbird) boutis piece has started.

The hummingbird is slowly emerging.

Progress on the whole cloth hand quilt, mentioned in my last blog, was quite limited during the holidays, however, in the last week, I have averaged just under 2 hours of hand quilting per day. Never having been a speedy hand quilter, it will take me a while to get the speed up again.

These arches (most likely artichoke motifs) form the first of 3 rows in the border.

Each motif , along with the adjacent stem of berries, takes about 3 hours to quilt. There are currently 26 of these motifs left in the first border. Hopefully as I spend more time at it, my speed will increase.

I relate well to routine and pre planning, so I will try to get in those 10 hours of quilting every week. However, to quote John Lennon, "Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans".




Comments

  1. MonicaJanuary 11, 2013 at 6:41 AM

    They both look amazing! I like the "artichoke" edge motif, and I can see some pretty great stuff happening in the corner there too.

    Your morning routine sounds excellent. My yoga practice has lapsed, unfortunately, but I couldn't do without the coffee!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Seams FrenchJanuary 11, 2013 at 4:43 PM

    Thanks Monica. You're right about the coffee. Even though I have fallen into the decaf world, I still look forward to that big bowl of almost "chocolaty" elixir.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Tristan Quilt at the V & A

On our recent visit to London, one of our first stops was at the Victoria and Albert Museum. Established in 1852 and named for Queen Victoria and Prince Albert, who were strong supporters of it's founding, the museum is a facility that is both educational and cultural, and open to everyone. It is here, in the "Medieval and Renaissance Gallery" that I finally saw the "Tristan Quilt", one of the earliest surviving quilts showing stuffed, corded whitework (known as "Boutis" in France). A Chihuly chandelier hangs in the grand lobby of the Victoria and Albert Museum. Medieval needlework was often a medium for storytelling. It told of wars and conquests, heros and warriors, love won and love lost, etc. Myths and legends were recorded for future generations through the nimble fingers of the artisans. Through the intricately depicted figures stitched into the Tristan Quilt, this classic Norman legend follows Tristan into battle...
6 comments
Read more

Boutis: Traditional French Needlework

" Piqûre de Marseilles" or "Boutis" is a traditional French hand stitched and corded needlework technique, which uses embroidery stitches to create intricate channels that will later be stuffed with yarn, thereby creating a raised design with three layers. It's origins, and it's name, can be traced to the port of Marseilles in southern France to the 15th century. Traditional boutis was a technique invented to embellish otherwise plain white cotton with intricately patterned channels that would later be stuffed with a plump white yarn to give it relief. The resulting corded whitework created an elegant, embossed textile that was much sought after. Not only was it aesthetically appealing, but it also provided warmth and absorbency, so could be used for bed coverings, toilette linens (like towels), clothing items, home decor, etc. The first two photos below are from the collection of Mme. Monique Alphand, a well known French expert and collector of antique t...
3 comments
Read more

Hawaiian Applique Quilting

While on a family vacation in Honolulu, Hawaii just before Christmas, my daughter and I managed to squeeze in a class teaching the basics of traditional Hawaiian quilting. At the end of the class, we both had a 22" x 22" cushion size Hawaiian Applique quilt ready to stitch. The coral coloured "Ulu" pattern below is my daughter's project.  Traditionally, the ulu is the first quilt made for the home to ensure that there will always be food on the table. The "Ulu" (Breadfruit) pattern, designed by John Serrao. It's the designs of these applique quilts that make Hawaiian quilts unique. Each pattern is individual to the maker of the quilt and symbolizes who they are. Although many of the patterns use a similar motif or symbol, (for example the "Ulu" pattern), when adapted by the quilter, it becomes personal to that quilter and unlike any other version. Ideally, each quilter should create her own design, but beginner's are gi...
9 comments
Read more