Scrap the Stash II: Winging It

Since the beginning of the month, I have been quite happily stitching on my second "scrap the stash" quilt for the year which I have called "Winging It".

After finishing the quilt below in 2012, ....

"Flight of Fancy" finished in January of 2012.

.... I had a lot of pre-appliqued quarter circles, pre-cut squares and as always, lots of strips left over.

A box full of strips left over from a number of baby quilts.

There are 3 different sizes of machine appliqued quarter circles.

And, a variety of pre-cut squares.

Some of these squares I have been re-cutting into smaller pieces.

These prepared pieces lent themselves quite easily to evolving into butterflies, so they became the first block for "Winging It".

Adding the centre strip for the body makes these butterflies a little different from the ones in the original quilt (see top photo).

Once I had used up the majority of the sizes and shapes of appliqued quarter circles required to form the above butterfly, I played with the other pre-cuts from this particular stash of scraps and have come up with a few other shapes of winged creatures. By recutting the larger quarter circles, and the addition of some of the smallest quarter circles as well as the smallest square precuts, ....

.... I managed to squeak out 3 more birds from the same grouping.

I have 32 blocks finished for the month of March, including 2 other styles of "winged creatures". More on that and some layout ideas next time.
Time to focus on boutis and other quilting for a while.

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...

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...

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...

Seams French

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