Skip to main content

Whole Cloth Quilt Silk: Finished

"Dancing Shamrocks", as I have named her, is finally finished and on the bed.


My hope had been to finish the quilt for our 40th wedding Anniversary, which was March 17th.
2019!

It was in May of 2018 that I was ready to start the machine quilting. By November of that year, the top of the quilt was finished with only the border left to quilt. A 2019 finish seemed quite possible. Unfortunately, unforeseen circumstances put the project on hold from Dec.2018 until October 2019. However, from then until it's finish in April of this year, my sewing machine and I have been best of buds.

Even so, we didn't quite make it for March 17th of this year, our 41st, but came close. The last stitch closing the binding went in on April 24, 2020.


When squaring up so large quilt (94" x 100"), a clean floor is my only option and the parquet flooring gives me great reference points for getting it square. Unfortunately, when I laid it out, setting up for advantageous photo angles didn't cross my mind until much too late, so it's orientation (upside down) is not at all convenient for pics. C'est la vie! Until I find a wall large enough to hang the quilt and take a proper pic, this is the best I can do.

Here the whole quilt is visible. It has been squared and is ready for the binding.

It was in early January of 2013 that the first ideas for this quilt were sketched onto paper and tested on the machine, and not until 3 years later that I next picked up the design. Whenever I design a quilt for myself or someone else, I like to include motifs and symbols that are meaningful to the recipient, in this case, my husband and me. Butterflies, hummingbirds, shamrocks and gardenias all float in and around a rose window from the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris which forms the backdrop for the design.

The stained glass arches of the rose window provide the backdrop in the top half of the quilt. (apologies for the upside down)

A large swoop divides the lower half of the quilt allowing shamrocks to cascade down along the side. (also upside down)

A butterfly and a hummingbird fly toward a gilded gardenia in the centre of the quilt.

A close-up of the finished hummingbird.

... a sprawling mass of shamrocks.

The header of the quilt (below) had to be adapted to accommodate two built in tables that are on either side of the bed. For this reason, the two top corners were left unquilted, cut out and then bound along with the rest of the quilt.


A re-worked version of the arches from the centre of the quilt were repeated in the border (below).


From start to finish, this quilt and I have been on quite a journey, and there's much of the itinerary still to go. Current experiences along with future destinations continue to be a source of inspiration with more projects already underway.


Labels:

Comments

  1. AveryclaireJuly 9, 2020 at 4:25 AM

    Absolutely exquisite. The time and care and planning you put into this shows a creation of love. What a treasure! Gorgeous! The color is breathtaking! Congratulations on such a lively piece!🥂🥂🍾🥂🥂💐💐💐

    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