Friday 27 May 2011

Stunningly Ugly





When I lived in a previous life. I bought this quilt - I bought 2 quilts, the 'better' one never made it to New York - mysteriously eaten by the USPS on it's way from Florida - this one had a lot of promise.

Kind of funky and bright in a Gees Bend type of way - slightly pre-dating Gees Bend too.... I waited for this baby to arrive with great anticipation. Like many things in life it looked fantastic, had a great review but was a total let down. I have honoured it by using it in the garden for tents, sunbathing and being a pic-nik blanket. This is a great honour believe me - it in turn has turned out to be indestructible.

I am not quite sure what 'cotton' it's made from - but there seems to be both a lot of polyester in it or jersey - though I guess the stretch terry might struggle to make it to 50% cotton...... The bat is made from tapioca - it's lumpy and non-descript. I do quite like tapioca but that's what this beauty looks like from the back. It's self bound, in a fashion - a regular shape might have been achievable - but it didn't happen.

I do slightly like the corner in the detail. Whilst none of the corners seem to meet, there is a profusion of cobbling (as in cobbling together) it's various block sizes add to the chaos..... I often wonder if there was a plan involved in this quilt - or if it just happened.

For some strange reason, each time I get it out I want to make a copy - not an exact copy - I do some strange things but that would be over the limit - but a kind of 'in the spirit of' type.

Friday 13 May 2011

Bloggers Quilt Festival


Once again a big thank-you to Amy for organising the bloggers quilt festival.
This piece is in the style of kantha - the Indian technique - whilst using other techniques - this type of heavy stitching is soothing to me - it eats fabric like small children eat chocolate - and has a fabulous tactile quality. It is unfinished - it could be stitched to death - but I am unsure about it's destination so it remains in this kind of limbo - I will decide at some point..... I love the way the Caran D'Ache crayons melt - how the colours flood into each other in a slightly unpredicatable way. I don't claim this technique - but adore it's unpredictability.
This was a FAT Follow me blind challenge, the instructions were posted to the group. The piece started around 1 inches square, but has shrunk massively with the stitching. it's around 10 by 12 now.
Now what to do with it? not sure - it's decorative at the moment - I would prefer for it to become functional..... watch this space!

The rest of my blog - click here!


The start was a piece of plain cotton, which was coloured using Caran D'Ache Neo-colour II crayons, sprit with water. This is my beloved technique - the results are unpredictable and rich.


Writing followed then FME, finally intense hand stitching - using the FME as a border of kinds. There is a second piece of muslin behind (US Calico), but no wadding.




Writing followed then FME, finally intense hand stitching - using the FME as a border of kinds. There is a second piece of muslin behind (US Calico), but no wadding. The text is snippets from the Beatles, Golden Slumbers.... Which suited my mood a lot at that time.....





Amy's Creative Side  Bloggers' Quilt Festival












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