I recently completed my crazy quilt project Crazy for Crazy and now want to write its story.
I called it Vanilla and Lavender Ice Cream, because of the colour combination. Partly also because most of the fabric is plain, like vanilla ice cream - the perfect base to add flavour to.
The bright, but fresh purple represents lavender - a flavour avant garde chefs use to add a surprise to the palate (for example lavender dressing, lavender scones, lavender tea jelly...)
There is a small piece of kimono silk, given to me from a lady who is a master of the tea ceremony. She has a good collection of kimonos and also the left over remnants from the kimono tailor.
Another piece is from the wedding dress seamstress.
The floral print is from a William Morris quilters' charm pack.
In the middle is a piece of plush velvet for upholstery. This piece has a story, although not romantic.
My mother had got it into her head to change the upholstery of some armchairs. In spite of not having any training she had earlier helped me change the covers on a sofa I had acquired second hand. It was a simple job, just lifting up the seat and the backrest, stretching the William Morris Golden Lily fabric over them and nailing the fabric down.
Changing the covers of the armchairs would require much more skill. My sister-in-law had done a course in upholstery, and together with my mother they started collecting swatches.
Then for some reason the project was scrapped and the bagful of plush velvet got pushed into a corner of the sewing room and forgotten.
Before I left for Japan I helped myself to some of the pieces. Now a part of one of them sits in the middle of this crazy quilt block.
What stitches did I use?
Detached Twisted Chain
Chevron
Buttonhole Bar
French Knots
Berwick
Square Boss
Half Buttonhole Wheel
Fishbone Stitch
Point Russe Stitch with needle weaving
Shisha Stitch
and
the two butterflies are made up of
Tripple Chain Stitch and Bullion Knots,
a stitch combination I learned from Sharon Boggon.
I made a beaded Dorset Button and added an original Kansai Yamamoto (a famous Japanese fashion designer) button. In the centre of the Point Russe is a paste gem held in place with Shisha Stitch.
I worked this block between 27th June and 25th July, 2018, and with the help and encouragement of:
Ms Iwama, Frances, Kansai Yamamoto, Mother, S-I-L, Sharon, Auntie, Elizabeth, Sylvia, and all my readers.
10 comments:
I saw this on my Facebook page right after seeing your post and thought I would tell you about it: Crazy Quilt Magazine is looking for several reader submissions for the August Issue! If you have a block or small project to share, please send a clear, in focus photo with a short description (2-3 sentences max), your name, location and if you choose, a link to a blog, website, etc. to lisa@crazyquiltmagazine.com
Lavender and vanilla are delicious together. Your story and embroidery/embellishment are lovely.
This looks very elegant.
My all time favourite colours are lilac and green tones. This display is soo beautiful and worthy of entering it in the CQM that Shasta Matova has pointed out to you. Please do! The history is a great read also.
It’s beautiful. I love it.
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I remember watching this one go together. You really make the best use of all those stitches you have practiced over the years.
This is a lovely combination of colours. A reminder of the lavender icecream I once made...
I had ice cream today but never tried it with lavender. I love the colour of lavender. Lovely memories for you with your blocks.
Such gorgeous stitching!
I think upholstery would have been a good skill to have as there have been many armchairs and sofas in our house that had gotten ruined for one reason or another (because of cats usually) and they had to be taken to the dump because I couldn't figure out how to re-upholstery them. The colors are beautiful!
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