To embellish or not to embellish
That is often the question for many quiltmakers.
I don't embellish my quilts with heavy encrustations of bead trails or buttons. I use hand or machine embroidery, some ribbons and large ribbon roses.
I don't embellish my quilts with heavy encrustations of bead trails or buttons. I use hand or machine embroidery, some ribbons and large ribbon roses.
A commissioned piece
using satin photo prints
Singer® Sewing Machines celebrated their 150th anniversary and I was asked to make a quilt using the prints that had been produced on white satin. The reason I was asked was because at that time I was a quilting consultant for Singer Australia, and the nine prints were being offered to people for a national competition.
I was asked to see what I could do with them to inspire competition entrants. All the prints had to used as per the rules.
The prints were of old magazine advertisements that had appeared over a century before.
It was a considerable challenge as I didn't usually make quilts using such particular imagery.
I was asked to see what I could do with them to inspire competition entrants. All the prints had to used as per the rules.
The prints were of old magazine advertisements that had appeared over a century before.
It was a considerable challenge as I didn't usually make quilts using such particular imagery.
The design process
starts on paper this time
I sketched a few rough ideas out and then decided that I would make a fan, using the seven prints that were of approximately the same dimensions. The other two prints, which were very different in orientation and size, were to be used at the top.
Two of the seven selected for the fan blades had circular prints on the rectangular satin blocks, so I decided they could be the ends of the open fan.
The colour scheme came from the images on the satin, and the main colour I chose was a soft mint green. Creams and apricots were my complementary colour choices.
I collected together threads, ribbons, and laces for the palette.
I had just acquired a new XL-5000 Singer® sewing/embroidery machine, and decided to showcase the built-in embroidery designs that were in the machine in the design.
Starting with some off-white satin, I embroidered sections for between each fan blade.
Two of the seven selected for the fan blades had circular prints on the rectangular satin blocks, so I decided they could be the ends of the open fan.
The colour scheme came from the images on the satin, and the main colour I chose was a soft mint green. Creams and apricots were my complementary colour choices.
I collected together threads, ribbons, and laces for the palette.
I had just acquired a new XL-5000 Singer® sewing/embroidery machine, and decided to showcase the built-in embroidery designs that were in the machine in the design.
Starting with some off-white satin, I embroidered sections for between each fan blade.
Crazy pieced top section
fans are a feature of Victorian crazy patchwork
In my search for fabric, I found some mint green shantung, which has a shiny and a slub side, so I made embroidered pieces using apricot rayon threads on the green. Some were on the shiny (wrong) side, some on the slub side.
When I had enough, I pieced these into fans, crazy patch style and made a border for the top of the quilt.
When I had enough, I pieced these into fans, crazy patch style and made a border for the top of the quilt.
Top border
Victorian crazy pieced
Crazy patchwork with a twist
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Fan blades
with woven canes
To simulate the woven bottom of the blades, I sewed a lattice work of ribbon, and twin needle stitching on organdy over the quilt background.
A slippery slope.
Tiny hand made ribbon roses, and beautiful heavy cream lace trim, finished this area off.
Another look at the fan base
Final touches
at the base
The fan was so fabulous, it needed a fabulous handle.
Can you imagine a Victorian lady holding the fan up to her face and fanning herself to show off the flowers?
Can you imagine a Victorian lady holding the fan up to her face and fanning herself to show off the flowers?
Hand made roses
using satin ribbons
A fan-cy handle for the fan
Singer Sewing Machines
1853 - 2003
Above the fan I embroidered some motifs, and the commemoration date.
I've Always Been A Singer Fan
the quilt's title
And I'm a singer as well.
Singer Sewing Machines
on Amazon
Well travelled
and loved by many
The quilt became a symbol for Singer Australia for a few years, and travelled all over Australia, and then across China, and Malaysia.
It's back home now and I love to look at it as it's so different from my other work.
A satisfying challenge.
It's back home now and I love to look at it as it's so different from my other work.
A satisfying challenge.
Love the quilt?
or hate it?
I would like to know your opinion of it.
submit
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Reply
- JanTUB JanTUB Jun 7, 2009 @ 9:41 am | in reply to ozjane
- Thanks for those nice words.
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Reply
- ozjane ozjane Jun 7, 2009 @ 8:16 am
- of course I love it but I am torn between love and envy.
It is beautiful and you are clever, clever as always.
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Reply
- JanTUB JanTUB May 18, 2009 @ 11:20 am | in reply to 0ctavias0fferings
- I'm so gald you liked it. Thanks for the other bits as well.
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Reply
- 0ctavias0fferings 0ctavias0fferings May 18, 2009 @ 11:02 am
- Quite amazing, the end result is just wonderful. Clever and talented, I'm in awe 5* and a sprinkling of Angel Dust
by JanTUB
I have been quilting for more than a quarter of a century. (Sounds much longer than 25 years.) That's me in my studio in 2006.
Quilt tutor, patchwork... (more)
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