My entry for this fall's festival is a small-ish wall quilt named "Intertwined". Despite it being only 40" square, it is paked with details, and is made of my all-time favorite fabrics - Hoffman 1895 hand-dye batiks. It is shown below with me and my usually eager to be in a picture daughter (not so much this time!) at the Maine Quilt Show this past summer. Happily, it was one of 4 quilts to receive a 1st place ribbon!
The 14" center block was started a year before in a Karen Kay Buckley hand applique class. I should note that I am comletely addicted to hand applique, so if you have never tried, you might really enjoy it. Karen's applique pieces were challenging at first, being that they have a ton of inner points, and because they are small (grapes are under 1/2" diameter), but it is a relaxing form of stitching, and I like that I was able to drag it along with me to dance and soccer, etc. One other thing to say is that the batik fabrics are a tigher weave than most cottons, and the behave so much better for this type applique in that they are not prone to reveling when the turned under seam allowance is slightly under 1/4".
So, thanks Karen, for a wonderful inspiration for my quilt. I did design the remainder of the quilt myself to compliment the center block. The 4 cathedral windows were paper-pieced, and were intended to bring a little variety to the applique. I hand appliqued the two-tone ribbon on the twice before I was satisfied with how it looked. And then I decided that it just needed a punch of something different. That's when I pulled out my lime green batik and the orange & gold fabrics and made the intertwining vines of nasturtium (and hence the name for the quilt). I designed them to be like morning glories in shape, but somehow because they were orange, then needed to be a different flower!
I must confess, I am a longarm quiter, and I am most definitely my all-time worst client iterms of pickyness. I spent over 20 hours on this rather small quilt. The quilting features some ghost flowers in the background, and sections of feathers and other fills. Though I love doing the applique, I am a quilter at heart, and need for the quilting to take a "top" to another level. The quilting designs are as important as the piecing & applique.
The quilt received some Swarovski crystals when it was finished - white ones for the centers of the flowers and several hundred others on the quilt (even though they are not visible in the pictures whatsoever). Under show lights, the quilt twinkles beautifully. I also bound the quilt with a piped binding, which is a great finishing touch.
I hope you have enjoyed these pictures, and others you will see at the Bloggers Festival. If you find yourself ever in the need of a longarm quiter, please feel free to contact me. My business website is here.
(one last picture of "Intertwined"'s back!)
(one last picture of "Intertwined"'s back!)
Hi! Greetings from Finland! I LOVE this quilt! All of your quilts are so stunning! I am speechless!!!! I am so happy to I found your blog! It's so nice to find other quilters all around the world! :)
ReplyDeleteYours, Ulla
www.ullantilkut.vuodatus.net
thump-
ReplyDeletethat's the sound of my jaw hitting the floor...
Oh my goodness. Gorgeous, fabulous, amazing.
I cannot believe my eyes. Your quilting is exquisite...
You definitely took it up a notch or 10! Love it!
( i still cannot believe it...)
:)
You did an awesome job on this quilt. Your quilting is so detailed. Pride in your work show through in all areas. Thank you for sharing.
ReplyDeleteBarbara
Congratulations! Your quilt is absolutely beautiful! :o)
ReplyDeleteMargaret, Your quilt is a gorgeous example of your beautiful quilting! It is simply amazing!!! Even the back is a work of art. Congratulations to you.
ReplyDeleteamazing. gorgeous quilting... hmmmm. I got a few here you can do fo e !
ReplyDeleteBeautiful as ususal Margaret....so much detail....stunning!
ReplyDeleteBest Wishes
Kay in Scotland
saw your link at the festival.
ReplyDeleteas I saw your pics my thought was "oh my gosh are you KIDDING me?!" Which translated means "wow she got an extra dose of the quilting skills!"
I can barely sew a 3/4 inch seam. You my friend are TALENTED.
Thank you for sharing photos of your gorgeous quilting!
OH MY! Your quilt is absolutely gorgeous! The amount of detail in your quilting is amazing!
ReplyDeleteThanks for visiting my blog, but I am even happier that I got to see your work. Your quilting is just amazing. I am awestruck.
ReplyDeleteHi, just stopping by from my blog where you left a comment. The fellow maniac :O} Love your quilt, so so so pretty! Where in Maine are you located? I am off to add you to my blogroll now.
ReplyDeleteGoodness that is one truly amazing quilt. And yes the quilting does push this one way over the top. Just wonderful!
ReplyDeleteOh my goodness, Margaret! The quilting truly does take this quilt to another level. It is fabulous and wonderful. Your applique work is also beautiful. Thank you for sharing its story! :)
ReplyDeleteIt may be small, but it's big on awesomeness. Amazing quilting, really eye catching. I'm glad I've found your blog, your "quilt shows" are a joy to see.
ReplyDeleteIt amazes me that a human being can produce soemthing like this! Beautiful!
ReplyDeleteevery moment you spent on this quilt was well worth it! it's a beauty.
ReplyDeleteGorgeous quilt, i love this:)
ReplyDeleteOh my, your quilt is absolutely stunning. I am in awe of the beautiful hand applique' and detailed longarm quilting. You have made great use your talent! Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteSmiles~Beth
I'm just speechless...well, actually that never happens, but this quilt is breathtaking. Incredibly beautiful. Thanks so much for sharing this!
ReplyDeleteMy goodness-I am struck dumb by your work. Such detail, such precision! Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteWhat an amazing quilt!! The quilting is so incredible!!
ReplyDeleteStunning: your work is! What more can I say - unbelievable, beautiful, awesome, gorgeous, fabulous, amazing, exquisite....okay....I'm running out of room here. But, you should be getting my drift!
ReplyDeleteOMG! This quilt is absolutely stunning! Your workmanship with the applique is gorgeous, but then the quilting, words cannot express what I feel when I look at something this fabulous! Thank you for sharing - and I'm so glad I found you, I'll be back!
ReplyDeleteOh my, this is gorgeous! It's no surprise that you won a ribbon; your machine quilting in exquisite! Wow! Thanks for sharing this! And thanks for coming by my blog and leaving me such a nice comment on my entry. :)
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely gorgeous! I also love to applique with batiks, but I'm far from your skill level with the machine quilting. You've given me something to aspire to.
ReplyDeleteWow! This is a work of art. Just beautiful.
ReplyDeletebeautiful quilt. I love staple..
ReplyDelete-really a beauty and a true winner, congratulations!
ReplyDeleteBente
I like to QuiltBlog/blogger from Germany
Wow, that is a pretty amazing quilt. A labor of love for sure.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful, beautiful quilt and your quilting is breath-taking!
ReplyDeleteTHAT quilt is STUNNING!! It's no wonder you won!
ReplyDeleteI'm just curious as to what part of Maine are you in? I'm on border of the tippy top of Maine in New Brunswick.
Congrats on on winning -beautiful quilting!
ReplyDeleteOh my goodness Margaret! Your quilt is stunning, as is your amazing talent! I'm so happy you stopped by my blog; your visit led me to you and your beautiful work.
ReplyDeleteHonestly, that is one of the most beautiful things i've ever seen. It truly brings tears to my eyes it's so lovely! What wonderful talents you have. Thanks so much for sharing nad have a grewt day
ReplyDeleteOh my goodness! That is truly a work of art...and heart! I hope it hangs in a place of honor in your home! Your quilting is stunning!
ReplyDeleteWowee! Your quilt is stunning. I'm not a bit surprised to know you earned a first place ribbon. I can only dream about ever being able to do that kind of quilting at a sit-down home sewing machine. You do have a gift!
ReplyDeleteWhat an amazing quilt! Your quilting really makes the quilt!! Thanks for sharing your work!
ReplyDeleteEverything about this quilt is just amazing! Front and back. I can't stop looking at it. :)
ReplyDeleteWow is so inadequate that is an amazing quilt -- I hope it fits the size for Paducah because I def. think it could end up in the National Quilt Museum. Absolutely stunning.
ReplyDeletep.s. the link for my business on this post didn't work when I tried it.
Come see my entries #29 reproduction mini applique and #31 1850 antique star
Absolutely gorgeous quilt. I love that most of the design is yours in a "make it up as you go along" fashion. Congrats on the ribbon!
ReplyDeleteThis quilt is stunning! I want to be able to quilt like this someday - perhaps when I grow up! ;)
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely beautiful - ribbon well deserved.
ReplyDeleteYour quilt is so beautiful. So much work and detail. Stunning.
ReplyDeleteIt's AMAZING.....what a beautiful wallhanger, congrats with your prize, you deserve it.
ReplyDeleteGreetings Roos
Margaret, Your quilt is just gorgeous. The design is really stand-out! It feels like all the elements complement each other without overwhelming. And the applique is stunning. I'm always so in awe of precise applique like yours. Superb work!
ReplyDeletewow! that is amazing! the blue ribbon is well-deserved.
ReplyDeletesimply stunning.
ReplyDeleteWow, no surprise why you won a blue ribbon: well deserved! Gorgeous quilt and your quilting is stunning. Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteWow! I think you earned that ribbon. Your quilting is amazing!
ReplyDeleteI cannot say it any better then the other comments here. Stunning, easily deserving of a blue ribbon, fabulous quiting, etc. Thank you for sharing the design process behind this beauty. I love knowing how such a quilt is created.
ReplyDeleteOh wow, that is awesome, what amazing quilting! It well deserved its ribbon :o)
ReplyDeleteWell...if there ever was a quilt to make me feel like a beginner, yours is it! But it's beautiful and gives me something to aspire to. I'm not suprized you won first place at all, but congratulations! You earned it!
ReplyDeleteFrom one longarm quilter to another....amazingly beautiful!! I dream of quilting like this someday.
ReplyDeleteOne of the most beautiful quilts I've ever seen!!!
ReplyDeleteOh. My. Word.
ReplyDeleteThat is truly gorgeous. Everything about it is just wonderful. I can easily see why it received the ribbon--so deserved!
Hazle
Gorgeous work it definitely deserves that first place ribbon. Congratulations on a wonderful job.
ReplyDeleteStunning. Gorgeous. Wow! That center block reminds me why I love applique and makes me want to get back to it. Thanks for sharing your process, too. Definitely a blue ribbon!
ReplyDeleteWow, your quilting is amazing!
ReplyDeleteBeautiful quilt and amazing quilting!
ReplyDeleteWow, what a stunning quilt! I'm off to see more!
ReplyDeleteAmazing!!
ReplyDeletethis is such an amazing quilt
ReplyDeleteThis is a stunning quilt...so much work...congratulations and thanks for sharing.
ReplyDelete