Story Quilts
03-02-2007, 05:42 PM
#1
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Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: Central FL
Posts: 4,829
Here are a couple of story projects I've done as commissions. The tryptych is for a therapist's office - themes people bring to her office and fairy tales that match. The nun's ghost quilt is a room divider where I was given a challenge to match Holstein cows and Southwest decor. You can't tell from the pic, but bottom is trapunto.
wall hanging
[ATTACH=CONFIG]111[/ATTACH]
room divider
[ATTACH=CONFIG]112[/ATTACH]
03-03-2007, 05:02 PM
#3
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Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: Central FL
Posts: 4,829
The designs evolved from sketches I ran past my patron. Once the general idea was on paper, I resized all the smaller bits -on copier. Some extras just got added later as it took on a personality of its own.
The cow was done in several pieces using freezer paper, then hand appliqued, Her ear and tongue stick out, and tail was braided yarn. A Cowbell around her neck was on a fishing lure holder to detach. Used a lot of tear-away stabilizer and freezer paper in them, made thirds and pieced together from there. Both combine machine and handwork.
The moon has the man in the moon face, and quilting in sky is of spaceships, planets, planes, hot air balloons, and stars. The coyote quilting is actual music notes that a friend wrote out for me while I howled! There are some pillows that match the storybook room, but did not find the pix - were taken before I had digital camera.
The triptych has fairy tail people walking paths to wellness. The labels on the path show issues they brought to therapy, like deceit for the wolf in little red riding hood, powerlessness reflected by the giant sitting on the beanstalk as Jack runs away, and such
The cow was done in several pieces using freezer paper, then hand appliqued, Her ear and tongue stick out, and tail was braided yarn. A Cowbell around her neck was on a fishing lure holder to detach. Used a lot of tear-away stabilizer and freezer paper in them, made thirds and pieced together from there. Both combine machine and handwork.
The moon has the man in the moon face, and quilting in sky is of spaceships, planets, planes, hot air balloons, and stars. The coyote quilting is actual music notes that a friend wrote out for me while I howled! There are some pillows that match the storybook room, but did not find the pix - were taken before I had digital camera.
The triptych has fairy tail people walking paths to wellness. The labels on the path show issues they brought to therapy, like deceit for the wolf in little red riding hood, powerlessness reflected by the giant sitting on the beanstalk as Jack runs away, and such
03-04-2007, 08:18 AM
#4
Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2006
Posts: 659
Thanks to you and a few others, I am beginning to experience a liberation in my quilting that I cannot wait to start. I have several tradional quilts in progress, but am already gathering ideas to go wild. Thank you so much!! :twisted:
08-13-2007, 08:14 PM
#5
Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: India
Posts: 519
Nora,
Sometimes a quilter may "go wild" because of necessity too. I have a new grandson and he needed a gift to show he is welcome to our family. I am w-a-y away from the USA and of course cannot take advantage of the sources there, so I have to depend on what I have already collected or buy inferior cloth here.
As one Asian said, "What to do?" Now necessity is truly the mother of invention. I had leftover pieces of good cloth in myriad colors, but noting that really went together as a theme. I also had parts of a cloth book for Noah's Ark, but missing pages meant that could not be a nice book as originally intended.
Of the largest pieces of green I had, I cut equal sized squares to fit the cloth book pages and set it all together nine-patch style. That "story book" section will make the middle of a twin sized quilt. The balance will have to be invented as I go. For "sky" I am putting together 6 different blue prints to make clouds and rain in abundance--all nine-patch with bits of purples and pinks here and there. For the water underneath the Noah's Ark photos, I used the same nine-patch idea but put them together brick-style to show the "fountains of the deep" and the layers of sediment. Those water layers are being interspersed with layers of plant foliage (drowned of course), soil or dirt and so on.
The predominant colors will be green, blue, brown and wine. Fortunately the wines have a marbled effect and also "dead leaf" designs on them. That way I justified using them for depth of color and for the "decay" effect.
I use what I have available and the whole thing will gradually evolve. I know our baby grandson will like the quilt just because GramMER made it, but I pray there will be some aesthetic value to it too. LOL
Now have I gone completely mad or what? This time, necessity is the mother of invention. I am surely glad I have plenty of scraps to use.
The downside of all this is the fact that I have no quilting frame here, so all I can do is finish the top and wait.
GramMER :wink:
Sometimes a quilter may "go wild" because of necessity too. I have a new grandson and he needed a gift to show he is welcome to our family. I am w-a-y away from the USA and of course cannot take advantage of the sources there, so I have to depend on what I have already collected or buy inferior cloth here.
As one Asian said, "What to do?" Now necessity is truly the mother of invention. I had leftover pieces of good cloth in myriad colors, but noting that really went together as a theme. I also had parts of a cloth book for Noah's Ark, but missing pages meant that could not be a nice book as originally intended.
Of the largest pieces of green I had, I cut equal sized squares to fit the cloth book pages and set it all together nine-patch style. That "story book" section will make the middle of a twin sized quilt. The balance will have to be invented as I go. For "sky" I am putting together 6 different blue prints to make clouds and rain in abundance--all nine-patch with bits of purples and pinks here and there. For the water underneath the Noah's Ark photos, I used the same nine-patch idea but put them together brick-style to show the "fountains of the deep" and the layers of sediment. Those water layers are being interspersed with layers of plant foliage (drowned of course), soil or dirt and so on.
The predominant colors will be green, blue, brown and wine. Fortunately the wines have a marbled effect and also "dead leaf" designs on them. That way I justified using them for depth of color and for the "decay" effect.
I use what I have available and the whole thing will gradually evolve. I know our baby grandson will like the quilt just because GramMER made it, but I pray there will be some aesthetic value to it too. LOL
Now have I gone completely mad or what? This time, necessity is the mother of invention. I am surely glad I have plenty of scraps to use.
The downside of all this is the fact that I have no quilting frame here, so all I can do is finish the top and wait.
GramMER :wink:
08-13-2007, 10:24 PM
#8
Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: India
Posts: 519
If my present plan does not work out, I might be asking for help, but meantime it gives me hope of using up a lot of scraps and producing something worthwhile too. Right now it is just a matter of arranging them so they help tell the story.
One day I will be back in the USofA and can see and choose my own fabric to do a splendid quilt I have in mind. I have three or four unfinished quilt tops just waiting for my return. LOL
Thanks for the encouragement.
GramMER
One day I will be back in the USofA and can see and choose my own fabric to do a splendid quilt I have in mind. I have three or four unfinished quilt tops just waiting for my return. LOL
Thanks for the encouragement.
GramMER
08-14-2007, 03:44 AM
#9
Super Member
Join Date: Jul 2007
Posts: 1,053
Moonpi~I love!!! that cow quilt. I have a cow quilt too. I collect the little buggers. LOL So cute! Great job on both quilts.
GramMer~Sounds like you have the perfect opportunity to put your creative genious to work. I thinks it's fantastic that you're willing to put in the extra effort on your grandson's quilt, knowing you have so few resources. I bet it's going to be wonderful. Your description sounds really neat! And he's gonna love it so much! :)
GramMer~Sounds like you have the perfect opportunity to put your creative genious to work. I thinks it's fantastic that you're willing to put in the extra effort on your grandson's quilt, knowing you have so few resources. I bet it's going to be wonderful. Your description sounds really neat! And he's gonna love it so much! :)
08-14-2007, 04:37 AM
#10
Super Member
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: North Carolina
Posts: 2,423
There are so many great minds! It has helped me to "think outside the bos" so to speak. I get stuck in a rut and all you lovely quilters have inspired me to try different techniques! Can't wait to see what ya'll come up with next! Both projects are very inspiring to me. More pictures please!
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