The plan with this quilt (photo in last post) is to have New York Beauty blocks across the bottom, which will form a base for an appliqued garden. The flowers will stretch up as far as her dress and be quite elaborate. Lots of foliage, lots of flowers, predominantly pink/red/green; bottom centre and right are loudest part of the quilt. The left side will have climbing, flowering vines (green/turquoise leaves, blue/white flowers) on top of blue and white print fabrics (probably pieced blocks of some kind). Top edge will be more pieced blocks in blue/white prints (maybe more NY beauties?). Right side - don’t know yet but fancy intricate piecing with the fabric shown.
The blue stripe, lavender-chartreuse and lavender print are definites. Eveything placed around the outside is to give me an impression of colour/tonal/print density.
The idea is to have the flowers as the first impression, followed by Flora and then a gradual realisation that there’s some Stunt Piecing* in the background.
The problem with working like this (as opposed to elaborate drawings and plans) is that it can take a very long time. People always ask how long a quilt takes to MAKE. They should ask how long it takes to THINK. I reckon 95% of my effort is in the thinking.
Thanks for the comments! It’s like having quilting mates over for coffee, who all throw their two cents in! It can be very helpful. I was thrilled to get the Klimt references (even at this embryonic stage) because that’s exactly where I’m heading!
*difficult/showing-off type piecing done to impress non-quilters who don’t realise how many tricks and shortcuts you know.









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October 28, 2006 at 4:39 am
erenhttp://www.vintagechica.typepad.com
You are amazing…simply amazing, and so is your quilt.
October 28, 2006 at 11:01 pm
Isabelle
Hmm, this is very interesting. Your technical terms are a bit beyond me but I look forward to see how it develops. It looks like applique to me, but I suppose it’ll be a quilt if you.. quilt it. Love it, anyway.
October 29, 2006 at 4:53 am
Anonymous
It looks and sounds wonderful Kirsty. You are so right about the thinking time. Constance Howard (embroidery guru, head of Goldsmith’s College in London) said you should spend as much time planning as doing. Keep it up! MRM
October 29, 2006 at 10:20 am
Caitlin
all this and I just checked out your website, too - you GODDESS, you!
Mr Beloved says about being a computer techie:
Fixing your computer: $200.
Itemised account: new button $1.00
Knowing which button was needed: $199.00
I think it’s like that with quilting (and any art making, in my very limited experience) - the KNOWLEDGE and skills are important, sure, but being able to do the thinking behind it? PRICELESS! So yeah, the thinking time is the real time it takes to make a piece, I reckon. The sewing time is usually such a small component of that!
October 30, 2006 at 10:15 am
Julie
Your work is beautiful. Wish I knew how to quilt. It’s far more complex than I imagined but then I’ve never been able to fathom just how you do begin to design a quilt. Thanks for sharing your design process with us - it’s fascinating and I’m really looking forward to seeing it’s development.