I just finished the High Seas Quilt(which I blogged about earlier in this post) and wanted to share a simple quilting technique that can add some texture and fun to your next project. These three dimensional strips of fabric stick up out of the seams and make for a really impressive look.
I used these strips to define the watery waves beneath the Sailship.
This is a very simple technique. You measure out the desired length of your strip and fold in half longways. So, if you want your strip to be 3/8" that would be 6/8 plus your Seam Allowance 1/2"= 1 1/4". Baste your strip on top of the bottom row.
*Important- Figure out where you want the strip to end and sew it between to pieces.
In this Sailship quilt. I left he raw edges and just stitched them down. But in the Bird Applique Quilt, I sewed them into the vertical seams for a clean and modern look.
These are two examples of using three dimensional pieces in quilting, one is modern and the other is more crafty. I look forward to really stretching this idea and incorporating more 3-D quilting techniques.
I finished reading A Storm of Swords, the third book in the epic series A song of Ice and Fire. -Finally. I waited to finish it until I saw the famed Red Wedding episode in HBO's series "A Game of Thrones". You'll find no spoilers here, but I am pretty doggone excited for next season. That's all I'll say.
Daenerys is such a strong female character, it is easy to see how she quickly became a fan favorite. Khaleesi, the Unburned, Daenerys Stormborn, Mother of Dragons... the girl has a lot of titles- and she deserves every one of them. I have been working intermittently on this Khaleesi Quilt for the past few months and recently added it to my shop. I chose the theme of her Khaleesi title to inspire me as I read her trekking through dust and sand in wild landscapes and all the exotic encounters she'd faced.
I collect vintage Indian Saris and used a few of them throughout this quilt. The first blocks I made were the large collages sewn horizontally with scraps of multi-colored silks and tie-dyed cottons. There are a few blocks of antelope skin where I kept the raw edge exposed for more organic texture. The hides came from my father from a prong horn sheep he fell years ago. I typically do not use animal products in my work but I know this animal fed me, so I felt it was consistent to use its hide in a special art quilt.
I printed on three panels of cotton for this piece. There are two panels that read, "Khaleesi" (I kept checking the spelling over and over again) and one the reads, "Moon of my Life" Wouldn't this make a fabulous gift to a girlfriend?!?! HINT. If you want to know more about print on fabric, read my blog post here. There is sari fabric included in this quilt that is gold silk organza with mirror sequins sewn on and shimmers soooo nicely in person. The Black repeat pattern reminds me of chain mail or similarly dragon scale, echoing the warrior edge. I would love to adorn my bedroom with this Khaleesi-worthy throw quilt. It makes the perfect accent to a rich and sexy boudoir. just sayin'.
