Monday 30 April 2012

Balinese Wedding Quilt

 This is the latest quilt to have been kept under wraps until it was gifted last weekend...  It is a rather cute rectangle in square design using a luscious jelly roll (or rather Bali pop) of batik fabrics.  I am becoming rather fond of batiks and appreciating their saturation and design.  At a distance they give this beautiful watercolour effect while up close they are a riot of pattern and colour. 

Anyway, this particular quilt was for a good friend of mine who got married on the weekend.  She is an Indonesian teacher and loves Bali and Indonesia, so this was (I hope) an appropriate gift!

It is a good large lap quilt size and generous enough for two to snuggle under.

 The little applique hearts, also in batik, scattered over the quilt make it just that little more romantic. :)  Thanks to my teacher Trish, who suggested adding the touch of hand quilting around the hearts.  This won't be the last time I do that - it really adds another dimension and personalises it even more.  I am really getting into the hand quilting at the moment - ironic as I took up quilting to find a craft where I didn't need to hand sew!
The binding is the same chatreuse found in flashes in the quilt - I couldn't get enough of the "pop" it produces so had to use it for the binding.  The back is a real indigo blue/purple with what almost look like little silvery stars on it.  Also appropriate if you know my husband and I...

Wednesday 11 April 2012

Themed Quilts

Every year Swancon (the Perth Science Fiction convention) is held at Easter.  Every year there is an art show and this year for the first time I decided to enter it!  I don't consider myself much of an artist (although I was in an art exhibition at uni, which was a laugh) and I entered this one in the spirit of things with a couple of themed quilts. 
The first one is a bit of a laugh and was great fun to make - square in square with the central spaceship material being 3D!  That's right 3D!  And it really worked.  Looked more hologram like to my eyes but there was a definite effect.  The glasses made the wilder patterned material jump out too.  Whoa! :)
The second one was a Manga/anime themed improvisational quilted wallhanging which I called "Thunderblossom" after the main character.  I love the rich gold metallic which is throughout each of the materials in this one.
It's on its side here but you get the idea...
Anyway they have now both gone to good homes, where I hope they will be loved and enjoyed.