Sunday, April 19, 2009

And back to something more quilty........


When my attention was drawn to this by Clare at Dordogne Quilter I thought what a lovely idea
But which quilt to choose - although not as prolific as some I have made a good number of quilts over the past 12 years or so
Each one I make tends to be my favourite at that moment in time
But I guess the first really big quilt I ever finished will probably be my all-time favourite
It was a wedding present for my brother about four and a half years ago
I asked him if he'd like a quilt for his wedding present and he reacted with enthusiasm
Knowing of his love of celtic knotwork made the design type a bit of a no-brainer
However his original colour choice of red knotwork on a cream background scared the life out of me, and him when I explained just how unpredictable red fabrics can be on washing
So we chatted round a few ideas and decided to go for cream knotwork on a pastel ground
108" square and three years later - the result..........
I have blogged about this quilt before - some time ago now - and here is my write-up about it at the time:
These two pictures show the quilt I made for my brother and sister-in-law for their wedding present in October 2004.
It measures 108" square and was machine pieced in space dyed cotton (some dyed by me and some bought in) with yards and yards of cream coloured home made bias celtic knotwork.
It took three years to make in all and I worked on it in three different countries. In the middle of its construction I had a serious illness which kept me off work for over five months and working on the coloured square blocks around the edges kept me sane - not to mention that, without that gift of time to work on it when I was fit for nothing else, I probably wouldn't have completed it on time.
The celtic knotwork is all hand appliqued and I wouldn't mind having a pound for each inch of it - I'd be one very rich girl!
The photos are taken in our local church as I didn't have a large enough floor area to lay it out otherwise.
Once I'd completed it I felt that strange feeling you have when your baby is born that you're not pregnant any more - a real anti-climax.

Sadly my sister-in-law's ideas on decor didn't fit at all well with my brother's choice for the quilt and, as it doesn't comply with with her choices of cream and taupe, it has stayed in a cupboard for it's entire life and never seen the light of day

In hindsight I should have asked her - but never mind, who knows, when the current fashion for safe neutrals eventually fades maybe she might bring it out of hibernation



This close up shows a little more clearly all the knotwork that went into it - every single inch was made of home-made bias tubing and every inch appliqued by hand. Each of those pink, lilac and blue outer postage stamp type squares set into the pale green border measures 12" square - so from that you can guess there is some yardage of tubing
My only real regret is that I quilted it in an allover lines and swirls type pattern which completely disregarded the knotwork - although I did include in that freestyle quilting their names and the date of their wedding
Should I have the opportunity to relive the process I would use the skills I've acquired in the subsequent years and probably quilt it to complement the knotwork
However it's been a treat for me to revisit it and I hope you've enjoyed it too


39 comments:

Emma said...

Wow, what a fantastic quilt! I hope one day it's in its rightful place on a bed!

Aunt Spicy said...

The detail on that quilt is just amazing! Thanks for sharing it!

Amanda said...

What a beautiful quilt, I don't think I've ever seen one quite like it - and what a shame that it isn't out on display. One advantage to that though - it will remain pristine for future admirers!

Nancy said...

What a beautiful quilt...such a work of love....

Ankie said...

What a wonderful quilt I really hope that it will be placed on a bed someday. I am now sewing a quilt as a weddinggift and I hope it will be placed where it should be.
http://carlisletworks.blogspot.com/

Zonnah said...

Wow! This quilt looks so soft and Beautiful :)

Libby said...

Easy to see how this quilt came to be your favorite. I'm sure that someday it will come out of the cupboard to be used and well loved *s*

Sew Create It - Jane said...

I remember this quilt and it is stunning!...Shame on them for keeping it in a cupboard...it is far to beautiful to be hiding.

Fiona said...

What a shame that it doesn't see the light of day after all that hard work!

meggie said...

Thank you for sharing that wonderful quilt with us.
All I can say is, at least it will not get worn out if it is in a cupboard! What a waste of beauty!

Carol said...

Love Celtic quilts and yours is beautiful. I really like the color combination.

Kate North said...

You weren't kidding when you said you really liked Celtic Knotwork - lucky for me :)

Kelli said...

That is absolutely amazing!

Tracey said...

Wow - you deserve a medal for completing it! What a lot of work. Its lovely. I hope it isn't hidden for too much longer! I have a couple of close family that are the recipients of gifted quilts that live in the loft !

Joy said...

A quilt as lovely as that should be on show for everyone to see. What a pity it's hidden away. It's just stunning, you did a fabulous job, you should be very proud :o).
Hugs,
Joy :o)

Scrappy quilter said...

Holy smoke, these quilts just keep getting better and better. Awesome quilt. I love the colors and the work is incredible.

Jocelyn said...

Absolutely beautiful quilt!

Cathy said...

Well, I hope it gets put somewhere where it can be admired by all soon. It is lovely and shows an amazing amount of work. You should be proud of it.

Vicki said...

That is a wonderful quilt. I'm sorry your sister in law doesn't appreciate it more!

Cindy's Stitching said...

I have never seen a desing like this. The knotwork is really nice

Judy Alexander said...

Great design and beautiful quilt. I am having so much fun seeing these quilts and finding new blogs to visit.

Judy H. said...

Absolutely beautiful! Your SIL is an idiot for not displaying that with pride, but as a few people have noted, that means it won't be worn out, and someone in the future will have the chance to love it, or perhaps it will end up in a book -- after all, the lovely quilts we see in books now were 'Sunday best' quilts that were very gently used.

Rosalyn Manesse said...

What a wonderful quilt--it's a masterpiece

Quilt Rat said...

SPECTACULAR! I am speechless I am not generally a big fan of pastels but I absolutely LOVE this!
great job

stitchinpenny said...

Absolutely fantastic quilt. The subtle colors allow the oattern work to show up.

Dresden Quilter said...

It is so beautiful. You have done an amazing job.

Live a Colorful Life said...

What a beautiful quilt! And how sad that it is living in a closet. Thanks for sharing the quilt and its story. I'm sure someday it will be proudly displayed.

Unknown said...

Stunning! That is a ton of work - thanks for sharing :)

Carrie P. said...

Your quilt is awesome. I have done a small wall hanging with 3 blocks of Celtic knots. I like making them.

Anonymous said...

This is an amazing quilt, you should feel proud. I'm sorry it's not used but who knows, perhaps one day. Thanks for sharing the quilt and its story.

Millie said...

oh my goodness! what a knockout! Gosh, I hope your brother really appreciates it!

bigbucketgirl said...

wow..what a quilt! that really should be out on show..or used. couldn't you ask for it back to "amend" something on it...and then forget to give it back!

Lisa D. said...

Wow - that is one of the prettiest quilts I have ever seen!

quiltmom anna said...

OH Anne,
What a gorgeous quilt and all those hundred's of hours of work- your brother and wife are so lucky to own such a labor of love. Perhaps one day it will be shown off as it should be-
Thanks for sharing your quilt gift and its story,
Regards,
Anna

Tracey @ozcountryquiltingmum said...

Gorgeous quilt, such beautiful work Good news about the rugby..and the arthritis.
Thanks for the heads up on the 2007 quilt, you are right, looks like a great idea...now I have so many!!!
Cheers, Tracey

Shelina (formerly known as Shasta) said...

Wow that is an amazing quilt. Maybe your SIL is afraid of it getting dirty or somehow not treated as well as it should be treated. Although it isn't being used every day, I am sure that your brother treasures it nonetheless and it will be a valuable family heirloom.

Philippa said...

That is a magnificent quilt. You should be very proud of it. I'm sure in time it will be prodly displayed by your brother and sister in law. Thanks for visiting my quilt.

The Calico Quilter said...

Your sister-in-law doesn't like it and it stays in the cupboard? Is she daft? It's incredible! They could at least sleep under it. Someone needs to break it to her that the quilt on the bed doesn't need to match the decor - it's under the bedspread in the daytime, isn't it? (I'm figuring that she isn't a use-a-quilt-as-a-bedspread type.) Anyway, it's a sorry thing that she didn't see it for the thing of beauty that it is. You have great skill.

Tanya said...

What a gorgeous quilt. You ought to ask your sister-in-law to lend it back and put it in a quilt show! I bet it would win a bunch of prizes!
That's the bad side of making quilts as gifts. I've given my sister-in-law a couple quilts too but they sit in the closet also. I bring one of them out when I am visiting and using the bed!