The pattern, called "Poppy!" (by Ruth Powers), is really just one poppy, and it calls for using freezer paper. However, to look better as a bedspread, we decided to make four flowers. I then adapted it to use the paper-piecing technique.
This is probably the largest paper-pieced work I have ever done. Each petal square is 24" x 24" and contains 144 pieces (spread out over 14 subsections)! Though all four use the same fabrics, each is slightly different from the others, just as all natural blossoms would be.
The quilting: For the flowers, I used a medium blue thread, and a free-motion pattern like this:
I did this separately in each mini-section of the petals to simulate veins (or at least striations). So some of the lines are lighter than the petal section, some are darker, and some blend. The purple and gray areas were done with matching threads.The background was stippled in white with my usual squiggly lines to reinforce the swirl pattern of the front fabric.
And, as I did for Karen's Kwilted Kubes, this quilt was made in 8 sections; the four flowers, mid-top and -bottom, and the two side pieces. They are clearly visible in this photo since it was backlit. This allowed me to easily quilt each section on a standard machine and then sew them together when the quilting was done.
5 comments:
amazing!! even though I was living in the next room over from this quilt for the past four weeks, I didn't realize that each flower was a little different or those detailed "veins" in each petal. You're quite an artiste!!
What Emily said! And it was fun to be "in process" with you as this quilt was being created. I love the layout and the motion the poppies create. Beautiful work! (and a great photo, too!)
Wayne, this is really something. Can't stop looking at it! Just wonderful. And thanks so much for sharing.
wow wayne, what a piece! i look forward to class.
This is beautiful! But at 144 pcs each, I know I won't be trying one soon!
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