Quilt Reveal: We Are All Connected
Brother Australia asked me about 4 months or so ago if I would like to come onboard and help them promote the 15th Brother International Quilt Contest and I jumped at the chance. The competition is themed and the theme is ‘Eco’ to help tie in with the Brother Earth which raises funds for environmental conservation. I really wanted to make a quilt that embraced the theme and wasn’t an art quilt. Not because I don’t like Art Quilts (quite the opposite) but because I wanted to show that you can still met a theme through using patchwork.
I had a few ideas floating around in my head on how to approach it and between you and me, this was not the first idea I went with. (In fact if you see my scrap bins you’ll note a big bunch of Kaffe Fassett curved pieces in there from where my first idea went pear shaped! But that’s the creative process for you!) The quilt had to measure 70cm x 70cm (which is an odd shape if you work in inches) and so that proved to be an interesting constraint in and of itself.
I decided to use this English Paper Piece pattern because I liked the idea of the interlocking circles to represent how we’re all connected. I decided on a rainbow theme because, hello! Rainbow!But also because it paid tribute to the colour spectrum that is in everything. I fussy cut all the different elements that make up the things that are our families little world. There’s the Heater Ross Gnome for me, the dinosaur for the Little Man, the beagle for George and the space man for HUBBY. (Bet you thought I was going to say fox then, didn’t you!) There’s bees because we all know how they’re the best indicator for the health of our environment. There’s a gem to represent the earth and minerals. There’s fruit and vegetables. There’s birds, bees and flowers. There’s pattern and form. It’s a snapshot of us.
I was so lucky to find the map fabric in a local sewing shop and it made the perfect print to bring it all together. I quilted it in (some what) straight quarter inch grid quilting to represent longitude and latitude. (Plus, you know, it was “easy”.) It’s got 2 layers of batting in it to make it really thick and lovely. I used Emma Jean Jansen’s Terra Australis leaf print to bind it and it makes a nice contrast against Zen Chic’s Modern Paper which I used for the background.
It’s not exactly how I imagined it. But given the time constraints I had, my continuing skill development and my seeming desire to use all of my favourite fabrics in the one quilt it succeeds where it so easily could have failed. It’s one of my favourite pieces I’ve ever made and I’m really looking forward to seeing it hang in the Little Man’s room.
Disclosure: Brother Australia are financial supporters of GnomeAngel.com. All opinions expressed are my own and have not been influenced by the businesses involved. For further information about my disclosure policy please click here.
Oh wow! I love this! Great fabric choices and fussy cutting.
It is fab! I love it!
Wow what wonderful news, that will really be a fun time. Love the quilt, very unusual and unique.
Thanks Gloria! 🙂
Oh gosh, Angie! This is a tour-de- force! Ok, I admit, I love scrappy, I love colorful, and I adore novelty prints. So, naturally, this couldn’t be more perfect to hit all my buttons. And it does! And it does it so well, so very, very well. Your skill as a quilter really pulls this off. I love the shape and the balance of it. Most of all, I love the imagination of it, something I keep hoping will rub off on me eventually 🙂 it’s nice of you to admit there is one in the waste bucket that didn’t turn out. But that just makes you more genius in my eyes almost, it’s like how did you know? How were you able to chuck something you worked hard on? And then go from that to here? I think the map and diversity of elements make it fit right into Brother’s theme and yet it’s not too precious, I can easily see that it will fit onto your son’s wall with happy effect. For me, this is a great quilt and I’m so glad you’re pleased with it. That’s something I think an artist has to have is when to say something is good, something is finished and is accomplishing what they were trying to do. For me, that is sort of the mysterious part of artistry, how do you know? But anyway, I love it, in case you couldn’t tell. It is just fun and gorgeous yummy and disparateness (made up word?) creating a whole! Beautiful!
Hi Beth! 🙂 What an amazing comment to come home to! Thank you so much. I’m so glad you like it. I wish I could tell you how I “knew” – the first option involved a lot of curves, something I’m not as great at as I would like and so when they weren’t coming out the way I wanted I decided to put it aside and do something else. I think you just have to be flexible and honest with yourself. Just because it didn’t work doesn’t mean you (or it) is a failure, it’s just teaching you and adding to your experience. If everything worked first go life would be boring. I’m also not sure that I’m ever really “done” with something. I had big plans for this quilt, but I also had a time constraint so it got to a point where it became a matter of delivering the piece as opposed to perfecting the piece. So this is the best I could do with the time that I had. 🙂 It’s all a journey, you just have to trust in yourself and be prepared to make a lot of mistakes. 😉
I love all the fussy cutting you did for this quilt it’s such a fun and sweet quilt well done:-)
Thanks Hildy! I had fun with it all and I’m happy with how it’s come out. Can’t ask for more than that, right? 🙂
I really love it.
Thanks Suellen, me too! 🙂
Such a fantastic quilt in every way
Aw, thanks Alex!
What a fabulous piece! I love the patterns and colors but most of all the story.
Thanks Mary Ann. I had so much fun pulling the fabrics for this and making up the little reasons why in my head and putting it all together with the theme.
Wow! … this quilt is unbeleivable … I want to hold it in my hands and study it up close and personal … all those fabulous fussy cuts and perfect fabrics … Wow!
Thanks Judy. I’m really loving it to and I love seeing how other people react to it and lean in and look at all the different things in it. 🙂
Love, love, love this!!!
Thanks Beth 🙂
Really nice. I think you really met their requirements. Great job.
Thanks Vivian. I had a great time with the challenge.
Fabulous details and I think its going to be a big hit.
Thanks Karen. It was really well received which makes me happy.