A story from Jan…

‘Some years back I needed some hand sewing to do while travelling. One batik fabric was chosen as backing to give the pieces some cohesion. A rainbow assortment of stash scraps were used to make the front. Batting off-cuts were used to pad out the little pillows which were stitched around with perle embroidery thread. Pinking shears neatened the edges.
A shoebox full of little squares stagnated for a couple of years before the next step revealed itself.
The inspiration came from the cooking show “Masterchef”. They have a challenge which requires the contestants to reinvent a traditional dish.
I applied the same criteria to my little quilted parcels, thinking they looked like ravioli.
Then came the problem – how to string them together.
Narrow black ribbon was appliqued vertically and horizontally to stabilise the pieces, grading the rainbow colours across the quilt.
Something was still missing. It needed a sauce – berry coulis was the answer. This was made with a variety of berry coloured sheers and tulles using the yo-yo technique. These were scattered across the quilt.
The entire quilt is hand stitched.
The reverse side of the quilt also looked interesting, so the next problem was how could it be hung so both sides could be viewed.
A custom made perspex strip was ordered with holes to correspond with each vertical band. Suspending the piece with fishing line through each hole ensured the quilt hung straight and could be viewed from each side.’