Bloggers Quilt Festival - ROYGBIV Quilts

Hi all!

All those who have come from Amy's blog and are meeting me for the first time, I'm Shruti and I am a quilter from India!!!

I fell in love with quilting 5 years back and have not looked back ever since!

My Entry to this category is not an actually colored quilt, but a quilt that depicts colors in a tactile manner!!!

The inspiration came from a book I was reading "Sisters" by Danielle Steele.
In that book one of the four sisters, a painter, looses her sight in an accident. The other 3 sisters decide to stay together in a single house to help her get back on her feet.

The part when the girl realizes that she cannot see any more prompted me to think what would an artist do without sight! It would be disastrous!

Even for us quilters, colors play a very important role. What would a quilt be without colors? And I mean ALL of it - the value, shade, etc. Not just one aspect of it.

Then I began thinking of what would colors mean to someone who has never 'seen'? How would a blind-at-birth person see them? How would they feel them?

That is when I decided to make a tactile quilt.

This quilt is what colors 'look' like to those who have never seen them.

The dots you see on the quilt are the names of colors written in Braille. From top to bottom : Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue & Violet!

Can I tell you a secret? I forgot Indigo and realized it only when I finished quilting it.

I quilted it with almost straight lines using the BSR on Ross - My Bernina 710. I used Aurifil 50 wt White thread for 99% of the quilting, which is super dense (< 1/8th inch apart). I also quilted just 3 lines in each row with the colour I have written so that you can see which one is which!!!

Making this quilt was a wonderful process. It is a quilt that also prompted me to donate my eyes! I filled an online form with the EBAI (Eye Bank Association of India) and am awaiting my acceptance email!

I have put in more thoughts in the design of this quilt than any other that I have made. But in the end I'm very happy with my work!!!

Quilt Stats
Name : The White Rainbow
Size : 36" x 50"
Material used :
Fabric :White Bella Solid, a little bit of the rainbow fabric by Anne Kelly for the binding.
Thread : Aurifil 50 wt - white for most of the quilting. Red, Yellow, Orange, Green, Blue and Violet for some.
Batting : Pellon Fusible Fleece for the dots and Cotton batting overall!
Technique : Trapunto
Experience : Heartwarming!

Do you like my white rainbow?

Go check out the other quilts in this category and nominate your favorite ones to win the Viewers Choice award!!! Just click on the link below to go to Amy's site!!!

Bloggers Quilt Festival - Modern quilt

Hi all!
All those who have come from Amy's blog and are meeting me for the first time, I'm Shruti and I am a quilter from India!!!

I fell in love with quilting 5 years back and have not looked back ever since!

Here's my entry for the "Modern" Category!

My Sassy Modern Quilt! What else!!!

This quilt is dedicated to all those who say Batiks cannot be used in modern quilts!!!
Now let them deny that this is a modern quilt!!!

Quilt Stats

Name : Sassy Batiks
Size : 50" x 57"
Material used : Fabric : Black Solid - local find, Batiks from The Square Inch
Thread : Aurifil Black 50 wt 

Pieced and quilted on Ross - my Bernina 710
Experience - "kick-you-in-the-crotch, spit-on-your-neck, fantastic." (those who are not aware, its a quote by Rachel in Friends Season 2 - Episode 1)

Go check out the other quilts in this category and nominate your favorite ones to win the Viewers Choice award!!! Just click on the link below to go to Amy's site!!!

Bloggers Quilt Festival : Home Machine Quilted

Hi again!!!
All those who read my previous post - Bloggers quilt Festival : Applique Quilt - I'm entering another quilt in the festival. This time in the Home Machine Quilted Category!

Those who have not seen my previous entry,
"Hi! Its that time of the year again!!!
Amy form Amy's Creative Side painstakingly organizes an online Quilt Festival for all those who cannot attend the live ones - so that we do not miss out on all the fun!!!

Go on to her blog to check all the categories and vote for your favorite one when the voting starts! Voting begins on May 23. So mark your calenders. Of course in the Applique Quilt Category and the Home Machine Quilted Category I'd love if you vote for my quilt, but in the other categories, you can vote for your favorite one!

Here's the quilt that I'm entering into the festival!!!"

Do check out my other quilt too!

Pensieve.

It has already won the fourth place in India's first ever Quilt Competition organized by Husqvarna Viking. And has earned me an Opal 670!

This quilt was made using the Machine Trapunto technique. It took an agonizing 2 months to make, when more than once I decided that it was not worth it and almost gave up!

My 'Emily' - a Bernina 330 - did a great job on this one! Read more about the process of making this quilt in my older blog post.

I'm proud of this work for many reasons, firstly it was a white on white quilt that has managed to stay white on white after completion!!! That in itself is a HUGE achievement for me!

 Secondly, it used a technique that  required patience, precision and perseverance - the 3 P's I just lack! But I overcame that and made it!  Thats another achievement.

Third, I overcame a lot of hurdles to make this one. Quilting as well as personal. There were times when I gave up - saying something else was more important than entering into a competition. But I'm glad today that I did it!

Quilt stats
Name of the Quilt : Pensieve
Size : 36" x 36"
Fabric Used : Kona Snow
Thread : Calypso Off White - #0000261
Technique Used : Trapunto

Experience : Satisfying and encouraging!

Do you like it???

If yes, then vote for me  after 23rd May!!!

Bloggers Quilt Festival : Applique Quilt

Hi! Its that time of the year again!!!
Amy form Amy's Creative Side painstakingly organizes an online Quilt Festival for all those who cannot attend the live ones - so that we do not miss out on all the fun!!!

Go on to her blog to check all the categories and vote for your favorite one when the voting starts! Voting begins on May 23. So mark your calenders. Of course in the Applique Quilt Category, I'd love if you vote for my quilt, but in the other categories, you can vote for your favorite one!

Here's the quilt that I'm entering into the festival!!!

iQuilt!

This quilt was done using a Reverse applique Technique. In this you first stitch all the layers together and then cut away the parts that you do not want.

iQuilt is based on the famous photo of Steve Jobs by Albert Watson. It was a gift for my Apple crazy brother!  And he sure was so happy to have it!!! I had managed to keep it a surprise for a long time between when it was completed and when it was given to him!

The size is 24" x 30" and it is made from just 3 shades of fabric - White, Grey & Black.
Making the beard part was a nightmare with so many tiny pieces!!!

But I'm so proud of my work!!!

Name : iQuilt

Size : 24" x  30"

Photo : Steve Jobs by Albert Watson

Techniques used : Reverse applique

Material Used : Fabric (3 shades - White, Grey & Black), Aurifil Thread (again 3 shades White, # 2625 - grey- and black all wt 50), Tulle

Made on : My Bernina 330!

Experience : Amazing! Trying a less used reverse applique quilt for a portrait did a lot to boost my confidence!!!

Do you like it???

If yes, then vote for me  after 23rd May!!!

Bloggers Quilt Festival!!!

Hiya all! Its time for the Bloggers Quilt Festival organized every year by Amy!!!

And this year, I'm entering it again!!!

I am going to enter one of the most favorite quilts that I made this year. Apsara aali...

The quest for the photo started about 2-3 months before I actually stared making this quilt. I have always been intrigued by the many different ways in which a saree is draped in India. The length of the saree also varies regionally.

In Maharashtra - the state in India that I live in - the 9 yard saree - called nav vari (nau = nine, var = yard) is the traditional gear for women. It has its own variants too! It looks especially beautiful from behind!

I wanted to capture the grace of that saree, without making it look like I was trying to make a quilt of a woman's bottom!

I might be a good quilter, but an artist - I'm not! But I know my limitations and instead of taking the chance I began my quest for a perfect photo that I could use as a guide for my quilt. A friend suggested Madhuri Dixit's pose from the poster of Gaja Gamini - a film made by the famous painter M F Hussain.

The pose was from one of my most favorite songs in the movie, music by Bhupen Hazarika. You can watch the song here... 

It was exactly what I was looking for!

I used the poster as a guideline and divided the picture and tackled it one part at a time!

It made things really easy...

And about 4 months after the initial idea started brewing, here is the quilt - ready in all its glory!

I love the fact that the saree looks like it is draped and not stitched down!!!
 

Here, you can see the details of the saree... 

 Here you can see how instead of sewing down the folds of the saree, I let them stand out to give it a 3D effect...

I was totally skeptical about doing the ties of her blouse, having never done something like that before. But it turned out alright!

I could not find the exact color for the central panel in the local market. Then I thought, why not dye it myself! So I did. I hand dyed white fabric to make the central panel... And then added a border of the darkest shade outside the black frame!

 

 

I made the bundle on top 3D too! And I actually stuffed it with batting scraps to make it fluffy!

The back was also given a lot of thought...

I wanted to make a window and then have a silhouette of  her as if seen through a frosted glass...

Does it look like that? I tried to match the front applique to the silhouette on the back as fat as possible, there is a difference of about 3/8" at some points! But I'm happy with it!

I am planning to enter this one in multiple quilt shows...  And I start with Amy's!

I even put a proper sleeve on the back, and did not forget my trademark ribbons and my elephant charm!

Quilt Stats :
Name : Apsara aali...
 Size : HUGE : 40" x 80"
2. Material : Fabric - from stash - ALL OF IT!Including the Saree and the blouse fabric! A lot of cotton poplin, some linen and curtain lining remnants!
I used a LOT of Pellon Fusible (#805). I also used a lot of local interfacing - mainly to sew the entire figure on, before sewing it onto the final quilt!
Thread - Aurifil Invisible (90% of the work) and Aurifil 50 wt Black & White as per the situation. I used a little of Superior & a little of Madeira Mono-filament thread as well.

Experience : In one word - Surreal!


Do you like her? I am very proud of her!!!

 

If you do like her, please vote for me when the voting starts on November 11th! You can find my quilt in the Wall hanging category here. Go vote!!!

 

Now I'm off to see other quilts entered in the show so far!!!

 

Cheers!!!

One block wonder quilt

I did it!

I finished my Onee block wonder quilt! I had decided to enter it into the Bloggers Quilt Festival this year and had a deadline to work towards!

I'm absolutely thrilled the way it turned out!

Making this quilt was a journey in itself...

I was inspired by a fellow member of the Modern Quilting group on FB and wanted to give the technique a try.

I had the yardage sitting on my shelf for quilt some time now...

I wanted to make a feminine quilt for myself for a long time!

Everything just fell into place with this quilt!

I had the ebook, the fabric, the cotton batting (that I ordered from Wrapped in Fabric), the perfect large print - feminine yardage and the most divine backing!

The process itself was so much fun, once I got past the cutting stage!

The top came together fairly fast!

And I decided to do just straight line quilting 1/4" on both sides of the row seams...

I really wanted to keep the quilt simple and warm...

And I LOVE how it turned out!

I chose an Indian Chevron print for the binding... I love how the colors go with the quilt...

And I just LOVE the backing! It is divine! Super soft!

I really like the way this one turned out and am thinking of many more of this style!

Quilt Measurements : 48" x 72"
Special Techniques used : One Block Wonder method of aligning and fussy cutting the triangles.
Quilted by : Myself!
Best category  : Two color Quilt, Throw Quilt

Did you enter your quilt into the Festival? Go on and do that...

Bloggers Quilt Festival

When I started blogging on blogger, Amy's Bloggers Quilt Festival was one of my first few posts...

Its time for the festival again...

This time, I've chosen to show you all the quilt I've absolutely enjoyed making...

My Doll Quilt for the DQSX swap...

The idea sprouted from the fabric that Marilyn (Spiced Coffee on Flickr) had sent me on a one-to-one swap after we were mutual partners in the last round of the Mug-Rug Swap...

I decided to make a conversation quilt using a few of those wonderful ladies!

My quilt has three ladies - Marilyn, Emily (my partner) and me chatting over an afternoon tea...

Thats the reason for the name - a cuppa and a catchup! (took the name straight from one of my favorite blogs - by Nova). So we three are talking to each other, saying things, but thinking about something else altogether...

Marilyn is tired after shopping for fabric and longs for a relaxing bath but says to us, "I have a dentist appointment"

Emily is looking at my house and saying that my sewing room is looking wonderful... Infact she's thinking that I most probably have a broken machine waiting for repairs...

And I am telling Emily how much I loved making this quilt for her... And I'm thinking that she will always love and cherish it and that the glamor will never end...

There were a lot of firsts while making this quilt...

First - this was my first attempt at hand embroidery for something that I made for someone else... I'm glad at the way it turned out...

It was also my first attempt at foundation piecing...

It was also the first time I sewed curved binding... Next time I'm NEVER going to attempt machine sewing the back... I wish I had hand sewed it...

I love the backing linen that I used for it too...

It was a large floral print and went beautifully with the front... I used black for the backing of the 3 oval minis... And made the parts that peeked out of the panel into a label...

I now know that Emily loved this one... and am so happy!!! It was worth every effort...

Do you like it? I have enjoyed looking at all the quilts from the Quilt Festival... 

If you do not want to go through all the blogs, you can browse through  the snaps in the Flickr Pool...

Thank you so much for organizing this, Amy... :)

Did you miss the Weekly Giveaway last time? Well, I have another FQ Bundle of 31 Bella Solids to give away... (And will have one every weekend this month) Head over to my giveaway post  and drop your name in the lot...

Cheers!!!