Monday 21 July 2014

Cosmic Split

I know I said that I would not show you the finished quilt until after the show, but another read through the rules has reassured me that blogs, internet and other public previews are not forbidden - or even mentioned for that matter. So why not? Here goes.

Free motion quilting on metallic gold foil fabric, original free motion quilting design, art quilt, Festival of Quilts 2014

I left you last week pre-split. 
The name contains a 'Split', a split is required. Changing my mind is not an option. A few deep breaths, a bit of contemplation, a cup of tea, a meander down the garden, a few sketches, a trial on one of the 'failed' gold samples, another cup of tea, a walk along the country lanes,  quite a lot of worry, yet more tea, more deep breaths - a flash of the rotary cutter and for better or worse it is done.

Free motion quilting on metallic gold foil fabric, original free motion quilting design, art quilt, Festival of Quilts 2014

After - yes guessed it - another cup of tea, I face the two pieces with black fabric. I want to lose as little of the pattern as possible in the facing, so the seam is barely an eighth of an inch wide, neatened with a zig-zag to strengthen. 


The edge is gently rounded, sitting proud of the background, but less so than on 'Sidetracked' as there is no piecing with its thickening seams. 

The next task is to fasten the split gold pieces onto the background. Using something like bondaweb is not an option as the necessary heat can not penetrate all the layers. As with 'Sidetracked' I use a slip stitch catching alternatively facing and backing. On straight lines this works easily - just fold the backing back to reveal the edge of the facing and off you go. 

With curves, the folding back is much more tricky and the bulky layers are reluctant to yield to the shape. The result first time round is a wonderfully distorted quilt. This is a very useful bit of information if you actually want a distorted quilt. I don't. Obviously in all that folding and refolding around the curve, the gold quilting shifts around. It needs to held firmly in place for stitching. Pinning it from the font will leave unwelcome permanent holes. Pinning from the back must go through the background quilt, into the batting of the gold quilting but not through the metallic fabric. To do this I try to feel the pin through the gold fabric as I pin from the back and stop just in time to prevent the pin popping through the front into daylight. Think less Princess and the Pea and more the Commoner and the Pin! And on the third attempt at stitching I actually ended up with a flat quilt!


The background quilt is a black version of 'Sidetracked' - that is, adding a layer of the ruched black fabric to give more texture. The quilting uses several motifs, but draws on the gold quilting with pebbles and swirls, linking the two together.

Black fabric seems to have a magnetic attraction to any bit of fluff, dust and cat hair around. I have been over every inch of this quilt, front and back, twice with sellotape. I still don't trust it  not to pick up more fluff in transit! Cosmic Split, quilt number 404, is on it's way to the Festival of Quilt 2014. Good Luck and Enjoy!

Thanks for dropping by...


Hilary Florence

Please find below a list of linky parties. I may not link with all of the every week, but with some of them most weeks. Please go and have a look at some of the other wonderful quilts and quilters there.
Anything goes Mondays @ http://marelize-ries.blogspot.co.uk/
Linky Tuesday at Free motion by  the river­­­­ @ http://www.conniekresin.com/
Fabric Tuesday @http://quiltstory.blogspot.co.uk/    
Sew cute Tuesday @ http://www.blossomheartquilts.com/ 
WIP Wednesday at freshly pieced   @   http://www.freshlypieced.com/
WOW = WIPs on Wednesdays  @ http://www.estheraliu.blogspot.co.uk/  
WIP Wednesday at TN + TN  @ http://needleandthreadnetwork.blogspot.ca
I Quilt Thursdays @ http://prettybobbins.com/
Really Random Thursdays @ http://www.liveacolorfullife.net/
Needle and Thread Thursday @ http://myquiltinfatuation.blogspot.co.uk/
Off the wall Fridays @ http://ninamariesayre.blogspot.co.uk/

26 comments:

  1. Hello Hilary!
    Your work is awesome!!!
    I wish you lots of success at the show!
    Just last week I received a bag of fabric from a coworker to do with whatever I wanted. There is a large piece of cotton with a pearl plasticy material on one site. It kind of sticks together if the pearl side touches itself. It also has a slight plastic smell. I have a very large piece and it is really heavy. Is this the kind of fabric you have used for your quilt?
    Esther

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Hilary,
      After washing the fabric, I noticed I had quite a bit more of than I thought! Is is not heavy at all, there is just a lot of it! Inspired by your work, I tried to quilt it. It went better than expected!!! There are pictures on my blog!
      Thank you!
      Esther

      Delete
  2. This turned out beautifully! I think I would have needed something stronger than tea to have the nerve to cut that gorgeous piece in two, but you did it perfectly. I can only imagine how hard it was to fasten the gold piece to the background. I also love the quilting you did on the black. All around a fabulous piece. Good luck. I hope you win a big ribbon.

    ReplyDelete
  3. I love the spilit! looks like some ancient monument. That must be a very very hard job to put it on the black fabric. good luck with the show!

    ReplyDelete
  4. What a beautiful piece of work it is awesome. All the best of luck at the quilt show and no matter what they say you have a great masterpiece. Just love looking at your work you are a great inspiration to me. Barb

    ReplyDelete
  5. That piece is stunning. You did wonderful work.

    ReplyDelete
  6. So, so beautiful! I love how your pieces have such personality.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Wow! This is gorgeous! It should win the first prize. Nothing less.
    The quilting on the gold fabric is just amazing. I love the contrast provided by the not-quilted rounds. They make me think of moons revolving around planets. Planets that all have their own characteristics.
    The quilting on the black fabric is indeed simpler but I find it gives the fabric a sophisticated look that coordinates quite well with the gold one. In fact, I thought it was black velvet when I saw the first picture of this post.
    This is art!

    ReplyDelete
  8. Oh! I forgot to say that I find the edges very neatly done. I understand perfectly the hardship described in your text. Pins would have ruined the top. Having it laying flat and keeping it so while sewing must have been something. Were you hands painful afterward? This piece required some thinking before acting and I loved reading it. Great workmanship!

    ReplyDelete
  9. Stunning! What else is there to say? I would have loved to see how you do in Birmingham but I can't go this year. Best of luck. I'm just starting FMQ so this is so inspiring.

    ReplyDelete
  10. This reminds of a metal water fountain (I mean that as a compliment) I'm loving your circle quilting!!

    ReplyDelete
  11. Love love this art quilt, I'd love to be able to get up close and personal and study what you have done, so many hours and hours of work but well worth all your time and effort. Thanks so much for sharing this wonderful journey with us. It was a huge learning curve for me. Cheers Glenda

    ReplyDelete
  12. I am going to the Festival of Quilts this year so I will definitely look out for this. It looks beautiful in the photo's and quilts always look better in the flesh, as it were. Worth all the work you have put in to it. Stunning!

    ReplyDelete
  13. Hilary, that is Absolutely and Completely Amazing! Your work is stunning! I can see why you had to fortify yourself so many times wiht tea. I am like that before cutting fresh, unquilted fabric! You are going to wow the judges!

    ReplyDelete
  14. Hi!!!! I love it!!!! It sure does WOW me!!!!! I am sure it will do wonderfully at the show!!!!

    ReplyDelete
  15. I thought this was terrific last week, and it wasn't even finished! Now ... fingers crossed!

    ReplyDelete
  16. This is so neat! What a lovely piece. The quilting is gorgeous, I love all the motifs you used!

    ReplyDelete
  17. This is spectacular. I am going to Festival of Quilts this year (1st time) and can't wait to see this. Stunning - I hope it wins all the accolades it deserves

    ReplyDelete
  18. It turned out beautifully. Glad that you had that tea and got out the rotary cutter!

    ReplyDelete
  19. Hilary, This turned out fabulous and I love description of the cups of tea, the walks, etc. before cutting.

    ReplyDelete
  20. Tea, Hilary, I totally understand. If ever a project called for gallons of the stuff, this is it. Totally wonderful!
    Love, Muv

    ReplyDelete
  21. Magnificent! You so captured what it is like to make that necessary, irreversible, gutsy move that catapults your work forward or please, please don't let it be so destroys the vision you had for it. Doesn't matter if you have been successful time and time again the fear is there. You have learned to "drown" out the fear with walks and tea. It was worth it.

    ReplyDelete
  22. Your quilt is a showstopper - I so wish I could go and see it in Birmingham. Congratulations to a most beautiful finish!

    ReplyDelete
  23. This is cosmic. In design and in execution. I am in awe, as I'm sure the judges will be. Love everything about this quilt, Hilary! Tea cures all, fortifies the system physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually!! Yorkshire is my fave...have a cuppa steeping as I type! I cannot wait to hear how this quilt does.

    ReplyDelete
  24. I'm glad you trusted your instincts. It's an outstanding piece of work and a tribute to your patience, hard work and eye for detail.

    ReplyDelete