Thursday, May 21, 2009

Crazy Quilt Series~"Vintage Ribbonwork"

This is the first in a series of crazy quilt creations our RAGS group has lovingly produced over the past 12 years we've been sharing our creativity...I'll be asking their permission to air their "pretties"on my blog, but in the meantime, I'll begin the series with my own crazy quilt, "Vintage Ribbonwork".

Its name comes from the antique pieces from my collection used to embellish it. Many of the photos that center each block are tobacco silks from a bygone era. Eight of the nine blocks began as a twelve inch demonstration block made during my workshops over a seven year period.

The center Victorian Lady is handpainted (I used fabric markers...). She's surrounded by a delicately embroidered and beribboned apron from the 1920's. My own ribbonwork is carried onto the lady's gown.
When I decided to sew the blocks together as a quilt, I added other fabrics and ribbons to enlarge them...all stitched to a large foundation of interfacing backed muslin. It was very heavy and needed to be secured to the backing with free-motion quilting...quite a chore for such an embellished quilt.




I had such a glorious time adding vintage collars, a ribbon bed cap, odd bits of jewelry and antique trims.













Many different flowers from ribbons were added. Each block is a treasure to be explored...

Monday, May 11, 2009

French Pincushions

Here is my latest passion...making French pincushions. The base of the oval pincushion is dyed silk and the top is lush silk velvet. Then I pleated French ribbon for the ruffle using an Amanda Jane pleating machine. For the stem, gimp (silken cord) was couched along the pleated ribbon. I made small pansies out of Hannah silk ribbon, with tiny stamen. As I was stitching those pansies I glanced at the pincushion and thought...it needs a lovely porcelean half-doll (she is hand-painted all the way from Australia)~and of course my signature vintage jewelry. Don't you love when you get inspired?

Mother's Day~what a gift...

On Mother's Day two of my lovely children accompanied me to our local Antique Fair, in Santa Cruz, CA. I found these beautiful treasures in an old tin, jumbled up with a bunch of "junk" pieces~I got them for a "song". I can use them on the French, pleated ribbon velvet pincushions I'm making. What a great day...spending time with my children and finding hidden heirlooms!

Spring, 2009 Ribbon Retreat was a lot of fun with wonderful people, delicious food, and much stitching and pleating. Thank you to everyone.


At the Retreat our days were filled with crazy quilting and pleating ribbons into flowers. Here are the pleated daffodil (a PINK daffodil) and fuschias atop a jar of vintage buttons. The fuschias have dancing stamen. Those hard-working hands are Patrice's. She scooched those ribbons into beautiful daffodils, pansies and these gorgeous fuschias...Thanks, Patrice! (We're already dreaming about the flowers we'll pleat at November's Retreat...










Sherri is working on her Vintage Rose Pincushion from Sunday's class. The velvet yo-yo pincushion is stuffed and sewn to crinoline. Then cupped petals are tucked slightly underneath to make the vintage rose.

Having fun at the Ribbon Retreat...
stitching away are Penny and Shelley.
Below is the pleated daffodil and the crazy
quilted teacozy from Friday's class.