Thursday, March 25, 2010

"Granddaughters' Flower Garden"...Finished!

What fun this was, creating a most nostalgic contribution to the Alliance for American Quilts' "New from Old" fundraising quilt contest.

My cousin Tracy's painting of our grandmother's housewas a joy to work with, but it presented some challenges, too.
The heavy brown vertical lines in the house needed to be integrated with those pastel 1930's Grandmother's Flower Garden blocks I was dying to use. So there was a balancing act involved, employing value, line, repetition, and a large dose of whimsy to bring it all together.

Here's a detail to show how I finished the "frame" around the central image. That 4mm silk ribbon that is blanket-stitched in place was hand-dyed by Pat Winter. Her ribbon is always "just the thing" I need. Thanks again, Pat!

So have a look at the completed quilt....

I added a little machine quilting to the center....nothing obtrusive, just enough to keep the surface secured.
I'm quite happy with the concept and execution, though I would love to have another go at it sometime...

I do hope you will consider entering a 16" X 16" quilt of your own. Mine is not eligible for the contest, as I am currently serving on the board of the Alliance....and I am so happy to support their fundraiser with this quilt (all the contest quilts will be put up for bid on Ebay in the fall of 2010.)
...but YOU all could win some really substantial prizes, including a $5000 "sit down" model Handi-Quilter machine.
Also, the quilts will be hung at American Quilter Society, the National Quilting Association, and International Quilt Festival shows this year, getting quite a bit of attention!
So get your work out there, compete for some valuable prizes, and support a cause dear to all of us quilters. What does "New from Old" mean to you?....

12 comments :

SandyQuilts said...

It's lovely. Thank you I have so enjoyed following the process.

Nellie's Needles said...

Looking at this piece, I just cannot help but smile ;-)

It's charming ... not old, but not new ... it somehow feels contemporary.

Gerry Krueger said...

Allie I just can't believe that you are done already... I've hardly made a dent in mine. In fact I'll be lucky to make it in time... I'm just slow..

Gerry...

Susan Elliott said...

I'm with Gerry...I hunker down for a few days and come back and you've FINISHED!~! It's lovely Allie -- and the sister effect makes it all the more so.

Rian said...

Oh Allie, that's just so pretty and delicate. It's a happy piece.

FredaB said...

Allie I love the way you finished off the centre picture. I wasn't sure I liked the lace alone but now with the ribbon and the rick rack it is perfect. I should have known you had something else up your sleeve.

You are right - Pat's ribbons are beatiful.

Hugs

FredaB

Judy S. said...

Stunning, Allie! I've not tried anything this big in CQ, but I did a wedding purse for Catherine and had fun doing it. Your work always amazes me in its creativity and beauty.

Barbara C said...

Very, very pretty! That ric rack inner border is a nice nostalgic touch, and the flowers are lovely.

Nicc79 said...

WOW! that's amazing!!

Nikki
xx
http://nikkis-attic.blogspot.com/

NickiLee said...

Just when I think you can't make something prettier you go and do it - again! This is so sweet and has such a warm "welcome home" feeling to it. Beautifully done!

tracy said...

Someone asked what Tracy thought, so I guess I'll answer. I had no doubt Allie could pull this together, despite the challenge of all the verticals and dark wood in the architecture. The brown flowers at the corners are magic- they balance the whole composition. And I was happy with the way the 'stone' path echoes the colors and shapes of the vintage quilt squares. How she does this so fast and seemingly effortlessly remains a mystery.

Conni said...

Mouthwateringly beautiful!