Good morning, lovely lovelies❣ A lovely welcome to you❣ How delightful you have stopped by for a little while, here at my little wintry place. So, so happy you decided to visit for a little Sunday joyousness.
So....I have decided to design and stitch another quilt!! Oh, I am still quilting my flower garden quilt, (I intend to quilt a little of it later on today and join other lovely ladies at Kathy's place, for a little hand stitching) BUT, I just felt the desire to start a new quilt. A quilt which I have been wildly imagining for a long while. My flower garden quilt is now at the stage of quilting the borders and as that is a tad humdrum to report upon, I am beginning a new pretty. Besides, haven't you seen enough of applique flowers, skies, ponds, birds, butterflies and quilting stitch upon quilting stitch?? I would've thought you had seen enough to last an eternity. =) I haven't put this quilt on the back burner completely. I will still snuggle under my quilt, quilting it during the winter; I am just not blogging about it for a little while. Me thinks my pretty will make its last grand appearance, sashay back into the limelight, when spring comes aknocking on my front door. By then it shall surely be finished and all ready for a show and tell in the spring garden. After all, a quilt spilling over with spring and summer flowers demands to be photographed in a spring garden, don't you think??
The new quilt is called 'Flowers In Her Hair, Flowers Everywhere'. How about that, the name before I even stitch a stitch!!!! Those of you who are of a certain age surely remember the song sung by the Cowsills, The Rain, The Park and Other Things, also known as I Love the Flower Girl?? Just one of those feel good, happy songs from the 60's. Well, for some strange reason the chorus popped into my mind last year and believe it or not the birth of an idea, an imagining of a quilt was born. Being a child of the sixties, and a bit of a flower girl (who would've thought) I used to sing and dance to this song all the time when the radio was belting it out into the airwaves. Isn't it strange where us creative types pluck our fanciful thoughts, our wild imaginings from?? I am always fascinated from whence my inspiration emanates. So the name of this quilt came into being. Amazing for me really, as I am that gal who can never think of the name of a quilt until nearing the end of the stitching. Just a little aside; I have thought of a name for my applique flower garden quilt, but, I will keep that under wraps until it is seen in all it's finished glory; as there is a story to tell behind the name. Such a tease, that I am.
Anyway........Flowers in Her Hair, Flowers Everywhere, has been in my imagination since last year. It will be an art quilt to be displayed on a wall. Another quilt designed and planned on an imaginative whim; another imagination swirling around and around gathering momentum in my rather muddly brain, breaking out into the land of reality as it cannot be contained in the land of thoughts, the land of dreams anymore. So, throwing caution to the wind, I have begun to play once more. Although I have a picture in my mind of what I want to do, and what this quilt will look like, I will again make it up as I go. I will again draw and design as I go and throw fabrics and embroidery threads up into the air and see where they land. Nothing is set in concrete, I will just go where my heart leads me. It will be a quilt where there will be some machine stitching, a lot of hand applique and a lot of embroidery....there might even be a little machine sketching.
Imagine if you will, a room where the walls are covered in floral 'wallpaper' reminiscent of patterns one would read about in an Arabian Nights' tale. Walls covered in an explosion of colour and pattern, something one might see adorning a wall of a riad in Marrakech. There is a girl sitting on a plump, upholstered cushion covering a window seat. She is looking through a large open, picture window to the garden beyond, where flowers of every species are jostling for space. Perhaps, there will be a 'Maisie' dog in the guise of a springer spaniel, sniffing the flowers. On second thought, there will most definitely have to be a Maisie dog peeking from the flowers. The girl is dressed in a pretty bohemian dress where flowers cover the fabric, and her hair is in a loose chignon with blossoms here and there. Perhaps a comfy sofa in the corner of the room and a table on which a pitcher of overblown flowers, rest atop it. Comfy cushions, a few books, a cup of tea; perhaps a kitty....who knows what will find its way into this quilt. BUT, this one thing I am quite certain of...there will be flowers, flowers, flowers....everywhere❣
I dithered and dithered about many scenarios regarding the wall. What fabric did I want?? Did I want one fabric with blossoms all over. Did I want to embroider here and there?? Did I want to do broderie perse?? Whilst I was oscillating, I searched all over for that one perfect fabric but to no avail. Then I remembered a book I purchased an age ago titled Leaves Galore, by Sue Pelland. It is a quilting book with many quilts, made by using her Leaves Galore Templates. Within the covers is a quilt she has designed which I particularly fancy, and one day hope to fashion. The quilt is called 'Magic Carpet Ride'. Perfect!! It just adds to my imaginings of an Arabian Nights aesthetic for the wall. All of a sudden all the stars aligned. Well, at least in theory. It is yet to be seen if my wild imaginings will be as fabulous in the cold light of day, as they are in my rather fog-like, mysterious head. It just goes to show that contemplating one's belly button for a very long while does come up with one experiencing a light bulb moment.....well....at least sometimes.
So, the very first thing I have done is gather together a plethora of fabrics from my stash for the 'wallpaper'. Floral designs covering the gamut from large flowers to ditsy designs. I traced leaf shapes using the Leaves Galore template onto vliesofix paper. Then I ironed each shape onto fabric, cutting each one out. Now to play with all the patterned shapes to form the wallpaper. Just playing. Just enjoying the design process. Placing shapes here and there in an arrangement which is pleasing to my eye. An explosion of colour and pattern, really. Hopefully, when next you visit my little place, my Arabian Nights 'wallpaper' will be on the wall, for all to see.
Oh, I happened upon some gorgeous flowery fabric this week, to fashion myself a bohemian dress for spring. Some pretty fabric, add a vase or two of flowers.......and voila!! Old habits just never die. =)
I am off to channel my 60's inner-flower-girl self, put a flower or two in my hair and enjoy my Sunday. Have a lovely day, lovely lovelies. May your day be filled with happy tunes and flowers....and a sprinkling of beauty❣
Until the next time......................
