Saturday 18 April 2015

Pantone Marsala Challenge Finish



Wow- my first ever challenge quilt finish! I'm very pleased with myself, and the result. Marsala is not really a colour I am drawn to in the fabric store, so I had to think outside the square for this one. It all started with this fabric - a pure linen shirt weight fabric that I used long ago for making - you guessed it - a shirt.
Then my loyal assistant Mr Mouse and I rummaged through the stash to find whatever we could to match. I declared that no new purchases would be made, and creative recycling would be encouraged. This is what we came up with:

I have quite a lot of Kaffe Fassett Collective fabric in my stash, purchased as both fat quarters and scraps, and discovered marsala lurked within many prints. I also have a passion for velvet, and have a number of rescued garments waiting for a new life. Not least of which were the dungarees of glory (or Hell - depending on your point of view). 
These are made of a gorgeous deep plummy/sort of marsala velvet, and I took to them with my scissors with gay abandon. 

As often happens around here, I had no plan, just enthusiasm, and started improvising some blocks randomly. I had one rule - each block started with the original marsala linen, and was built around that. In my vintage thread stash I found several rolls of perfect marsala cottons. It was meant to be!

So I made nine blocks. Originally I was going to sash the blocks, but when I put them together they belonged. Can you see where the blocks start and finish? 
As you can see, the result was lumpy and bumpy because I was not working with a lovely orderly selection of quilting cottons. Stretch velvet is a rather uncooperative fabric to work with, but so perfect for this job. 

At this stage I had visions of Gustav Klimt paintings, and got the idea of gold quilting thread in my head. I was well and truly prepared for a disaster - gold embroidery thread + free machine quilting? It was perfect. One breakage when I started and the rest went smoothly. I did a wiggly pattern all over. 



I'm a bit disappointed that the photos don't show the metallic glimmer of the gold stitches. The thread catches the light just how I wanted it to. 

I backed the quilt in the original linen. I included the wee triangle fabric corners to hang this. 
When I looked at the quilted panel I decided that it was so deliciously tactile that it would have to be a cushion. I imagined it being the perfect choice for the iron throne from Game of Thrones -  that thing looks horribly cold and uncomfortable. But then my darling husband declared it is too fabulous for people to put their backsides on, so I made a mini wall quilt instead. I can still stroke the velvety fabrics as I walk past it. 

After binding with dungaree velvet, I must admit I am totally thrilled with the result. I wasn't expecting to be as enamored with something based around what is almost a brown shade. With the mixture of fabrics, the golden thread and the rich colours, it almost glows. 




So I am entering my creation into the mini section of the Pantone 2015 Quilt Challenge - Marsala and linking up my entry at Adrianne's blog On the Windy Side
Vital Statistics: 
Size 22 inches x 22 inches. 
Fabrics used - Kaffe Fassett Collective quilting cottons, various velvet fabrics (including stretch) and linen shirting. 
Batting - cotton offcut from stash. 
Threads - from stash including marsala tones and gold metallic Mettler. 

Bonus: This is the first finish of the Finish-Along with Adrianne at On the Windy Side


4 comments:

  1. Looks wonderful! All the colours weld so well together, like the gold thread too. Xxxx

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  2. Wow, looks fantastic!! Who would have thought those heinous dungarees could be part of something so stunning!! Love it.

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  3. Oh wow, it DOES almost glow! I love the depth that velvet adds, and the gold thread is genius! This is really beautiful and makes me wish I could touch it. :)

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    1. Yes it is amazing with the interesting textures! I am delighted that an experiment turned out so brilliantly. Thanks so much for the lovely comment x x

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