Friday 14 November 2014

Wall Hanging - DONE (and soooo pleased)!

If only you could see my face, today it looks even sunnier than my current profile picture! And all because of this:


*edit: this was my profile pic at the time...
October 2014
 
Can you imagine? I am grinning from ear to ear, to be honest. Maybe not the best look, but it does convey my happiness with this one...

I can finally, FINALLY, announce the finishing of a third Item for the City & Guilds course!! (just in case anyone is interested, my finished cushion and bag can be found here and here, respectively) So today I have taken the opportunity of a small break between the showers and have taken it outside for a little photo session:




I have decided to name this one "Vestibule", simply because that's what it is. This wall hanging started more than 6 months ago with a brief ("a wall hanging for on the chimney breast above our stove in our sitting room"), and the search for inspiration (magazines, books, online pictures - anything to give me an idea to work from). In the end I settled for some photographs of a building by Frank Lloyd Wright. I had only a very dark black-and-white photograph, and worked from that to make a design for the hanging.

The design has been drawn, traced, tweaked, retraced, coloured, recoloured... using pencils, colouring pencils, markers, even a little EQ. When I was happy with the picture, the whole design was drawn out at full size. Each piece then was traced individually onto steam-a-seam, which was used to temporarily "stick" the fabric pieces in place until I was sure which fabric should go where.
The hardest part was the placement of the fabrics to create a good three-dimensional picture, which led to a crisis for a while, but in the end I am really happy with how it has worked out.


When the fabrics were all in place, machine quilting was used to attach the fabrics to the background at the same time as adding colour and texture to the piece. Flanges were added to peek out from behind some edges, and different coloured threads added further details to the picture.


I am sure not everyone would like to have such a striking picture above their fireplace, but I am happy to drill a couple of holes in the right places to hang it, and be able to look at it every time I sit in front of my cosy stove this winter. And to imagine what might be found behind that door at the other end of the vestibule...

Stats:
"Vestibule" -  35" x 39¼"
- fabrics: cotton, most from Soho Chic by Sandy Gervais for Moda, and a few others of unknown (to me) origin
- wadding: cotton
- threads: large variety (cotton and polyester (gasp!?); 50wt, 30wt, and 12wt; in yellow, purple, brown, bright green, blue-green, cream, and probably some more...)
- quilting: a variety of stitches using my walking foot; and small areas of free motion meandering
- edges: faced (no binding)

Finally, in it's full glory:

ta daaa!!

STATs:
size - 34½" x 39½"
materials - patchwork cottons from Soho Chic by Sandy Gervais for Moda, plus one lime fabric from elsewhere; cotton wadding; cotton, silk and polyester threads in different weights and colours
techniques - raw edge machine appliqué, flanges, faced edging, machine quilting

And now on to the next one...
- see more of my City & Guilds work at the tab above -
 
Sandra


Linking up with:

Fresh Sewing Day
Small Blog Meet
Fresh Poppy Design
Sew Cute Tuesday
stitch by stitch

20 comments:

  1. That is amazing! It looks so cool! You've done a wonderful job.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Wow, I could only dream of producing something so detailed and clever. Well done you.....you must have a lot more patience than me! Juliex

    ReplyDelete
  3. it is stunning and the quilting is amazing. sad you did not show the back to let us see it. don't drill a whole im it :D

    ReplyDelete
  4. Beautiful work, I love the perspective

    ReplyDelete
  5. Very cool. I love the colors and look of it.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Hello Sandra,
    Your wall hanging is brilliant. The perspective works so well, and the colours are perfect for the glazes on Victorian tiles.
    I had a bit of a giggle at your garden. It looks so damp and familiar - I could tell you weren't a million miles from here.
    Love from England, Muv

    ReplyDelete
  7. Lovely! Great work, your vestibule has such depth to it!

    ReplyDelete
  8. Your work is beautiful and amazing!! Congrats on a wonderful finish!

    ReplyDelete
  9. Sandra, this is absolutely gorgeous! I cannot tell you how much I've enjoyed just sitting here looking at it. I think it is perfect for above the fireplace. Just lovely!

    ReplyDelete
  10. Wow, this is stunning! Enjoy it above your chimney, you deserve it

    ReplyDelete
  11. Yep, I can imagine it on a wall above a stove, a warm place to dream of going on a cold day. Two interesting challenges: curves and perspective. You solved them.

    ReplyDelete
  12. What a wonderful quilt! I'm sure you'll enjoy it every time you look at it!

    ReplyDelete
  13. Very impressive three dimensional work in this piece. No wonder you are grinning.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Wow! wow, wow, wow, wow...WOW!
    What a beauty!!
    I cannot wait to see what you make next!!
    XX!

    ReplyDelete
  15. I can't wait to see your next one! This is Amazing! I found you on Lily's Quilts small blog meet.

    ReplyDelete
  16. an amazing wall hanging and it has such a wonderful 3D look to it

    ReplyDelete
  17. That's amazing Sandra! I thought it had an Arts & Crafts architectural look to it as soon as I saw it. I think the colors of the fabrics you chose fit with Frank Lloyd Wright too. It must look very striking above your fireplace!

    ReplyDelete

Thank you for visiting! I love getting comments; I read them all and reply where I can...
Many comments are made by "no-reply" bloggers, please check your settings before commenting!

Offensive or spam comments will not be published.