approx. 18"x21"
This is my favorite challenge yet! I had a great time with this little quilt from the initial sketch to the last stitch in the sleeve. The wings of the butterfly are 3 separate quiltlets, composed of backing, 4 layers of aluminum foil, batting, and top. the back wings are hand dyed cotton, the front wings are my hand dyed silk. The pieces were all completed, then stitched to the body, which is velvet with gold metallic lined with batting, then rolled around a core of aluminum foil twisted for extra strength. I then stitched it and wrapped a metal cording around it to create segments. The foil made it easy to shape and hold it's shape. The antennae are Swarovski crystals strung on wire.
It has a sleeve made from 2" wide ribbon across the middle of the wings, allowing the wings to remain mostly free of each other, and the foil keeps the wings upright with no sagging.
I would love any comments, suggestions, questions etc.
Cherie in Del Mar
all I can think of to say is ...BEAUTIFUL! I love how you hung it from a branch too...so clever!!
ReplyDeleteCherie - this is just too cool. It is beautiful - rich vibrant colors and graceful shapes. It appears three dimensional and I can't tell for sure from your statement if you sewed the three quiltlets together or if they remain separate and the piece is actually three dimensional. I think the branch adds another nice element to this work. Great job!
ReplyDeleteRoberta
Thank you Cathy and Roberta.
ReplyDeleteThe three pieces of the wings are only stitched together at the base where they are attached to the body. The ribbon sleeve is attached to the outside portion of the edge wings and across the center of the middle wing section, thus adding stability and allowing them to "stand alone" so to speak. It is indeed three dimensional.
Just beautiful.
ReplyDeleteBetty Donahue
Your colors are wonderfully vibrant. Neat idea about using foil inside for shaping and stability. The twig is a great idea, but I would worry about it staining the quilt if left in long term.
ReplyDeleteHi Cheri,
ReplyDeleteYou have such a wonderful color sense...I enjoy your quilts so much. The layering with the orange & white fabric behind the embellished orange sections is very effective for adding depth/perspective, and texture.
Love the crystal embellished antennae! I once did a little quilt with foil as the middle layer and it was very moldable....have you tried molding the wings so they are less straight, more fluttering?
The only comment I have is: I think it would show better photographed on white rather than the black.
Cynthia
Hi Cheri,
ReplyDeleteI love the colors, too, but I really like the way the shapes play off each other and how the satin stitching accents that. I also really like the segmenting of the body; very nice touch. Beautiful piece.
Brenda
Wonderful job! Beautiful colors and embellishments. Very striking shape of the wings also. I think that is one of my favorite things about it--the points, curves and all.
ReplyDeleteIt would look lovely against a blue background (would get some of that complementary color thing going)
laura