Friday 25 October 2013

Volare - Bloggers' Quilt Festival

Thank you for visiting my Bloggers' Quilt Festival entry!

I made Volare earlier this year as a commission for a friend's son.


It's a generous single (twin) bed size, and the background is made from about 130 curved, free-form shapes (up to about 18in long) which I drew by hand full-size, then cut up to use as pattern pieces - all carefully numbered. Below is a photo part-way through cutting the pieces on our sitting room floor:


I hand-painted all the planet fabrics. They're appliqued to the background, with an extra layer of batting underneath them - the trapunto gives them some fullness and dimension.


Then I had fun adding lots of detail, by applique, thread-sketching, and in the quilting.


I also found some great space fabrics, which I used for the astronaut on an EVA near Saturn and the space shuttle approaching Mars. While I initially positioned the planets in correct order from the Sun, Saturn moved closer through design influences. And with the exception of Earth which is extra-large (diameter 7in) to show detail, their sizes are also in order - if not to scale. Call it artistic license!


I'm not sure what my favourite detail is; the visitors on Mars, the International Space Station (below), Halley's Comet (between Saturn and Uranus), the tiny plane (look north-east of Earth), or the Southern Cross (bottom).


There's more information and photos on the main post about the quilt here, and there are a number of progress posts, too (in order: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8).


Thanks again for visiting, I  hope you'll be back.

In the meantime, do go and check out all the other BQF entries!

15 comments:

Charlotte said...

WOW!!!! The detail in this quilt is incredible!!! Truly amazing! Thanks for sharing :-)

CitricSugar said...

I've mentioned before how amazing I think this quilt is but it bears repeating. WOW. The details and thought that has gone into it.... Really great work, Emma!

Unknown said...

This quilt is totally amazing! A masterpiece...

Katy Cameron said...

Fabulous details in this, and the piecing is amazing!

Lynette said...

This one is just incredible, Emma! The painting of the planet fabrics is perfect, the piecing of the background impeccable, and the details are pure fun. Just amazing. :)

Karen said...

So much work, but an amazing result. It is wonderful.

Di said...

Absolutely wonderful!

Janine said...

My lower jaw is still hanging down. This is amazing!

Ruth said...

Beautiful! Absolutely stunning!

Tami @ Lemon Tree Tales said...

I remember when you were working on this quilt ... all the details make it such a wonderful quilt. I bet your friend's little boy is over the moon in love with this!

Scooquilt said...

All I can say is that the owner better not ever put his feet on this! This is indeed a masterpiece.

Lia*s Handmades said...

this is sooo amazing! you definitely have my vote, i just found this through the blogger's quilt festival and i'm speechless!

Carolyn said...

This is an awesome quilt! I bet the little guy loves sleeping under it. I made my nephew a space quilt using some 3d space fabric and he loves it. Your friend's son will probably be the first kid in his class to know the order of the planets. Just wondering, where is Pluto ;)

Unknown said...

Lindo trabajo, un quilt para no aburrirse nunca de verlo ☺

Renee said...

oh wow what an awesome quilt! Love those details, how fun for a kid. Your earth is fantastic!