Small Studies

Having thought about it a bit I could not describe things any other way than 'small studies'. I have been struggling to find time to work on quilts between the demands of my every day life. With all the unfinished projects lying around me I needed something that I can work on a little by little and finish in a reasonable amount of time. In short it would be nice to see a finished project. Looking at my scrap bin I realized I had cut-offs from previously made quilts and reminisced over how much time I had spent coming up with the right set of colors for those quilts. Then it occurred to me that I still loved the colors why not make small quilts from the cut-offs. What better way than to keep a part of the quilt for myself while the original quilt has been given away. This led me to making these.

The first one is from cut-off's of my Patola Quilt

The second one is from the cut-offs from my Jamdani Quilt.

I have another one in the making that is from the left overs of the Begonia Quilt however I have a lot more fabric than that just a few blocks so mulling on how to finish this one.

Sunset Quilt

Inspired by the color of the sunset one late evening as the sun dipped behind the Olympic mountains on the Puget Sound I set about making this quilt.

I made this quilt entirely from charm squares. The fabrics are mostly from Jennifer Sampou's Studio Stash - Warm Story and Warp & Weft by Alexia Marcella Abegg. I created each block in an improv manner just taking into consideration the value of the fabrics. 

The quilting is simple straight line and has a faced binding.

Patola Quilt - Saree Series #2

This is the second in my series of quilts inspired by sarees. 

This pattern is based on a type of saree called Patan Patola. Patan is the name of the place where the Patola saree is woven. The pattern is called 'Phool Bhat' meaning 'Flower Pattern'. It is a double ikat weave. This means the number of warp and the weft yarn are precisely calculated and dyed before weaving to form the pattern. The pattern itself is over 900 years old and the weaving is done on a primitive harness loom that lies in a slant where the left side is lower than the right side. The process has been closely guarded by the families in Patan being passed down only to the male heirs from generation to generation. Over time due to lack of patronage and weavers leaving for more lucrative job opportunities, this skill has been lost and today it's continuance rests in the hands of only one 'Salvi' family with a sole male heir. A lot riding on his little shoulders.

The dyeing process in the making of a Patan Patola is what is proprietary. It is believed the cloth will wear before the dye fades. The yarn is dyed with natural dyes producing absolutely brilliant and luminescent color. It is also known as the 'fabric of the gods'. The feel of a Patan Patola is like no other fabric.

Due to the extremely laborious process of making a Patan Patola, it is really expensive to own a double ikat Patan Patola. It would truly be a purchase of a lifetime. I believe there is also a waiting list you need to get on before a saree would be woven for you.

All is not lost though. The government has taken steps to preserve this weaving tradition and given permits to other families of weavers to weave Patola sarees. The sarees produced by these weavers use the same loom techniques and are as good however they are not dyed with natural dyes. This gives them a little more leeway in color choices and are not bound to the traditional colors. Here is a picture of one in my trousseau. The photo does not do it justice. It is absolutely iridescent in light and glimmers without any gold.

Unlike the saree that is made with pure silk, the quilt itself is made with Kona cotton fabric in

• Forest
• Peridot
• Clover
• Peach
• Snow 

The quilting has been beautifully done by Jana Royal in gold colored thread. 

It measures 82" x 82" in size and has faced binding.