trees challenge quilt

after many setbacks (mainly computer related) i have finally started my around the world in 20 quilts challenge quilt. the theme for this first quilt is trees: which is fine until you get to the horizontal format which had me stumped as the insistence of trees is on verticality.....

so i cheated

i took this photo of the bunya pine at buda in castlemaine back in june - it is a tree that reeks of antiquity and has an amazingly sculptural shape - almost shocking in a way. but i knew it would be my tree quilt. after much mooshing around i decided to use a warholesque composition and printed the image onto silk - habotai and organza. these pieces were too floppy and flimsy so i ironed them onto vilesofix to give them some body and sandwiched a piece of habotai onto a piece of organza for the middle panel.


then i fused each panel onto a background of greeny grey peach silk and a gorgeous piece of hand dyed silk chiffon by spiral dyed that i snaffled at the bendigo wool show. i then put a layer of black silk chiffon over the top. but it was still too floppy so cut a piece of black handspun and a a piece out of a felted green jumper bequeathed by my Mother. ( a bottle green pringle sweater that used to belong my aunty peggy)

this is the assembled piece.

and now i have to turn my mind to the quilting - i want sinuous but not to curvy. it should echo the shape of the trees but not slavishly copy.

off to do some thinking.... (btw sorry for the quality of the photos - the light is shocking in here today)

cross posted at around the world in 20 quilts