SARI SILK QUILT

This is the Quilt I made with the Sari Silks, I spoke about on a previous post. I made it for a competition I was to enter, for FANS, I decided straight away I wanted to make a fan dancer, but, as I couldn't draw, I enlisted the help of a chap where my daughter worked at the time. The Fire Service. A Fire fighter no less. To record for prosperity his part in this Quilt, on the sleeve on the back I have appliqued a picture of a Fireman's helmet in Gold, with his name and the fact he is a firefighter, I suppose I should really have taken a picture of that. Sorry. Suzanne if you are reading this, can you do one for me, pretty please?

The Quilt is made completely with sari silks apart from; the men's dinner jackets and the dancer's body. Oh a funny little story about the body is, I asked could he not have any of the bodies 'bits' showing, I had no wish to offend anyone at the Quilt show, also I didn't want her feet showing, I didn't think I would be able to translate feet very well and I didn't want it to look grotesque. He did me a wonderful sketch on a piece of A4 paper. Hmm, had to beg him to re-draw it onto the vilene I was going to use, in the size I was going to do. Luckily I wasn't there when Suzanne asked him! As you can see he did it for me and I was absolutely thrilled with it.



When I started to stitch I realised I would have to make this in sections, due to the sari silk catching all the time. I didn't want it to have any 'ladders'. So all the fans were made separately, the men were made separately the curtains, the swags, the tie backs, the hair,; oh I loved making that hair.
The Curtains were a nightmare to do. I trolled through loads of magazines until I found the desired effect I was looking for. Looking at this now I feel the curtains are too thin. But there we go, I was pleased at the time, I am still pretty much pleased with the effect of this, Suzanne loved it so I gave it to her. There was nowhere in our little bungalow that it 'suited' to display. I believe it lives under her bed in a drawer!! No matter.

The back of the quilt is poly cotton, this you must realise was made in I believe 1993, I was unable to afford 100% cotton in those days. The only way I was able to make the front in sari silks was because I could buy it for....wait for it....£2 yard. Yep. I used to buy it from an Indian shop. The lady became great friends with me and used to let me have a really 'good measure'. This is how I have so much of it. I couldn't buy it now for that price I bet. Anyway, enough chat, here is a close up of it. Enjoy.Forgot to say. This was of course made on my old Singer sewing machine..it was a Singer 257. Fabulous machine. I wore it out!