Daffodil Quilt

Below is my first quilt, a tribute to daffodils.  I love it when daffodils finally show their face... always when the winter is so dreary and lingering that daffodils, in their garish yellow, remind us not to loose hope.  They say 'Fear not'!  Spring is right around the corner!  Daffodils were featured in my wedding bouquet.  In Louisiana daffodils meant Mardi Gras was in full swing.  When we visited Keith and Gerry in the UK the daffodils celebrated Easter.   These daffodils in my yard are a sweet reminder of home:  bulbs my mother dug up from the Tietje farm, bulbs my great grandmother and grandmother planted, multiplied and divided, and now a remnant lies in this SC soil.  And my quilt is done right in time for the daffodils making their debut (a whole month earlier than last year).

I based the color scheme on the whimsical color pallet of a field of daffodils.  Pale blues, blue-greens, yellows, and then really strong yellow.

  

After many iterations, I settled on this layout for my quilt.  I tend to over think things, especially in the planning phase.  I really was doubting this whole project at this point - I just wasn't reacting to it visually and I really wasn't sure how the colors were going to react with each other. 

The pattern for both the layout and the printing scheme wasn't a typical one for a quilt.  It is not symmetrical, it does not repeat, it isn't predictable.  I wanted to convey a sense of movement, I wanted to  blur the edges between the foreground and background.  I really wanted to create depth by layering elements visually.  So the printing was really complex. 

 3 different stamps (daffodil foliage, small face and large face), printed in three different colors (yellow, orange, and brown).  This really changed the whole project in a way that I couldn't have predicted.  Color is so reactive... my cool color palette got alot warmer.  Whatever planning I did was just an outline because once I started printing I abandoned the plan and started reacting to what was happening visually.  It was a really exciting process and I'm glad I didn't get discouraged because it wasn't what I had initially intended.

All of the foliage stamps were printed before the quilt was assembled.  The flowers were printed over, or on top of the seams of the assembled pieces.  I used the sewing machine for the quilt assembly, then quilted and completed most of the binding by hand.

There was one day last week that I wasn't feeling well.  I didn't have school and couldn't motivate myself for housework, so I curled up with this project and spent the ENTIRE DAY quilting by hand.  Wow - I might have underestimated the task.  I had blisters by the time Matthew returned from his day shift at 8:30.  Two blisters on my thumb and forefinger.  I'll definitely look into thimbles next go-round.  I have to say the process of quilting added another dimension to the piece as well.  It added another layer of visual depth, and it reinforced the original layout of the fabric pieces.

If I could change one thing:  Less printing.  I think it is just a little overwhelming - I probably would have left more pieces with just the originals solid color to let the eye rest.

The last lingering question:  Who is it for?  What is it's function?  My professor suggests that it should be a wall hanging.  But this denies its obvious function (it's a wonderful, washable cotton quilt!) and my walls are filled.  It is a child size blanket, so I expect it to be a gift for a special kid one day.  Maybe it can hang on a wall until then.