Friday, July 25, 2008

Glutton for Punishment


I found another craft book from the seventies the other day; lots of crafty goodness. The Patchwork section has directions for Cathedral Windows patchwork. So, it looking to be fiddly and hateful and taking-forever-to-make, I decided to try it!


Behold! The Sample! For scale, those Japanese indigo squares are just shy of 2 inches square to begin with. It was indeed fiddly to make, but the effect is really cool. I did manage to find a little shortcut toward the end (of course). This will probably end up being a pillow. I know, not very creative, but do I really need a teacozy? Do I want to make it into a panel for a bag of some sort? No and no. So, pillow it is, but I'm open to suggestions.

Cathedral Windows Patchwork Beast: slapped and tamed.

5 comments:

Alessandra Collar Lipman said...

This came out really beautifully, and the Japanese prints are perfect for the technique.

Check out the look of utter fulfillment on the cover lady's face - her pose is almost yoga-like! And please tell me that butterfly wing is made from lentils... Love me some 70's!

Johanna Masko said...

Thanks!

And yes, Ally! Those are indeed lentils!! Good eye, and I love me some Seventies, too!!
(And trust me, I was feeling less than yoga-like figuring out how to do this.)

Unknown said...

Oh my gosh, that is INSANE! All of it; the design, the raised pattern parts, and the 70s! Ha! I don't know if it's because of the dimensions you've created the sample in, or just the way the panel mimics a cathedral window, but I can see this as a panel to an armoire door, a (padded) covering for a small chest (which could be used as a seat), or with many panels, to create a standing screen of some kind. (I know this is just a small one, but if it were made on a larger scale). Would be neat to have some of the patches be pockets, so little notes or notions could be stuffed into them, and then have the quilt service as a bulletin board of some kind. Absolutely wonderful! Well done!

karyn said...

i've seen the cathedral windows before, i like the look. so, i take it that this is not the new 'english paper piecing' in your life?

Claire Louise Milne said...

I love the way you did them, nice prints. That will make a beautiful pillow!

OR you could make a stunning 1970s vest. And I do mean stunning.