A few weeks back I showed you my attempts to do something with Denyse Schmidt's Chicopee line.
I had attempted some EPP but abandoned it and started on a Cathedral Window project instead.
Well here it is all finished, and I am really quite in love with it so there are a lot of photos to follow!
The background is Essex Linen in Natural, a fabric I am turning to more and more at the moment. It was one of the few fabrics that I thought worked with the Chicopee, which, despite being thoroughly gorgeous, does not seem to mix well with a lot of other modern fabrics (IMHO).
I machined the linen blocks together but hand sewed the chicopee into the windows. Which was a bit hard on the fingers as it is a pretty stiff, unyielding fabric.
On my days off at Easter I enjoyed some sunshine in the garden (well protected from the bitter wind) and started hand quilting with coloured perles. It's made the linen more interesting and melded it better with the prints I think.
More Chicopee on the back. I put the whole thing together and then realised I had forgotten to do the button holes! And these Feather Company pads I use are so plump and full that it really needs more than just an envelope close at the back. So I did them by hand using white perle and blanket stitch.
I bought those gorgeous buttons at the wonderful Edinburgh Yarn Festival that I had a stand at a couple of weeks back. They are from The Textile Garden, Maggie and her husband had come up all the way from Brighton to attend and their amazing button stand was absolutely mobbed all day! Mind you the whole thing was totally mobbed, and it was definitely the best Fair out of the 3 I've done this Spring. This was the first one they've organised, but it was so successful that I am sure they will do it again next year.
More info on the class here.
I really hope you like Cathedral Window as much as I do as I have more to share next week!
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Cathedral Window's are on my bucket list and I really hope to try them soon. Maybe I could get a sneaky lesson at FQR ;-)
ReplyDeleteThat is lovely. Stunning!
ReplyDeleteThat's beautiful. I love the hadn stitiching. I made one cathedral windows cushion once, but the folding and ironding nearly drove me mad!
ReplyDeleteI love cathedral windows. It's so satisfying when you turn back that fold and get the pretty little curve. The hand stitching is a lovely idea, too. I've not see much made with Chicopee, I think people are finding it a funny wee range to utilise but it's so pretty.
ReplyDeleteOh its such a beautiful cushion Jo! I'm scared of cathedral windows!
ReplyDeleteOhhh every time I see cathedral windows I swoon. I really should do a cushion with this one day but I keep putting it off.
ReplyDeleteOK that is my perfect cushion!!! Beautiful x
ReplyDeleteGorgeous work, great job!
ReplyDeleteAbsolute perfection!
ReplyDeleteThe pillow is absolutely wonderful!!
ReplyDeleteBeautiful Jo! My mom-in-law has a quilt like that and she put a bit of stuffing behind each window which gives it a lovely dimension. I really should have her take it out of storage so I can take a picture of it!
ReplyDeleteGuess what?!:) I'm reading this with my new high speed internet service!!!!! WhoooHoooo! More sewing time!!
Wow - this bis beautiful - I'm yet to tackle cathedral window... but one day!
ReplyDeleteStunning!! Great choice with the linen, I love that natural colour.
ReplyDeleteLoving that linen, the cushion is fab!
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely stunning! Totally agree about the Chicopee plus linen - I made a cushion with the same combo too, although I have to say yours is 1000x nicer :o)
ReplyDeleteBeautiful Jo - think I have only managed four cathedral windows to make a little easter decoration ....Well done!
ReplyDeleteLovely pillow. The back id wonderful too. I just read your post on handquilting fromSCQ. Great tips. I am looking forward to finishing up a quilt top to do some perle cotton quilting.
ReplyDeleteI made a cathedral window cushion many, many years a go and whenever I see one of yours I'm itching to give it another go. Then I get side-tracked until I see one again.
ReplyDeleteI love the added stitching; it brings the design more up-to-date.
Teresa x
I am pretty certain I could never do this! Certainly not with this level of perfection. But i agree with Teresa, the hand stitching really makes this cushion stand out. Beautiful. Really beautiful. Is is no wonder you love it so much.
ReplyDeleteI am pretty certain I could never do this! Certainly not with this level of perfection. But i agree with Teresa, the hand stitching really makes this cushion stand out. Beautiful. Really beautiful. Is is no wonder you love it so much.
ReplyDeleteThis is beautiful. I love what you did with the hand-quilting, and I think I might steal that idea if I ever get all my cathedral windows put together . . . they're in the bottom of one of my project boxes at the moment. :)
ReplyDeleteYour work is wonderful! Oh my!
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