Portrait of a Rose

I am delighted to introduce you to my latest finish: Rosa. (pattern is in Meander)

She is made of mostly silk and all naturally dyed fabric (yes, even those pinks!).

I started with a bunch of these pinks and reds. I dyed the pinks using cochineal and the reds in madder root. (Natural dye workshops all in Meander). The pinks are all silks and the reds are cottons. 

To create the 3D effect in this rose, I used my Portrait Quilting technique (workshop is in Meander). This technique uses values (lights and darks) to create depth. I satin stitched around all the raw edges using coordinating thread.

Once I fused the rose onto a lovely white, raw silk background, there was a lot of negative space to contend with. So I used a negative reverse appliqué technique to add those white appliqué branches using a shiny silk/hemp blend fabric. I love the subtle difference in texture/sheen of the two white silks, providing just enough contrast to add a lot of interest without distracting from the main attraction -- that rose!

I left the white reverse appliqué edges raw, allowing the silk to draw a bit which added even more texture. Even so, I wanted to add some more interest to all that white, so I quilted branches, leaves, rose hips into the background, then filled in the surrounding empty space with pebbling to help show them (and the white appliqué) off. I quilted the rose with a transparent thread. 

The binding is the same pink silk charmeuse as in the rose, and was too flimsy to sew through like regular binding. So I fused a sheer weight interfacing (Pellon 906f) onto the binding strips to give them stability, then made the binding like usual -- leaving the interfacing on/in the quilt. I was worried it might be hard to hand stitch down on the back, but it was no problem! 

I love how this turned out! There is SO much texture with the different substrates, different sheens, some frayed bits, and so much detail. 

Want to learn how to mix and match techniques to design your own unique quilts? You are going to love the free class I'm teaching tomorrow: Design Your Quilts!