I received a beautiful Show and Tell from Jan Fozard the other day and I was blown away by her amazing work on this incredible linen. She agreed to allow me to share her work with all of you. Thank you Jan and congratulations on an OVER THE TOP piece! Cindy
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The quilt was worked on a HQ Infinity Long-arm machine. It was 100 % hand guided with rulers used for the border.
The top measures 50” square for the linen top, 70” square for the silk underlay. I mitred the borders for the underlay with the seam sitting just under the edge of the linen top so that the border was wide enough for a good frame. The quilt has a double wool batting, I load the backing, batting and silk underlay and use my channel locks to make sure I have a straight square edge then float the top to be able to adjust as I work down the quilt.
The linen is centred on this and all embroidery and edges are SID working from top centre out to edges and down the machine throat space making any adjustment as I go. I used a 16 stitch length and So Fine thread to match the linen top stitching as close as possible to the embroidery and cut outs. When the top was attached and everything stitched and stable I worked from the centre of the linen pushing layers back or forward using background stitches and design to create light and shadow.
All of the quilting design was my own used to support the embroidery originally present. I used your scribble stitch in the cut-outs, (a feat of perseverance that I am sure you are aware of, there are over 230 hours of quilting in the top).
The borders were stitch first, you will recognise the influence of ideas from your book "Wholecloth Linen Quilts”
Then I used inks and mediums to burnish and give an antique patina to the frame (I kind of expected the quilt police to form up a posse!) This has given the border a glow which frames it, I was happy with the look and how it worked.
Kind Regards, Jan.