Karen Azevedo and I have been good friends for many, many years and I have always been in awe of her incredible talent. She does amazing quilting and handwork and was also one of the featured quilters at my 2016 special exhibit in Houston.
One of her passions is Provencal Boutis. I am the lucky recipient of a few small gifted pieces of her work but I just HAD to show you the beautiful large piece she just finished yesterday. There are simply no words... I'll share Karen's brief story and photos below.
FABULOUS job Karen!!!! Hugs, Cindy :)
"I purchased this boutis two and a half years ago online from a photograph only. It came preprinted on batiste with another plain piece for the backing.
It was intended to be done in the boutis Provencal method where it is all hand stitched with a running stitch and then from the backside it is "stuffed" with yarn. Each and every motif, leaf, flower petal, vermicelli (the little straight lines)...everything!
The difference between the boutis Provencal method and trapunto is when you hold the boutis up to the light it has a unique transparency to it that trapunto with batting does not.
The edges are unique in their shape because after all the stuffing is complete, then I did a buttonhole stitch using coton a broder and then trimmed away the excess of the two layers of batiste to make a finished edge.
Two and a half years of my life are included in this boutis with laughter, tears of sadness, family illness, frustrations and hope all stitched into it. It was truly a lifeboat and my salvation. Karen Azevedo
