I am overwhelmed with emotion when I try to write anything about this portrait of my daughter…I will try to just stick to photos of how it was done!
This photo, so quintessentially my Tana, was my inspiration for the quilt! I started working on it in January 2022, about a year from when she passed on.
Vectorization done on the Vector Q app
The collage came up pretty quickly!
What followed were a couple of trips—one exploring Rajasthan and another one in to Gujarat! Finally got back to working on it, hoping to finish it by her birthday in April!
Sadly, didn’t feel quite done on her birthday. Needed a lot of more quilting to add depth to it!
( Note that I am trying ‘contour quilting’ quilting on it, where the quilting follows the face contours)
This looks better, right? But I don’t like the way some of the lighter threads stand out against the darker areas! Gives it a harsh look! Not for my gentle darling, it wouldn’t do!
I used Inktense pencils to reduce contrast in the in-between areas and darken some stitching lines so that the threads matched the fabric!
Tip: A bit of Cadmium Orange or Burnt Orange does wonders to soften harsh contrasts in portraits, especially with our Indian skin types! It is great for lip-colour too!
A close-up of her smile
See the Inktense at work!!
The hair…
Were those the most beautiful eyes in the world that mirrored the purest soul that ever lived?
I cut out a poncho I had made for her and used it to dress her! The flowers and leaves were also cut out from the poncho.
The quilt was mounted on a ( mounted) canvas, which makes it easy to hang. It now lives in my living room where I can look at her while watching TV…
…or touch her, talk to her, smile at her every time I walk past her!
I have not shared anything here for a long, long time, I know. Initially this blog was meant to be a record of what I create— painting, sketches, poems, short stories and, of course, my quilts! A sudden loss of some of my work reminded me that I do need to get back to maintaining this record, so here I am!
When I am visiting my son in the USA, I cannot quilt for various reasons that include a highly inquisitive grandson who turned three this year! So I sketch. It is much easier to gather a few pencils and a sketchbook and hide them when the mischievous imp appears!
The sketches are al on Strathmore Grey using a 2B and a 2H pencil.
So this year, I started a sketch of this old puppeteer that I had photographed a few years ago in Jaipur.
Jaipur Puppeteer Photo drawn 7 September 2024
The sketch was half-finished, when Grandson saw what I was up to!
“Draw me, Amma,” came the command. Obviously, Amma put aside everything else and started on a sketch of the baby, from a photograph taken when he was two!
Advit Photo 23 July 2023 —drawn 8 September 2024
As I had only two pencils—a 2H and a 2B to work with, I decided to put this away and start on this sketch of my daughter. To be completed when I got back home to India!
Tana 13 August 2017 —drawn 30 September 2024
When packing for India, I removed the sketches and wrapped them up in some sheets of paper and got them home in my carry-on luggage.
And then, when unpacking, I forgot what those white sheets were all about, and threw them away in the garbage with all the packing material (or that is what I presume I did, because they are not to be found anywhere)! I have hunted high and low but no sign of the sheets or the sketches.
Well, they do say, enjoy the process when creating art and forget about the fruit of your labour! In any case, these would most likely have gone into the garbage after me. So be it. A lesson also, perhaps, about the transient nature of this world!
Whatever it is, I am glad I have these photos and some close-ups which I am adding here, to come and look back at, whenever…
Perhaps I shall do a quilted portrait now using this photo! I am less likely to throw that away by mistake!
And here are some process photos of the sketches of the puppeteer!
Getting the features down in place
Bringing in the values
Blending…and more blending!
After about 8 hours!
And finally, a close-up of a pair of eyes which can change from innocent to naughty in seconds…
As I flung this Dreamcatcher at Dusk on my bed today morning, the sun streamed in from the windows, creating its own patterns and textures on the quilt…and I fell in love with it again!
When the sunlight creates its own patterns on my Dreamcatcher! Southward Bound?The Sun-Moon Dreamcatcher from which this quilt, made in the colours of dusk, got its name.Was my least favorite block when being sewed! Everything that could go wrong…did!Love the texture on this one…The Diamond displaying its fireThe tiny hearts quilted into the wedding ring…love is everywhere!The gloriously fiery oranges and reds of the sun set off the cool blues of the evening…and the geese return to the pond to roost.One las look at the sun as it sets…
Wouldn’t you agree it is lovely in the morning sun too?
FPP Patterns for the Salinda Rupp 1860s Sampler, popularly known as the Nearly Insane available for purchase soon
You have the Nearly Insane Quilt book, but do not know where to start?
My Nearly Insane Quilt block patterns are based on Salinda Rupp’s 1860s quilt and Liz Lois’s book with the drafts of the blocks. This is not a replacement of the book; I give you the patterns if you wish to take the journey using the foundation paper-piecing technique. I would highly recommend you buy the book for a great introduction to the quilt and to refer to the quilt layout, block settings, borders and some fabric estimates.
The Vital Stats of the Quilt
Size: 83″ x 83″ (including 3″ pieced border)
Description: 98 pieced blocks of 6″ square placed on point with sashing, cornerstones and pieced border.
Level:Intermediate to Expert
Familiarity with Foundation Paper Piecing (FPP) is essential.
Fabric:It is difficult to give any estimate of the fabric yardage. To start with, 35-40 fat quarters in the colours of your choice for the blocks? Liz Lois has given an estimate of the sashing/ corner-stones and borders fabric in her book. Just remember that you need almost twice if not more of the fabric you would require for a similar sized quilt, as the pieces are so small and consequently so many more seams. Small prints, Civil War fabrics and 1930s tiny florals would look good with some solids to set them off.
There are several quilters who have made it in just two colours–red with white and blue with white being a popular choice. Others have gone with scraps. My FPP patterns were designed for a quilt in blues, yellows and greens.
Nearly Insane Quilt Block 43
However, my patterns come with colour numbering to enable you to construct the blocks in your own choice of colours.
Why Foundation Paper Piecing Patterns?
No tracing required, nor any measurements! All is done for you! The numbered templates provided with each block pattern make it possible for one to piece the blocks by machine, without the bother of accurately measuring and cutting each piece.
(Nevertheless, there are 3 blocks with y-seams that can be only partially foundation-pieced and have to be put together by hand or regular machine-piecing. English paper piecing templates are provided for these blocks.)
The Background of the Quilt
The `Nearly Insane’ Quilt is what Salinda Rupp’s quilt from the 1860s from Pennysylvania is better known as! Made in bright autumn colours, it has enchanted and inspired many quilters to embark on a journey as satisfying as it is maddening.
I discovered this quilt in a quilt history book and fell in love with it immediately, preparing for it and honing my quilting skills before i could attempt it. I later discovered Liz Lois had named it the Nearly Insane quilt and published a book with the designs for the blocks (but no templates) and their placement. The book kept lying with me for quite some time, before I realised I could draft FPP patterns to make everything so much simpler and I spent the next several months drafting and redrafting the patterns!
What makes this quilt special?
The quilt has an undescribable rustic charm; not for Salinda your perfect points or absolutely symmetrical patterns! I think she often made up block patterns as she went along, depending on whatever scraps were at hand!
There are 98 blocks to construct, each 6 inches square, placed on point. 12 of these are cut diagonally and fitted into the edge of the on-point quilt, while one is cut into 4 to make up the corners. (This includes a basket halves placed on opposite edges of the quilt) The craziest block has 229 pieces and the easiest has 10; the average number of pieces per block is between 35-40! We quilters are used to HSTs (Half-Square Triangles) but this quilt has Half-Rectangle Triangles, not to forget flying geese which are not flying geese of the 1:2 ratio at all! Salinda used up all the scraps she had at hand, coming up with blocks which are whimsical and charming! The sashing and cornerstones give the eyes a rest between the busy piecing of the blocks and the icing on the cake is the unique ‘ zig-zag’ or `lightning’ border which sets off the quilt to perfection.
Here are a few of my favourite blocks from my quilt!
So if you are planning to devote the next few months or years of your life to creating a true heirloom, nothing better than Salinda Rupp’s quilt to start with. And if you decide to go the FPP way, well…
All the block patterns are available for sale here! So what is stopping you?
An original quilt block inspired by the lovely Aster flower…
The Aster is another original 18″ Quilt block with an inset 15″ circle flower, designed by me for the Dreamcatcher Quilt.
I have always loved the Aster-such a pretty flower, which is also the Birth Flower for September! Did you know it gets its name from Greek, meaning ‘star’, because the flowers resemble stars? In Greek mythology, it became a symbol of love when it was placed on the altars for the Gods. I included it as the eleventh block in the DreamcatcherRound the Year quilt…to coincide with Valentine’s Day in my Block of the Month Quilt. Asters also symbolize wisdom, faith, colour, besides patience, daintiness and charm.
My Aster comes in blue-the blue blooms are not only rare but also extremely lovely-the colour ranging from a light through deep blue to purples. The block is really easy to piece and comes up very quickly. To make it more challenging, I added y-seams to the centre. Of course, you could applique a simple circle as the centre, or try out any of these options!
The printable PDF files instructions and templates for the block are now available on my MadsPatch store on Ecwid.
Four shades of the main colour (blue) totalling about 1/3 yard and small scraps of yellow, gold, light and deep orange – are used here. My Aster is blue to go with Dreamcatcher Quilt, but you could make yours in any of these colours -pink, purple, red or yellow.
Please note that this in a digital pattern, you will receive only a link to download the .PDF files on your computer/device. A paper pattern WILL NOT be snail-mailed to you. The links expire in 72 hours, so you would be well-advised to download the files on a permanent location on your PC/ Mac / Notepad asap.
You need Adobe Acrobat Reader Software, downloadable for free at the Adobe site, to read the files. Print from the saved files; do not print directly from the mail/ link. The patterns are designed for printing on A4 size paper, but letter size 8.5″ x 11.5″ will be fine. Set your printer to ‘Actual Size’ or 100% setting before printing.
All patterns are for your personal use only. Please do not share with others or use for teaching/ workshops etc without my prior permission! The 4 files will include:
Instructions File – contains these instructions including the fabric requirement, piecing order and Master Template to be used as a guide for assembling the block.
FPP Templates File containing foundation paper piecing templates.
Master Template that will help you in assembling the block – remember this is is a mirror image. You can also try out your own colours on the outline block.
Bonus: I also include a bonus file with the pattern, these are tips for paper-piecing you can print and keep with you always!
So what do you plan to make your Aster Block into? A round Christmas table runner?
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