Quilting Beauties: Ostentation

Last post I showed you one of the pieces chosen for the cover of Quilting Beauties, so today I will show you the other:  Ostentation.

This quilt was sewn while the book was still a twinkle in my eye. I spotted these fabrics on a shopping trip to Halifax, and it was love at first sight; I knew immediately I wanted to stitch something which hinted at plumes and peacocks...without actually stitching either. To suggest feathers, spiky, pointy blocks were chosen. The yellow centre of the rings in the NY Beauty blocks are reminiscent of the eye on a peacock’s tail feathers. 

The name for a flock of peacocks is an ostentation, and it aptly describes this showy quilt. It is neither round nor oval but has elongated patches added top and bottom; a beaded black tassel further accentuates the shape. 

A shiny black button helps draw your eye to the centre of the quilt. It was serendipitous to find a button to match the tassel in a different store, in a different city!

Ostentation features wool batting and is heavily machine quilted in various feather designs using a gold metallic thread.

All the quilting for the book was done on my much-loved Bernina 440.

I hadn't patterned it previously, but it was perfect for the book and I am pleased AQS liked it as well. I love how when you stand back, the yellow centre spins around. This would be so fun to stitch in Christmas prints just to see how different the design would look.  (That's on my to-do list!)

AQS did an absolutely stellar job with the piecing diagrams, showing just how simple it is to sew such a complicated-looking design. The construction is all laid out step-by-step.

Before I sent it off, I blocked the quilt to make sure it was perfectly flat.  You can see why I have plastic sheets to cover my work...Polly claimed the territory in the name of King and country and wouldn't let anyone near it.  It took kitty-treat distraction to get her off the quilt.

You can purchase an autographed copy of Quilting Beauties from my website