Posts Tagged ‘pakistan’
Whenever I have uncontrollable stash of fabric in small bits and pieces, I know I have to start another logcabin, whether it is a sofa cushion set, floor cushion or the end; a bedcover. My sons used to say it won’t finish in cushions; you will have to make a quilt to eat all up.
It pays as I relieve stress and am left with a beautiful project.
And if I have a real problem at hand of even shortage of space for tiny cut pieces of fabric, I start a pineapple logcabin, and it sweeps the whole stash, be it medium, small or large pieces, as in end triangles all vanishes.
Patchwork is my hobby, and it gives me a great pleasure to cut and sew and create a colourful piece of work , which is useful and lovely, and in this whenever I am to relax, I start a logcabin. It takes all the heaviness from my heart and converts it into something I cherish to see.
In fact the moment I start one such project, I know it is already sold, no matter what colour, fabric or size of the strip. It has a charismatic pull.
I put it on the wall when I do exhibitions and clients come mesmerized and say how much this for is and without arguing they buy it and ask for more, whatever the project is. No other design has a chance against one such piece. It seems that all old time classic are in the heart of the people, they are pulled to it .When I make some modern design, computer generated, or from some new designer’s modern style, I have to struggle to sell it. They need effort to sell, or sometimes don’t sell at all. I keep them as samples or stall fill but these have little attractions to most of the clients, even in huge walk in exhibitions. But logcabin actually must be attended, by all walks of life, general, or artistic minded people. The most amazing thing about this design is that it is not from my region. I live in Pakistan where there are no huts, no logcabins, no nothing. We mostly live on plains, have severe hot weather. There is a joke that for 9 months we have severe hot weather and for the rest of the 3 months we have hot weather.
What I think is that it’s simplicity and range of colours is the main attraction, and secondly it has light and shadow effect.
May be it depicts our lives, all time under one spot, either happiness or stress. I am still researching on it and joyfully making it. Right now I have 12 small boxes of charming silk pieces, in plain and print. These are all from the projects I have made at different time and for different clients. They gave me their old clothes to match and make bed quilts, so the range of colour, design and fabric is huge and I believe the key to make a heirloom piece of logcabin.
Mostly I make simple logcabin, but at times I try ideas of me and of other quilters. I have a full file of innovative designs; thanks to the net and all the people who have the big heart to share it with others.
Pineapple logcabin is bit stressy to me although I love the intricate end result, and the imagination of my clients who look in wonder at the block setting and stitching and can’t make it out. How I made it? It is simple in making, but very complicated in appearance. The only stress in it is that I at times lose the angle, so in the end the block is either lopsided or moves out of the backing.
At times end triangles don’t match the neighbouring block triangles. Secondly I find it very fabric wasting as I make and cut straigt strips and when the next strip overlaps most of the fabric hides under the next one. Now I have started cutting it in to strips with slant ends to match the angles of the block. It gives me a lot of relief to see that now I can use fabric more wisely and whatever I use, it shows.
So another problem solved. Still remember the day I first saw it in a magazine and was amazed to see the quilt in such vibrant colours and still so composed and elegant to look at. I am still in the same condition, learned it all by myself from some quilt magazine, and still remember the first block. It was a classic piece of modern abstract art, and believe me it was sold for its ingenuity to one art lover. I hope she still has it.
So the day I saw it till today, I myself am hooked to it. I cannot wait to start another logcabin design, modern or old fashion. They both have the same pull. When ever I conduct patchwork classes or workshops, I start with this designs as it has minimal cutting, no template, no special colours, and most of all it is stitched, quilted and finished by the time it comes off the sewing machine and the student loves the effect and end result. But I teach the pineapple logcabin in the end of the class, as its angles and double strip setting is stressful and takes time and is difficult to understand.
No matter what both the designs are all time favourite by all or I can say the whole world.
My Patchwork Studio
Posted on: May 27, 2010
I always wonder how to set an area for any work in such a way, so that best of the place can be utilized. I wanted to work in smooth and comfortable manner. I wanted to work fast, more in less time.
I wanted to have my things ready whenever I had time for my sewing hobby.
In the first and foremost days when my boys were young and I had a medium home I had little choice. I had my cutting area on a huge aluminium quilt box. I had to adjust height by adding bricks under it. It was kept in the veranda. I had my sewing machine by the bedside as no other place was feasible. Then came storage, I had my stuff in the ironing box, in my dress closet, under my bed and in a closet by my bed.
I had to store my completed stuff behind a long sofa of the formal drawing room. So in a way I had a scattered sewing room all around the house. I used to stitch in the bed room and show quilts to my clients in the drawing room. But most of the time I was busy cleaning sorting wrapping and setting the house back in place after each sewing or showing session.
For basting of quilts I had to move sofas and tables to spread the fabric for cutting foam sheets etc. I had to clear my dining table, and set it back for dinner.
In this way more than half of my time was consumed in setting and shifting, still I could make a lot of quilted items. But it was always very tiring, especially picking threads and rages from the carpet and storing things under the bed.
I had to keep my quilts books with cooking books in the kitchen, and tools with boy’s stationery.
I always wanted a sewing studio of my own, go, work, leave as it is and return whenever I have time, all things in one place within my reach.
So when we moved to Lahore, Pakistan I had a mind set for a home with a sewing room. I had no mood to compromise on this issue.
I started making the blue print of the house with my craft room idea clearly in mind. What’s the worry, we have huge piece of land, ample amount to spend, willingness to make dreams come true. We can and will do.
Next time I will narrate the other half of the dream.
Piece n Patch 