Soooo. After all these months, I took my first remote quilt class over the weekend! It was Siddi Quilt, taught by Sujata Shah of The Root Connection. I had been fortunate to hear Sujata speak at a Seattle MQG meeting last year or so, but had yet taken a class from her. When I began seeing folks post about their Siddi quilts more recently, I knew I wanted to learn to make one too, and jumped at the chance when it materialized. It was so interesting, all history, words, and techniques I was not familiar with, and of course, hanging out with Sujata for a few hours was a pleasure.
So I'm not sure quite how long it's going to take me, as it's all by hand, so I thought I'd document the start of it by giving you a couple of peeks. Rather than totally use scraps, I dug into my modest Anna Maria Horner stash, much of which was floral, as well as some that was thinner than quilter's cotton - lawn maybe? I do expect I'll be adding some scraps, and definitely some other prints and solids, but the AMH Loulouthi you see in the for corners - the "pillars" - is where it all began.
So those pins are only there to keep things in place while I moved the piece to my evening-stitching seat - don't tell Sujata! ha. And that little corner bit? A "fula." So far, I'm finding the sewing to be most enjoyable. I'll be back eventually with an update!
Sounds like a great class and I look forward to seeing how this evolves!
ReplyDeleteFun hand stitching and colorful mix of fabrics! Perfect fall project.
ReplyDeletewell this is new to me! I can't wait to watch your progress
ReplyDeleteSome interesting hand stitching underway here, looking great! Roughly, how big is your piece?
ReplyDeleteIt's 17" x 21".
DeleteThanks for sharing this. I have spent most of my day, as I am in isolation, researching this technique. Unfortunately not many clear tutorials. Do you press 3 of the 4 edges of your fabric before hand sewing? Will be trying it when I get close to my fabric again.
ReplyDeleteYou turn under only the edges you need to as you go.
DeleteCan't wait to see your progress.
ReplyDeleteNice start to your class project!
ReplyDeleteYours is going to be very pretty, Debbie. Isn't this hand-stitching relaxing? I'm trying to not use pins, but I've found it helpful to place an old TV tray on my lap (purchased from a thrift store) to use as a surface for finger-pressing (using a wallpaper roller to press - don't tell!) and to keep the pieces flat as I stitch. I don't always want to sit at a table to quilt.
ReplyDeleteWhat are the little triangles at the corners for?
ReplyDeleteSorry I don't have your email, Jan. And unfortunately I forget what Sujata said about those! But I did find this online: "The final step is to sew at each corner of the quilt one or more folded square patches, which form a multi-layered triangle called a phula, or ‘flower.’ These serve no specific function, but they are regarded as essential to a properly finished or ‘dressed’ Siddi quilt. A kawandi would be regarded as ‘naked’ without the phula."
DeleteCan you explain what thread you use please.
ReplyDeleteCertainly. I used one Sujata suggested and love it: Spagetti 12wt Egyptian Cotton Thread in Ecru from Wonderfil Specialty Threads
DeleteSo great to see the phula added at the beginning. My first one was very small and all sewn by hand, but I couldn't work out how to add the phula after the corners were done. I will definitely add them as I go this time. a tip I was given somewhere was to cut the phula as circles to reduce the risk of fraying.
ReplyDeleteInteresting to cut them as circles. I just did as my teacher suggested, but good to have options. Enjoy making another!
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