A Summer Project

Addicted to Liberty

Craft and tradition are perhaps words fueled with an irrevocable sense of loss regardless of generation. The past was better than the present and must so be better than the future. Of course that is a rather pessimistic view which I do not really care for. It is simply the human mind at work - time merely allowing memory to focus on the pleasant moments.

The future is full of possibilities and whilst I may subscribe to the idea of Tigersprung, of leaping into the future but with an eye on the past, there is certainly something to be said for that notion of looking at the future through the lens of the past. I am one of those people who has that rather cliched view of having been born in the wrong decade, or indeed century, but that is not accompanied by some sense of sadness but rather an impetus to create a new now.

As you may be able to tell from the photographs above, I have a slight obsession with Liberty print fabrics. I think the idea of heritage is no doubt buried under my love of the floral prints. Inspired by the Quilts Exhibition at the V&A I have decided to embark upon a quilting project of my own. I plan to sew the entire patchwork pattern by hand, then sew the down and backing on again by hand, followed by a champagne satin banner.

I shall be sure to share the pattern once I have planned it, and not to worry, it will not be a plain square patchwork. I need to arrange colours and print sizes to see what works and what shapes I can use. I also intend to create some applique designs to place upon the quilt. I think the idea of tradition is definitely alluring in that quilting has such a long and rich history. It is the experience of the activity which evokes a sense of the past and that is something I find quite magical. The actual bodily experience is something which is often left out when discussing fashion or production and I find that odd.

My first large hand sewn project. Ambitious? Maybe. Fun? Definitely.

Currently playing: We Looked Like Giants - Death Cab For Cutie

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