RAFFIA

Many of you wondered about raffia and using it in embroidery.  This is the first time I was introduced to its use at Lesage.  The purple and shiny pink are raffia.

Lesage Level l

Lesage Level l

This Lesage piece in progress also has raffia.  The shinny gold is raffia.

 

Lesage Level III

This is one of the flowers on my new quilt.  The pattern is from the Lesage book  Le Langage Des Fleurs.   The blue in the center is ribbon the outside is raffia.                                             

 Here are the flowers on the new piece I am working on also raffia.  I must add the effect is just dumb luck.  I had tried so many different ways to stitch the flowers.  If the raffia didn't work the piece was headed to the dead pile. 

 I also was asked how I did the leaves around the bud.   I outlined the shape of the leave with green sulky rayon thread using the tambour hook.  Then using green ribbon floss I ran enough strips (laying each flat) to conform to and cover the lenght of the leaf shape.  I then wove the ribbon floss across the width.

This is the raffia I bought on the internet.  The raffia at Lesage comes in about 1/2 widths.  I tried to dupliciate the materials provided for the student at Lesage ... raffia ... sequin ... beads ... chenille unsuccessfully.   One day I woke up and decided I would use what I can get!!   This raffia is about 1 1/2 inches wide so I spread it out, tape it to my cutting board in 18 inch lengths, and cut it in 1/2 inch widths with my rotary cutter. 

Catching up

I promised a very old and dear friend a piece of art work for her bedroom wall.  Now that my quilt is done I have been dabbling.  The design is inspired by an embroidery in an old French newspaper.  The colors of the flowers are raspberry as requested.  I tried many different medium to stitch the flowers in --- DMC floss Au Ver A Soie silk threads --- silk ribbon --- beads --- sequins  --- and finally when nothing else worked I found a role of raffia marked raspberry!!!                                                  

Love the way the flowers look like you could fall into them.

P.S.

I have a name for my quilt and am waiting for some good pictures to be taken.  Some of you suggested I enter it in a quilt show.  I checked some out and thought about it but at this point I can't imagine getting accepted and having to mail it somewhere.....