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Magic Boots & Wild Horses
| DESIGNING |
©Storybook Quilts, LLC 2008-2011
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Boots, horses and the southwest!
April 15th We wanted to do a quilt and story that includes
horses. This area of the country has numerous horse farms.
And at least one of us here really loved horses as a young
girl and still is almost able to recite The Black Stallion and
Flicka from memory.
The biggest challenge for this Storybook Quilt is the central
character. Horse shapes are fairly complex -- the manes and
the tales would be very difficult to depict simply in a shape
that can be appliqued, not to mention the feet! Simplified
shapes of horses just didn't appeal to us. So -- what?
horses. This area of the country has numerous horse farms.
And at least one of us here really loved horses as a young
girl and still is almost able to recite The Black Stallion and
Flicka from memory.
The biggest challenge for this Storybook Quilt is the central
character. Horse shapes are fairly complex -- the manes and
the tales would be very difficult to depict simply in a shape
that can be appliqued, not to mention the feet! Simplified
shapes of horses just didn't appeal to us. So -- what?
Let's see. The romantic stories about wild horses are set in
the southwest. A cowgirl hat? No, pretty boring as a main
story line and not that easy as a shape, it turns out. A
Native American symbol? No, that's a different story. Hey!
How about boots? Gorgeous, Western cowgirl boots? We
have a short red pair . . . the boots could be magic, kind of
like Dorothy's red shoes in the Wizard of Oz.
And an idea is born!
the southwest. A cowgirl hat? No, pretty boring as a main
story line and not that easy as a shape, it turns out. A
Native American symbol? No, that's a different story. Hey!
How about boots? Gorgeous, Western cowgirl boots? We
have a short red pair . . . the boots could be magic, kind of
like Dorothy's red shoes in the Wizard of Oz.
And an idea is born!
OK. The boot shape has been created and we found the perfect
red fabric (a Robert Kaufman Fusions fabric). Now, what
background? It needs to make the boots stand out and not
compete too much with the other fabrics we will use.
We tired the Laurel Burch dancing horses. Not only did they not
work, but not being able to use them meant we had to rethink
the early story line!
We tried a real horse fabric. That was OK, but the boots got lost.
Then we found a fabric that looks a lot like a nice Western shirt --
and that's the one!
red fabric (a Robert Kaufman Fusions fabric). Now, what
background? It needs to make the boots stand out and not
compete too much with the other fabrics we will use.
We tired the Laurel Burch dancing horses. Not only did they not
work, but not being able to use them meant we had to rethink
the early story line!
We tried a real horse fabric. That was OK, but the boots got lost.
Then we found a fabric that looks a lot like a nice Western shirt --
and that's the one!
Next, we'll begin auditioning fabrics on the design board. More on that soon!
April 20th
Finding the right fabrics always is a more of challenge than we
anticipate. The photo to the right is the first grouping we tried.
The brown boots and the bright orange carrots on black are
too strong and dominate the other fabrics. The hot peppers on
yellow look like an after-thought and don't blend well. The
overall look is not good -- it doesn't hang together.
The other key criterion for fabric selection is a story line. There
doesn't seem to be one here -- or at least not one with much
of an adventure in it.
So, we're off to the fabrics shops in the Amish country of PA to
look for other fabrics. The drive also is a great opportunity to
think about story lines.
Finding the right fabrics always is a more of challenge than we
anticipate. The photo to the right is the first grouping we tried.
The brown boots and the bright orange carrots on black are
too strong and dominate the other fabrics. The hot peppers on
yellow look like an after-thought and don't blend well. The
overall look is not good -- it doesn't hang together.
The other key criterion for fabric selection is a story line. There
doesn't seem to be one here -- or at least not one with much
of an adventure in it.
So, we're off to the fabrics shops in the Amish country of PA to
look for other fabrics. The drive also is a great opportunity to
think about story lines.
April 21st
We found some wrapped gifts fabric in the Christmas section that
isn't really Christmas-y, will allow us to have our heroine receive the
magic boots as a birthday present and will further involve her three
cats (playing in the yellow tulips in the fabric on the bottom row);
we found some butterflies that can remind her these are magic
boots; and we found a blanket she can wrap up in under the stars
at night. That should do it! There should be enough now to write
the story.
<------ This fabric arrangement isn't right yet, though. It doesn't
quite work with respect to color and value.
We found some wrapped gifts fabric in the Christmas section that
isn't really Christmas-y, will allow us to have our heroine receive the
magic boots as a birthday present and will further involve her three
cats (playing in the yellow tulips in the fabric on the bottom row);
we found some butterflies that can remind her these are magic
boots; and we found a blanket she can wrap up in under the stars
at night. That should do it! There should be enough now to write
the story.
<------ This fabric arrangement isn't right yet, though. It doesn't
quite work with respect to color and value.
Finally, after shifting pieces around, we have a good balance in
this arrangement. --------->
We also like the horses centered just below the boots -- that's a
spectacular Timeless Treasures fabric. The horses are
magnificently real and the stuff of a horse-loving girl's daydream.
The next step will be deciding on the sashing -- the fabric that will
hold all the pieces together. We bought some batik to try and
have a few other options on hand.
More soon!
this arrangement. --------->
We also like the horses centered just below the boots -- that's a
spectacular Timeless Treasures fabric. The horses are
magnificently real and the stuff of a horse-loving girl's daydream.
The next step will be deciding on the sashing -- the fabric that will
hold all the pieces together. We bought some batik to try and
have a few other options on hand.
More soon!
April 23
Sashing. What holds the pieces together can make or break a quilt. We bought the yellow batik because it has all the right colors
and looked a bit like the western landscape. But it doesn't work well; some of the fabrics fade into it and others lack the impact they
should have.
On the shelf was a lovely Kaufman Fusions turquoise. It's perfect. The colors of the squares pop against this. Because it's the same
design as the boots, just a different color, it adds further coherence to the look. And, of course, it's a color we associate with the
Southwest.
Next -- putting together the top.
Sashing. What holds the pieces together can make or break a quilt. We bought the yellow batik because it has all the right colors
and looked a bit like the western landscape. But it doesn't work well; some of the fabrics fade into it and others lack the impact they
should have.
On the shelf was a lovely Kaufman Fusions turquoise. It's perfect. The colors of the squares pop against this. Because it's the same
design as the boots, just a different color, it adds further coherence to the look. And, of course, it's a color we associate with the
Southwest.
Next -- putting together the top.
April 26
The top has been assembled and basted to the back. The
sample quilt now is being quilted. Once that is completed
and the edges are trimmed, we will select a fabric for the
binding.
The top has been assembled and basted to the back. The
sample quilt now is being quilted. Once that is completed
and the edges are trimmed, we will select a fabric for the
binding.
We have decided to use the same red fabric for the
binding as for the boots. This will make the other reds
in the quilt stand out, further tying them visually to the
boots. Below, we are stitching on the binding.
We stitch the binding to the back, then turn it to the
front and do a small zigzag to anchor it. This is faster
and stronger -- important for a chilren's quilt -- than the
traditional blind stitch finish. We also use a double
layer of fabric, which wears much longer than a single
layer and is easier to work with.
TA-DA! Finished! Before the Magic Boots and Horses Storybook
Quilts earns its own page on the website, the story must be
completed. At this point, it's still in bits and pieces, but it should not
take long to complete.
