Victorian Crazy Quilt – Chinese Lanterns - block 7

 

In doing a Victorian Quilt project as large as this I learned that you really do have to keep your mind open as to all the possibilities for embellishing it. A person has the advantage of using a variety of different fabrics, which allows each block to become totally different from the rest. You have a pretty wide assortment of embroidery threads to work with, and an endless selection of stitches to employ into the project. The glass bead selection was always a challenge for me while doing this quilt. As I progressed, I also started to incorporate small novelty buttons where they would be appropriate. While I was making this quilt I did not have access to the internet, or any special outlets to purchase beads. Every trip to the fabric and craft stores was like a scavenger hunt for more beads.

 

 

You can see in this photo that the stitches and beads are never just thrown into the quilt hap hazard. A very great deal of thought and planning went into the embellishing of each seam of the quilt.

 

 

Although it may seem that the quilt is heavily embroidered, there are areas such as this one that are very lightly embellished.

 

 

The visual intensity of this process of the quilt is just fascinating. I added the Mother of Pearl button shaped like a moon to catch your eye, and then you are draw to the creamy blue beads. These little blue beads are what inspired the name of this block. They reminded me of Chinese lanterns. All this bead work keeps the eyes roaming and the attention of the viewer very enchanted, and always looking for more.

 

 

I liked the blue beads so much, that when I found them in gold I just had to add a row of those also.

 

 

Here is a close up of my Chinese lanterns. Lovely!