Tuesday, April 12, 2011

Nénuphars in Sapporo

I had never really cared much about the colour chartreuse before this challenge. But when Gerrie picked it as our new colour scheme, I suddenly discovered that chartreuse was everywhere, even in my collections of pictures. I also found out that this colour was going well with many others and, eventually, that I rather liked it.
I chose a few photos that inspired me, some taken during my trip in Japan last year, and I finally decided to concentrate on water lilies photographed in Sapporo.
And here is my chartreuse quilt...
First, I hand-dyed many shades of chartreuse. (I've got a lot of chartreuse fabric in my stash now!). I added dark green and purple as I found these colours made a nice contrast with the light shades of chartreuse. The water lilies, flowers and leaves, are stitched through all layers. The quilt is completely quilted by machine except for the three little hand-stitched flowers on the upper left side.
Here's a detail of the quilting...
"Nénuphars" is the French word for water lilies. When I see water lilies, I often think of Claude Monet's Nympheas. I fell in love with them, and with Impressionism, 35 years ago in Paris, but I still have to visit Monet's garden in Giverny.
I will post more pictures later today, or tomorrow, on my blog.

13 comments:

Gerrie said...

Beautiful and zen-like - your forte! I love the purple with the chartreuse. Reminds me of a cool peaceful place for a warm spring day,

Unknown said...

Francoise,

J'aime beaucoup vos nenuphars. Si simples et si beaux comme dans un jardin japonais. Le quilting rappelle les lignes crees par les rateaux dans le sable ou les petits galets de ces jardins. Tres reussi.

Annick

Karen said...

This is so serene, and I love the lily pads. It reminds me of the times I spent in Japan.

Terri Stegmiller said...

This is very lovely. Very peaceful and a fantastic setting for the stitched lilies.

Kristin L said...

It's gorgeous Françoise! I love the way the stitching guides the eye around and yet the whole piece has such a lovely, serene feel.

Cedar Ridge Studio said...

Love it and love the combination of colors.

kirsten said...

So elegant! My favourites are the little purple lilies off in the corner doing their own thing :)
There's nice weight to this.

Diane Perin said...

What a beautiful piece -- it has a very elegant balance to it. I love how you've stitched in the pad and flower shapes, and how you vary the lines on your stitching. I did not know the french word nenuphar but it has such a nice sound and rhythm. Like your piece!

Terry Grant said...

My favorite part of this serenely beautiful piece is the bottom strip of rich purple fabric and even more, the stitched pattern of the lily pad and the the lines radiating out from it. That gives the piece such a beautiful and unusual kind of grounding element.

Deborah Boschert said...

Well, of course, I adore the green and the purple! The stitching is such a beautiful compliment to the pieced composition. I am also quite impressed with the beginning and endings of your quilting lines. They are so tight and clean!

Renate said...

Simple by very elegant. This piece gives me a sense of being by a cool lush pond as an escape from the heat of the day. A place where I can gently dip my hand in the water's surface and what the ripples change my reflection.

dutchcomfort said...

Everything is so balanced, the colours, the stitching. It feel so Zen to me!

Createology said...

I love the simplicity of this with it's wonderful stitching. Lovely use of chartreuse.