'One Flew the Coop' - a modern finish featuring Japanese cottons

"One Flew the Coop" hanging in the sun outside the Menil Collection.
Spring is here. The sun is out. Perfect day for photographing my latest modern art quilt.

"One Flew the Coop" by Teresa Duryea Wong. 2015.
Cotton, Japanese Echino prints. Applique, machine quilted.
I'm calling this one "One Flew the Coop." I photographed it today outside the Menil Collection in Houston - one of my favorite art spots.

All of the prints are Japanese cotton, Echino designs. The background is also a Japanese cotton with a color gradation from black to white.

I love the fun Echino vibe and the muted, but somehow still vibrant colors. So special. And the birds are just lovely. When I found these fabrics, I was already in the middle of another project but I put that one away and this took over.

I took inspiration from the modern quilts I saw at QuiltCon --- specifically the use of dense quilting in the negative space. But when I designed this quilt, I also wanted to feature the Echino prints "whole" so to speak, without cutting them up for applique and without just plopping a couple straight yards together. So I created this circle in square motif... with one bird free.
"One Flew the Coop" (detail) by Teresa Duryea Wong. 2015. 
Cotton, Japanese Echino prints. Applique, machine quilted.

Here's the back, almost as fun as the front. The backing is a Peppered Cotton from Pepper Cory. Beautiful color with a nice sheen.
"One Flew the Coop" (back view) by Teresa Duryea Wong. 2015.
Cotton, Japanese Echino prints. Applique, machine quilted.
"One Flew the Coop" (detail) by Teresa Duryea Wong. 2015.
Cotton, Japanese Echino prints. Applique, machine quilted.
The one "free bird" is made with applique and a thread painting technique. The other birds feature a trapunto method - meaning they are lifted off the surface. This is done by placing the quilt top and batting together and sewing a fine line around the image (using free motion). Then the batting is cut away very close to the line. So when the entire top is quilted to the other layers, the extra layer of batting under the birds raises them off the surface, and it preserves their image on the quilt back.

"One Flew the Coop" (back view, detail) by Teresa Duryea Wong. 2015. 
Cotton, Japanese Echino prints. Applique, machine quilted.
The backing is quilted exclusively with a variegated yellow Aurifil #3920, 50 wt. I used one entire spool and half of another one!  The front is quilted with a variety of Aurifil in turquoise, purple, yellow and gray, black and white. All are 50 wt.  I love the look of this cotton thread on these beautiful cotton fabrics.

I blogged about this quilt a few weeks ago - specifically my Aurifil emergency when I ran out of backing thread. Fortunately, I am married to a very kind and supportive husband and he made the 30 minute trek to the quilt store to buy me another spool. Lesson learned, buy more the next time I am standing in front of a full display!

Anyway, this quilt "One Flew the Coop" will be one of several quilts I plan to take with me as part of my small trunk show for my upcoming book tour. I'll be out at quilt guilds later this year and next to share stories from my new book on the history of Japanese quilts.

And if you've been patient enough to read this far... I'll share one more tidbit. The title I chose for this piece has a double meaning. "One Flew the Coop" refers of course to the one free bird, but it's also indicative of my life right now. We have one young adult daughter who has flown the coop and one young adult son who lives at home, but is set to graduate from college soon!!! Hoping my next quilt will be "two flew the coop."

Linking up
Off the Wall Fridays
Free Motion Mavericks

Comments

  1. very interesting piece Teresa! Cool!
    LeeAnna at not afraid of color

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  2. Congratulations on a lovely finish. I like your circle in a square, the perfect way to incorporate large pieces of this gorgeous fabric.
    Years ago I lived in one of Dominique's rentals - all painted the same dark grey with white trim. I remember how exciting it was when the museum broke ground. What a great location for a photo shoot.

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  3. Hello Teresa,

    What a fabulous finish! The Japanese prints are so striking, and you have used them to great effect. I think the back view has its own surprise - to me some of the quilted circles look like Earth seen from space.

    Your daughter leaving home calls to mind my son, who will soon be back at home with us for a few weeks between jobs and flats. The quilt shows that the place at home for your daughter always remains open.

    Thank you for linking up with Free Motion Mavericks!

    Love, Muv

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  4. Love it.....actually I love everyting about this piece! I'm wondering if you could share details about your hanging sleeve. I've never seen a configuration like this....wonder if others might be interested as well.

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  5. I just picked my jaw up off the floor! This is amazing Teresa! There is so much to take in on this quilt. The meaning (I have 2 who won't leave) , the quilting (perfect), the fabric (gorgeous), the back (spectacular)!! It is all machine quilted? How did you like using the Peppered Cotton for the backing? I love how you carried the circles/square throughout the top. Creative genius comes to mind looking at this!

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  6. The quilt is absolutely striking! And I love the double meaning of the title. I hope that you will enter this quilt in an exhibit.

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  7. Oh, Teresa. You have truly outdone yourself. Just spectacular. I hope I have the opportunity to admire this one in person!!

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  8. A lovely way to use those special fabrics- its hard to know how best to use them to their fullest advantage.

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  9. This is really great. Feels modern and art at the same time (something I struggle with) so kudos!!

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  10. Great photo shoot idea for such a vibrantly beautiful quilt! ~Sharon

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  11. Beautiful quilt, LOVE how you showcased the birds on both the front and the back with quilting. "One Flew the Coop" is such a great concept, and you captured it so perfectly.

    -Soma

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  12. Great quilt and what a wonderful picture taking location!

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  13. Wow wow WOW Teresa, this is a most impressive quilt! This is an award winner for sure ! Love the name of it !

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  14. I love this quilt Teresa, there are so many little details to appreciate as well as the overall artistic presentation. Beautifully done. I wonder what Two Flew the Coop over will look like...

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