Falling in love again with appliqué at the craft fair Pour l’Amour du Fil
There were so many gorgeous appliqué quilts at the craft fair Pour l’Amour du Fil in Nantes, too many for one blog post, so to begin with, we’re focusing on two artists : Deborah Dorward and Megan Manwaring.
I took a lot of photos at the craft show, but they’re not always the best quality, my apologies in advance! I love the details and playful elements in this appliqué quilt by Deborah Dorward. The work is titled “The Simple Life” and it depicts European Renaissance figures, including imaginary figures, such as this unicorn. ;)
The applique pieces appear to be sewn using needle turn appliqué, but perhaps they are made with traditional appliqué. In any case, this is very meticulous work!
You can find this pattern in Dorward’s book “Stitches of Time” by Quiltmania and you can follow Deborah Dorward on Instagram @deborahdorward.
And now, for an exploration of the works of Megan Manwaring:
First of all, I took a workshop by Megan Manwaring - making a “Mini Mandala” cushion in appliqué - and it was awesome! I really love the project and the fabric, and enjoy using these techniques. Megan was able to perfectly anticipate our needs and answer our questions during the workshop. You can feel her passion for the craft!
Here’s a photo of the project (as yet unsewn) to give you an idea of the final result. She provided us with a kit that includes fabric, instructions, and her mylar templates.
We can see the same pattern used in her quilt “Appliqué Sampler with a Twist”.
Indeed, this pattern can be repeated to create a larger quilt and I’m very tempted to do so!
I like the way Manwaring plays with traditional techniques (appliqué, for example) by combining them with very modern colors and fabrics.
The interruption of the overall design structure in this quilt (“Daily Dose version 1”) catches your eye and I think it's an effective way to enliven the design. This injects more movement and energy into the work.
You can see more of her work on her Instagram account @meganmanwaring, and she also has several patterns for sale with Quiltmania, such as “Daily Dose” and “Applique Sampler with a Twist”.
There was so much to discover and explore at the craft fair, so we’re going to share our experience at Pour L’Amour du Fil with you a little at a time - watch this space! ;)
