California Poppy

Hey Everyone, welcome back to Coffee Talk Saturday.

It’s my mom’s birthday and a milestone one to boot – 80 years old today. I find it hard to believe that she is 80 as I think every kid believes that their parents will never grow old no matter how old we get.

My mom doesn’t have a lot of wall space in her suite as I’m pretty sure she put up every picture and photo she owns but I know she will make some space for her birthday present – a Bargello Poppy.

I made this piece a year and a half ago when I was creating a piece for the summer 2014 issue of A Needle Pulling Thread magazine (ANPT for short). I had enough Bargello left over to create this second piece of a poppy swaying in the breeze.

[Update: I’ve since created a pattern for both versions of these Bargello Poppy Wall Hangings.]

Both pieces are very different and very striking in the complementary colour scheme of blue and orange. The inspiration for these two pieces came from a field of California Poppies I came across on a visit to California.

Here is the piece I created for the ANPT magazine. Just the poppy with a fuzzy centre couched on with a great variegated yarn that has lots of texture.

Orange poppy on a blue background

Poppy

Once again I used my favourite free motion zigzag stitch to enhance around the petals on both pieces.

Mom’s gift I did small stippling in the background and the ANPT piece I did half a burlap stitch on an angle with some cross hatching.

Closer view of sticking, quilting and couching

Close up of stitching

The borders were simple so as not to deter from the beauty of the flowers.

Poppies are a great flower and I had fun creating these two wonderful pieces.

I have now published a pattern with everything you need to create either of these beautiful wall hangings. Go to the Bargello Poppies Quilt Pattern.

Anyway I must go as there is homemade chocolate cake (my mom’s recipe of course) to be eaten and I get a corner piece – the corner’s are the best because that’s where the most icing is.

Happy Birthday Mom!

Happy Quilting!

Jen Transparent Signature

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