And so.....

This very pretty little banksia ( though the tree is getting mighty large) has the prettiest flowers- very dainty with little "pearls" at the end of the stamens. My favourite banksia is ericafolia because of the colour of the candles - which are a rich terracotta colour with yellow and orange.















So I am making another banksia quilt- they always sell well, and some of what I make is driven by the need to sell. However I like doing these as I have many banksias in my garden and they flower in the winter- adding colour to the drabness of winter.




















Arranging the appliques and then stitching. I straight stitch around the edge- have done so for about 14 years now. Helen asked what gold paint I used- I used Jacquard Textile ink, only because that is all I had and I found it a bit too runny, I prefer to use the Texcraft Golden Lustre Textile Ink i get form Kraft Kolour.
And no I didn't double thread Gilgamesh rug as the silk was too fine to take the heaviness of the double thread- though I did go round several times on the outside of the circles. And yes you use only one bobbin thread.It also allows you to run a yellow and organge thread for greater colour texture. Or as I am doing on the banksia leaves- a lime green and a soft moss green sort of colour- it really does give more interest and I prefer it to variegated threads.

Now to embroider the flowers and a lot of the texture in this piece will come from the quilting. And when does quilting become embroidery? I often use quilting in much the same way as you embroider- with colours and texture.