I recently purchased Johanna Basford's book Secret Garden. Johanna is an illustrator who creates intricate, hand drawn illustrations predominantly, although not exclusively, in black and white.
Secret Garden is an interactive activity book which takes you on a ramble through a secret garden created in beautifully detailed pen-and-ink illustrations. The illustrations in this Inky Treasure Hunt and Colouring Book are just divine. I was drawn to this book for the potential of some of these images to be quilted.
With Johanna's permission, I enlarged one or her illustrations and spent some fun time playing on my new quilting machine. I was thrilled with the fine detail I was able to quilt in the piece. My Secret Garden measures about 24 inches in diameter and was quilted on Oakshott Cotton fabric using Wonderfil Invisafil 100wt thread. The quilt was marked with the design and quilted freehand.
My Secret Garden - Detail
Johanna's next book Enchanted Forest: An Inky Quest and Colouring Book is due to be released soon - I wonder what inspiration awaits there!
Surely this beauty will be duly adorned with a blue ribbon, should you decide to enter it in a quilt show?! Absolutely stunning Karen! Your talent knows no bounds....
ReplyDeleteBoth are inspirational: the book and your quilting, Karen!
ReplyDeleteWhat beautiful quilting and a fabulous design! thank you for the inspiration.
ReplyDeleteOh my goodness, your quilting is so beautiful. I'm sure Johanna would be over the moon to see her illustration has inspired such a beautiful piece.
ReplyDeleteThis is truly amazing!
ReplyDeleteSeu trabalho é deslumbrante, Karen!
ReplyDeleteEstou colorindo o livro e ele é lindíssimo...parabéns por sua ideia e realização!
Abraços,
Marlei
from Brasil
Beautiful work! I bought the Enchanted Forest book today and one of my first thoughts was how would it look as a whole cloth quilt ;)
ReplyDeleteabsolutely beautiful! I've heard of that book - now i think i have to get it! Your work is wonderful.
ReplyDeleteI absolutely love Johanna's art work and you've done a fabulous job of interpreting it with your lovely quilting!
ReplyDeleteOh my - could you have interpreted her work any better? It' beautiful!
ReplyDeletestunning
ReplyDeleteYour work is absolutely beyond words. Just exquisite.
ReplyDeleteWell done Karen! I was thinking along those same lines when I saw my copy of the book! Thank you for sharing what it could look like!
ReplyDeleteI'm speechless! Outstanding work.
ReplyDeleteI also have this book, the illustrations are out of this world and credit to the wonderful patient lady who sat and developed them
ReplyDeleteI just received The Secret Garden for my birthday last week. Boy of boy have you taken inspiration from the book to an amazing level! Impressive and stunning quilt!
ReplyDeleteKaren, I'm glad you didn't keep your stunning "Secret Garden" a secret! What method did you use for marking? I have yet to find one that is bold enough to see while machine quilting, and doesn't brush off before I finish. I'd appreciate any marking tips. Cwoosley12@yahoo.com
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