Make a Container, in Patchwork, Inspired by Architecture!

Make a Container, in Patchwork, Inspired by Architecture!

This was the brief from my online City and Guilds course. Yes, well where to start?!? 

Container, it had to be a box, as I have made a lot (from kits, not designed them myself) during the years, so with that I was in my comfort zone. Patchwork, again within my comfort zone, soft curved free rotary cutting, a technique I love. Architecture, well Shaker Style is a great favorite, I have several books on the subject, furniture and a shaker style dolls house!

So with all those comforts, why was I still so uncomfortable.................?? Ah, that was the combination, I just couldn't get any ideas into my head. What to do? And I was very unsure that I would like the outcome, the very thought was very uninspiring. I want to be excited when I design something, not dreading it.

This story have a very happy ending, though - I just love the finished box, the colours, the shape and the quilting. So there you go - it can happen.

The finished box (should have given more thought to the background)

Some of my inspiration

Here the journey starts, with marks in books, rather a lot - too many in fact, I got carried away and nearly driveled onto the pages. Show me a book of cakes and it won't happen ☺
The next step was to eliminate my picture sources, to narrow down my choices.

The box type I wanted to make

Some boxes made previous from kits with inner box and outer box

This is how I would do my box, as I know this technique well. 11" cube (28x28x28cm)

Notes

Time to get my thoughts together - I started making notes on colours and shapes I like. Slowly, slowly the ideas started coming in. The colours narrowed down from the buildings and landscape, and suddenly the idea of quilting came to me: Clapboard on off-white, shingle on bluish-grey, drystone wall on dark brown, sandstone wall on grey-beige and windowpane on blue. How I love it when everything suddenly falls into place.

Making a start

The fabrics, card and wadding (batting). Placing the two fabrics on top of each other, right sides up. Cutting the first soft curve freehand. The first side pieced. Note the card mock-up model in the background. The great thing with this technique, is that no seam-allowance is needed.

The finished patchwork/quilt top

Top left: The finished pieced/quilted top - Bottom left: detail, quilting from left: Windowpane, clapboard, sandstone wall, drystone wall and roof shingles. Both right: the back.

Bottom half of the box nearly finished

This is the outer and inner box being made up, the inner box slightly smaller than the outer one. I ended o up glueing the two together at the top. The lid is the same colour inside and out and I sewed those together. The lid is also wadded on top.

My box

So here we go, my lovely shaker box!