This joyful, elegant swing coat represents the second life of an absolutely stunning Civil War-era red, white & green Princess Feather appliqué quilt. The red had long since faded to a deep, soft pink, the green lost much of its pigment and the surface of the precious quilt sustained so much irreversible wear it was hard to know what to do with it.
The challenge became showcasing as much of the extraordinarily fine hand-quilted texture and charming appliqué as possible, while avoiding, concealing or protecting the areas that had thinned. The flowy shape, panels and ample pockets of a swing coat met the challenge.
The contemporary Japanese print patches introduced an unexpected accent color while providing cover for small surface flaws. The playful ovoid shapes were suggested by the quilt's round-edged organic-looking appliqué fronds. The center of the quilt had the heaviest damage, so Joanne's design focused most on the merry festoons that formed the border, often bringing together once-distant edges in novel ways. Intriguing bits of the showy Princess Feathers show up here and there.
The quilt is luxuriously lined in silk charmeuse and faced in a beautiful, pale spring green solid that provides a cooling complement to the rich design.
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