What a challenge this was!! Socially unconventional person, especially one involved in the arts, is the definition of a bohemian. There were so many possibilities to consider; only a limited amount of time for execution!!!
I went on a trip this spring to the California coast and drove to Big Sur. The destination was Nepenthe, the restaurant owned by Bill and Lolly Fassett. The restaurant has been known for its Bohemian look and feel, belly dancing, and poetry readings and was a favorite of many from the LA scene. Hmm, their son Kaffe grew up there and is my favorite fabric and quilt designer whose signature is bright, bold, unconventional prints and his first artistic endeavors were in painting.
An idea started to form. My first thought was to recreate the gorgeous view from Nepenthe using his fabrics. While I worked on a drawing and started fabric placement, I quickly realized I would be trying once again to recreate a realistic picture using fused fabrics. Uhhhh, that's been my MO for many reveals!!! Instead, I challenged myself to use his fabrics to create a Bohemian inspired but traditionally pieced wall hanging.
Yikes - I have so many Kaffe fabrics to choose from I was overwhelmed!!! I was eventually drawn to a gorgeous black floral print. In my "discovery" process I came across a quilt made using log cabin blocks constructed with irregular sized strips. There was a focus fabric in a bright print surrounded with strips in contrasting colors. The blocks were cut in fourths and reassembled to create a very random design. My plan was to use that method and create blocks with the black print and bright and contrasting colors that would achieve an eclectic vibe. I created a nine patch piece but it was very busy and had no real focus. After much thought, rearrangement and auditioning of ideas and designs, I decided to add the elephant in complementary colors. (the elephant is fused -- I can't stop myself!!) Why an elephant you may ask??? When I googled Bohemian images for ideas, a colorful, jeweled elephant was often in the design of a wall hanging, painting or other image. And it seemed to fit with my own vision of something bohemian. It was the focus the piece needed!!(the focus fabric for the block centers is used as the entire right hand border. In the upper left hand border is a complementary fabric of Brandon Mably's, Kaffe's partner).
The piece is 17" X 22' and is machine quilted with variegated rayon thread and embellished with beads, crystals and hand dyed yarns and threads. Gaja is the Sanskrit word for elephant.
