Rapunzel Quilt

Rapunzel Quilt, 2009 — present (unfinished); 3 ft x 3 ft. Techniques: hand applique, embroidery, machine topstitch.

Goals for this project:

• Applique/embroider Rapunzel into that darn tower! I hesitated to do this for years because I didn’t want to ruin the project by plastering a badly-done princess onto my lovely, time-consuming quilt. Making good-looking embroidered faces is HARD! (Looking at you, kooky medieval vestments. Yes, I know, kooky medieval vestment faces are amazing, just not on my quilt.) I have attempted faces a few times, in plain embroidery (Tristram and Isolde), and more recently in applique with embroidered facial features (Ave Maris Stella), which is easier and looks cleaner.
• Add more vegetation, including vines on the tower, more grass, more flowers, more strawberries, more leaves, needles on the pine trees.
• Finish outlining major elements in black.
• Add more gnomes? More butterflies? Some bumblebees? Should we give Rapunzel a cat? A prince somewhere off in the distance?
• Batting, backing, and binding.

Hopefully this will be done before another 8 years fly by 🙂

(Click to enlarge)

Full quilt, 3ft x 3ft, 2009-present (unfinished). Techniques used: hand applique, hand embroidery, stumpwork, machine topstitching

(3 in x 3 in Post-it note for reference.)

Trees and tower detail. Tower is printed fabric (not including roof).

Trees detail.

Trees detail.

Layers of applique, whipped backstitch branches and black outline around pine branches, lazy daisy leaves, seed beads.

Tree detail.

Layers of applique, embroidered grass and bushes.

Leaves detail.

Grass detail.

Leaves detail.

Leaves detail.

Tree trunks detail.

Roof and tree trunks detail. Roof tiles embroidered with 1-ply black and metallic thread on blue applique.

Tree trunks detail. Fine lines stitched by machine.

Leaves detail.

Butterfly detail.

Butterfly detail.

Butterfly cut from printed fabric, appliqued, and embroidered.

Gnome tree house and flowers.

Embroidered gnome and hedgehog, stepping stones cut from printed fabric, fine topstitching on trunk done by machine, thick lines whipped backstitch.

Campanula, or rampion bellflowers. 3-ply silk floss (1-ply stripes) and seed beads.

Campanula detail.

Campanula detail. Silk floss is glossier than cotton.

Bottom border.

Stuffed, appliqued velvet strawberries with green seed beads, appliqued and embroidered leaves and flowers.

Strawberry detail.

Strawberry detail. Silk floss is glossier than cotton.

Butterfly cut from printed fabric, appliqued and embroidered.

Flower detail. 3-ply silk satin stitch, french knots.

Back. All pieces appliqued in layers onto white cotton.

Back. Bushes and grass detail.

Back. Butterfly and strawberries detail. Light green thread on back of strawberries shows where white backing was cut to stuff the strawberries.

Back. Gnome and hedgehog detail.

Back. Tree trunk detail. Fine lines are done by machine.