The Rise of the Phoenix
In 2021 when all the WI’s in the Lincolnshire South Federation were asked to make a pennant to represent their WI, South Kyme was in dire straits. Numbers had dwindled to just 8 and it seemed that the institute had not been supported by the village for some time. We were on the verge of closing for the second time. This was very sad since South Kyme was one of the first villages in Lincolnshire to have a WI (founded 1920-21). Unwilling to face this, Melissa Tarrant, a long standing member, single-handedly took on the revival of the institute by approaching all the ladies she met in the village whether she knew them or not. She succeeded and South Kyme once again has a thriving WI with younger members and a younger leadership.
So, when it came to choosing a subject for our pennant the Phoenix was very apt. Also, no-one knows what a Phoenix looks like so I couldn’t go wrong. The size of the pennant meant that the design required to be simplified if it was to be clear and to stand out.
Whenever I had to make a presentation for work the photography department would mount photographs etc on a bright blue background to make everything pop so that was an obvious choice for me. The Phoenix had to contrast well if it was to stand out and gold was another obvious choice as well as making it special.
The internet provided inspiration for the Phoenix. A template was drawn, redrawn and drawn again. Talons and legs were abandoned, being too complex and awkward to fit into the pennant shape. The tail was chopped off twice and new ones designed.
Techniques used:
1. Phoenix and letters in gold material fused to blue pennant shape using bondaweb.
2. Contemporary Trapunto technique used to provide shaped padding to the Phoenix (polyester wadding used to give a higher loft - first a piece placed behind the tummy, then a second piece behind the whole Phoenix. The wadding was machine sewn in place from the front, inside the edge of the shape, water-soluble thread used on the top of the machine and normal sewing thread in the bobbin. The excess wadding was then cut back as close as possible to the stitching leaving just the Phoenix padded.)
3. The pennant was layered up in order - the green supplied by the Federation, a thin flax and cotton wadding and the blue top with gold design.
4. The Phoenix was sewn close to the raw edge and around the tummy with polyester cotton in a colour close to the gold material and the water-soluble stitching from the Trapunto removed by gentle spraying with water.
5. The raw edge of the Phoenix was covered with cotton knitting yarn held with zigzag stitches. The raw edge of the letters were covered with a bold machine button hole stitch.
6. ‘Smoke’ was machine-quilted from the bottom point of the pennant up the sides of the Phoenix to suggest the Phoenix rising from the ashes.
7. Small rhinestones in red, orange and silver were applied using a purposed soldering iron in the smoke quilting to represent embers and a red rhinestone was applied as the eye of the Phoenix.
8. The body of the Phoenix was given more shape and shading by painting dots of gold/orange and red Maribu glitter (see best in show, Festival of Quilts 2021 to see outstanding use of these glitter paints and liners).
9. Finally the edges of the pennant were neatened by binding in the blue material.
N.B. No materials or notions were purchased for this pennant. They all came from my existing stash, so I consider this environmentally good.
by Mary Jackson
So, when it came to choosing a subject for our pennant the Phoenix was very apt. Also, no-one knows what a Phoenix looks like so I couldn’t go wrong. The size of the pennant meant that the design required to be simplified if it was to be clear and to stand out.
Whenever I had to make a presentation for work the photography department would mount photographs etc on a bright blue background to make everything pop so that was an obvious choice for me. The Phoenix had to contrast well if it was to stand out and gold was another obvious choice as well as making it special.
The internet provided inspiration for the Phoenix. A template was drawn, redrawn and drawn again. Talons and legs were abandoned, being too complex and awkward to fit into the pennant shape. The tail was chopped off twice and new ones designed.
Techniques used:
1. Phoenix and letters in gold material fused to blue pennant shape using bondaweb.
2. Contemporary Trapunto technique used to provide shaped padding to the Phoenix (polyester wadding used to give a higher loft - first a piece placed behind the tummy, then a second piece behind the whole Phoenix. The wadding was machine sewn in place from the front, inside the edge of the shape, water-soluble thread used on the top of the machine and normal sewing thread in the bobbin. The excess wadding was then cut back as close as possible to the stitching leaving just the Phoenix padded.)
3. The pennant was layered up in order - the green supplied by the Federation, a thin flax and cotton wadding and the blue top with gold design.
4. The Phoenix was sewn close to the raw edge and around the tummy with polyester cotton in a colour close to the gold material and the water-soluble stitching from the Trapunto removed by gentle spraying with water.
5. The raw edge of the Phoenix was covered with cotton knitting yarn held with zigzag stitches. The raw edge of the letters were covered with a bold machine button hole stitch.
6. ‘Smoke’ was machine-quilted from the bottom point of the pennant up the sides of the Phoenix to suggest the Phoenix rising from the ashes.
7. Small rhinestones in red, orange and silver were applied using a purposed soldering iron in the smoke quilting to represent embers and a red rhinestone was applied as the eye of the Phoenix.
8. The body of the Phoenix was given more shape and shading by painting dots of gold/orange and red Maribu glitter (see best in show, Festival of Quilts 2021 to see outstanding use of these glitter paints and liners).
9. Finally the edges of the pennant were neatened by binding in the blue material.
N.B. No materials or notions were purchased for this pennant. They all came from my existing stash, so I consider this environmentally good.
by Mary Jackson