Otomi Design with Fanciful Creatures, Quilted, Appliquéd, Pillow Cover in Blue 18 x 18

Description

These pieces are inspired by traditional Otomi embroidery designs. Embroidery of this type is made by indigenous people from the state of Hidalgo, Mexico. Typical designs are fanciful animals, flowers, and leaves. The embroidery is usually a satin-stitch which is very labor intensive. I’ve always loved these designs but I wanted to reproduce them as appliqués using mostly Kaffe Fassett fabrics. When using fabrics with large designs, it is important to cut them out very carefully. This method is called “fussy-cutting” in quilting terms.

All of the figures are machine-stitched in place. After all the designs have been sewn in place, the background is quilted using the free-motion method. All of the fabrics are 100% cotton except for the background which is linen. The pompoms are attached when the back cover is added. All of the pillow covers are signed in the back. The pillow insert is not included, but you can purchase pillow forms from many locations.

This pillow’s background is a dark blue vintage linen that looks like denim.  The figures are a rabbit and two deer. The animals and  flowers have all been created from Kaffe Fassett fabrics. To me, the animals almost look like they are dancing together.  The linen fabric really lends itself well to the free-motion quilting in the background.  It gives the design more depth. The multicolored pom-poms are handmade in Mexico. All of the stems are hand embroidered. This pillow cover has a buttoned opening in the back which is a Kaffe Fassett fabric. The buttons are vintage.