Bali Hibiscus

I have been thinking about this quilt for a long time. I had a single, oversize flower in mind. Then a friend e-mailed photos from a trip to Bali, and this hibiscus was amongst them. From the photo I created a drawing showing highlights and shadows, which I enlarged to 36 x 44 inches. Then I went shopping for a range of pink fabrics. Since the photo was taken in Bali, I chose to use nearly all Bali Batik fabrics in the quilt. When completed, the individual petals are about two feet in diameter and somewhat fragile as they travel from ironing board to design wall to be pinned in place. Each petal is made up of 20 to 25 shapes, each cut individually and pieced together like a puzzle. The resulting petals are taking on their own life, which, while maybe not recognizably like the photo, are pleasing. I really love the scallop shape of each petal, and don't know that I would have made the connection if they were purple, say, or orange. A deep brown Batik with a subtle leaf pattern forms the ground, and several shades of green will create a crown of leaves. I am looking forward to the thread painting part--bought a special spool of variegated thread in many shades of pink to help blend the colors.