It Started With A Rooster

One year, I started selling applique templates. I think it was 2014. Minutes or maybe an hour after putting the template on Etsy, it sold. I couldn't believe it. You know what else is unbelievable? I spent at least a month working on it. Like I fussed over this and that, it took forever to be satisfied. Anyway, because the rooster applique was my first applique in the shop, it has a special place in my heart. What you see above is one of the samples I made. I think I made a few and after making them, I put them away in a box. I've always wanted to do something with the rooster applique and since this month is my month of finishing UFO, I thought I'll give it a shot.

When I look at the rooster, I immediately feel nostalgic particularly about my childhood days. Back then I was living in a village in the 70's. (yes, I'm pretty old) We had a rooster. Or maybe more than one. I'm not sure. My mother reared a few hens, mainly as prayer food. (yes, we get to eat them too) Our rooster or roosters were not attuned to our Singapore time zone. Maybe it was a foreign rooster. Every morning, the dem rooster or roosters would crow at the top of his voice.

coo coo COO COO. coo coo COO COO. coo coo COO COO. coo coo COO COO.  Over and over again until eventually it grew tired. At 5am in the morning.

Back then our sunrise was 6am. It's not true that roosters crow in the morning. They crow whenever they like. Afternoon, evening, night. Especially at 5am in the morning. That's their favourite crowing time.

One time I asked my mother to cook the rooster. I was shocked when she said we do not eat roosters. We only eat hens. I asked her why and she said because rooster meat is tough. Man, that was news to me. I forgot to ask her why we kept the roosters around. Maybe she needed him as an alarm clock?

I don't know if you remember my love for anything Janet Bolton, my applique hero? I wanted to use the rooster applique in a Janet Bolton inspired art quilt. First, I had to hold a fabric audition.

At first I went with this but later I removed the blue houses fabric because it was too distracting.  I think Amy Butler won the bottom border.

I added a batting and sewed running stitches mimicking the curve of the sun. To me, the running stitches is the most important element of the art quilt. Without the puckers, it's too flat.

Perspective is totally disregarded.

These are gravity defying trees.

Flowers - in odd numbers, of course.

And the rooster did fly too close to the sun.

Every artist should sign her work. Mine was not very elegantly done because I used permanent ink and I had to sew over the marks. (shhhh)

Topstitch of the border using one of my favourite golden beige thread.

The final top stitch to secure the quilt to the backing. This is very Janet Bolton. I'm not sure exactly how she does it but I know she allows the stitches to show at the back. Haha. I used to be quite anal about hiding raw stitches but Janet Bolton has opened my eyes. Or shielded them?

I really love the final look. It has parts of me and parts of Janet Bolton. <swoon> It took me weeks to complete it. I'm utterly exhausted. What do you think? Is it too childish or just the right amount of child-like qualities?

6th UFO completed. <happy dance>