Juliette! See Her Shine.

Ever find a pattern that you love, but no one else seems to? Esther Aliu’s Juliette is one such pattern. Thousands of applique enthusiasts eagerly embark on Esther’s flower centric patterns, including very intricate and complex patterns like Love Entwined and Secret Garden. but few have made Juliette.

I have made many of those intricate patterns, but now I am drawn back to Juliette, which I first made 5 years ago. Five? Wow! Juliette does not have romantic, twining vines and leaves. No roses adorn her, nor do garden vignettes with birds and butterflies. No handsome vases with lush bouquets, nor twirling ribbons.

Is this why Juliette is over looked, under rated and appreciated and lacking in the love shown Esther’s superb romantic designs?

What makes Juliette rock? And why have I returned to her after years of applique romance?

1) Strong graphics – I love a strong graphic design with long arcs and clear lines, with a good repeat like the bass line of a familar song.

2) Seductive “white space” – Sometimes those romantic applique designs leave little room to catch our breath, with one gorgeous bloom following another, following another…all wrapped in leafy vines. Or painstakingly detailed vignettes. Beautiful! and yet, and yet there is joy and peace in the space between images. The space where we catch our breath before our eye moves to the next image. The space where we rest and find solace and where our imagination soars.

3) Graceful Movement – the balance and symmetry in Juliette leads us smoothly from one element to the next, allowing the eye to travel without interruption.

4) Color flexibility – Juliette can be make in as little as two colors. It would be terrific in basic black and white. Pastels or brights? Prints or solids? It is quite flexible. I love a large scale print and they can be difficult to use in an applique pattern, but Juliette can accomodate them with its larger pieces and clean lines.

5) Simplicity equals opportunity – with Juliette’s simple graphic lines, it provides an opportunity for exploring a wider range of embelishment than you might normally utilize. Or leave it simple and stunning!

I have a few commitments coming up and will probably start the applique work later this month.

Happy quilting all!

Lennea