Lady in Gold

Are you familiar with the paintings of Gutav Klimt? Robert Kaufman fabrics introduced a line of fabric based on his work 6 or 7 years ago and I have been obssessed with it ever since.

Klimt painted in the late 1800’s through mid-1900’s, utilizing a technique for applying gold leaf to his work giving his paintings a burnished, formal appearance. He painted primarily women, including commissioned portraits, but also produced dazzling and detailed landscapes.

His use of bright color, gold, and symbols (his work is sprinkled with eyes, reputedly based on the Egyptian Eye of God) sparks my creativity. I find his work to be quite timeless, even comtemporary.

Previously, I completed two Klimt projects, including use of a fabric panel. Now I am digging into my Klimt stash and seeing what I can find. It’s exciting, like digging for buried treasure!

First up, is a panel based on his Lady in Gold or Adele Bloch Bauer I. The original painting was the subject of a book and a movie about the search for the painting, which stolen from a wealthy Austrian family by the Nazis.

First, I cut the panel apart and removed the main motif.

I didn’t spend much time on making the clamshells fit…did not use a grid. I wanted a more organic, painterly mood, so they overlap in a few places.

To complete the panel, I turned under the raw edge of the original border and appliqued it to the center section after adding a narrow deep blue border. Then I attached the bottom clamshell section and added the crossbar from the original panel border and appliqued it between the top and bottom sections. Throughout, I checked frequently to make sure that I was keeping the piece squared.

Completed panel, 29” x 45”. Ready for sandwiching and quilting! I hope to make the border look like a vintage gilded wood frame.

All the fabrics used are Klimt with the exception of the solid cobalt blue, which is dupioni silk and part of a fat quarter in my stash.

Happy quilting! And applique!

Lennea