Constantinople Quilts: 8 Stunning Appliqué Projects Inspired by Turkish Iznik Tiles

by Tamsin Harvey

Overview

Travel to an exotic land with timeless designs inspired by Turkish Iznik tiles from the Ottoman Empire. Bursting with flora and organic symmetry, the book’s exquisite fusible appliqué projects will take your breath away. Your journey begins with the basics—choosing the right fabric, thread, and needles for hand-stitched or machine appliqué. Newer or busy quilters can start with table runners or bags and work their way up to Tamsin Harvey’s stunning master quilts. Location photography enhances 8 patterns that effortlessly go from ancient places to contemporary spaces.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781617450112
Publisher:	C & T Publishing
Publication date:	05/01/2015
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	144
Product dimensions:	8.40(w) x 10.90(h) x 0.50(d)

About the Author

Tamsin Harvey is a pattern designer and co-owns a quilt shop with her mother. Tamsin brings her passion for history and exotic places to her designs, and her quilts have appeared in several Australian patchwork magazines. She lives in Australia’s Southern Highlands. berrimapatchwork.com.au

Table of Contents

Dedication and Acknowledgments Introduction Photo Gallery of the Projects Getting Started Sewing Machine Sewing Machine Feet Sewing Machine Stitch Threads to Use on a Sewing Machine Sewing Machine Tension Sewing Machine Needles Hand Sewing Supplies General Sewing Supplies Fabric Selection Batting Fusible Web Fabric Quantities Working in Sections General Information How-to Instructions Transfer of Appliqué Design Tracing Designs onto Tracing Paper Tracing Designs onto Fusible Web Cutting Out Designs and Placement Positioning the Design Using Tracing Paper Fusing Multi Piece Flowers Machine Appliqué Machine Appliqué: Corners Machine Appliqué: Inside “V” Angles Quiltmaking Basics: How to Finish Your Quilt Pressing the Seam Allowance Mitering the Borders Pinning the Quilt Machine Quilting Basics Binding the Quilt Projects Gelibolu Bag Sultan’s Cushions and Bed Scarf Nicaea Table Runner Eyüp Table Runner Blue Çini Topkapı The Peacock Istanbul Supplies and Resources List Bibliography Tile Photo Locations in Turkey About the Author

Editorial Reviews

03/02/2015
Even if you never get past the pictures of Iznik pottery tiles, Harvey’s book has merit, for the blues, greens, and rusts of Turkish ceramics crafted during the height of the Ottoman Empire are a feast for the eyes. Harvey, an Australian quilt-shop owner, explains the tiles’ history in Turkish locales, and then she gets down to the business of turning patterns on clay into quilt designs. Basic instructions begin with lessons on the sewing machine and on fabric and batting. How-to instructions include tracing designs, using templates, and using machine appliqué for corners and angles. The eight projects range from small to large, starting with a Geliboulu (aka Gallipoli, site of major WWI battles) carry-all. Harvey has also designed blue cushions and a bed scarf fit for a sultan of the Ottoman dynasty, two table runners (a two-toned blue, based on ceramics from the city of Nicaea, and a rich rust, drawn from a tile in the Eyüp Sultan Mosque), a square quilt (sewn by quilter Angela Perry), a cornflower-blue quilted garden from Topkapi, and a Turkish peacock in a Tree of Life. Clear instructions include pull-outs; difficulty level is intermediate. (Apr.)

Publishers Weekly

Lovers of exquisite floral applique will find new inspiration in these eight original patterns inspired by Turkish Iznik tiles from the Ottoman Empire. Projects range in size from bags and cushions to wall hangings and up to throw-size quilts. Photographs throughout the book of the intricate tilework seen in historic sites in Istanbul, Turkey, show the real-life sources for Harvey's designs. Includes basic quilting and fusible applique instructions and a pattern pullout sheet.

October/November 2015 Quilters Newsletter

"Constantinople Quilts" (C&T Publishing) is a gorgeous compendium of applique quilts by Australian quilt-shop-owner Tamsin Harvey that were inspired by Turkish Iznik ceramics, known for cobalt blue and intricate designs. Harvey's quilts are highly detailed and prominently feature flora designs.

ABC News, 12/29/15 - Jennifer Forker

05/15/2015
Iznik pottery, which features distinctive floral and geometric designs, flourished during the height of the Ottoman Empire and was used to decorate mosques and palaces. Harvey, an Australia-based quilter and designer, translates traditional Iznik motifs into a variety of machine appliqué projects using fusible web appliqué. The projects include a handbag, pillow covers, table runners, and quilts ranging from wall-hanging to bed size. Even the small items are intricate, requiring numerous small pieces of fabric to achieve the effect of the repeated patterns characteristic of Iznik pottery. Harvey stays close to her source material, using the traditional cobalt blue with pops of bright green, crimson, and gold for effect. The result is a sophisticated, artistic collection that is true to its origins and different from much of the fusible appliqué projects that commonly appear in books. VERDICT Harvey proves that fusible appliqué need not appear amateurish or clunky—but most of the patterns in this collection require some experience with the technique.

Library Journal