My Russian Inspiration

Before we left for Russia in September, I determined that I would look for an "inspiration" for a quilt that would remind me of the trip. It didn't take long - three days only - for that inspiration to stand directly in front of me. One of our evenings in Moscow was spent on an optional concert by a group called the Zlatoust Singers. It consists of an ensemble of ten remarkable singers who perform all their songs a capella. We met in a small art museum/concert hall where the acoustics were superb.

For the second half of the program the five women came out dressed in traditional Russian costume and I sat mesmerized at the stunning beauty of their dress. Quite suddenly I realized that this was my inspiration and I didn't have my camera with me. So I quickly beckoned Pat to take some pictures for me, particularly of their gorgeous dresses. He was so busy getting video recordings that he only managed to snap two photos, but it was just enough to bolster my memory.

Three of the singers in traditional dress.

Once at home, I began to mull over my quilt options and look through myriad fabric choices. Meanwhile I received some material in the mail that I had ordered to make a quilt for my nephew in Afghanistan. That became my focus for a couple weeks, and then I began to put together a quilt for Meredith's in laws in Romania. As soon as those two projects were taken to Kingsland for finishing, I was free (project-wise) to order material for my Russian quilt.

Then, Lois called with a date for our post-Russia party and I decided to turn my quilt into a table runner that could be used at the party. An online fabric order plus a quick trip to Joann's put me on the right track. Then I remembered a tutorial I had seen to make a "Quilt as You Go" runner. Being the indecisive person that I am, I couldn't decide which of two fabric colors I wanted to use, so I bought both and ended up making two runners.

This one has a black background and a black and pink floral as the primary panel. The dresses the Zlatoust singers wore had lots of colorful horizontal strips, and I found these bright strips online. I have enough for not just two runners, but another quilt project in my future.

This one has a navy backing and navy floral as its primary strip. I love the "folksy" look of this one, which may be more reflective of the Karelian dancers we saw in Petrozavodsk. And the little doll is from the gift shop on the ship. I passed by the showcase with these dolls multiple times a day, finally giving in to my longing for one. So these will be lovely reminders of our trip to Russia.