Here we go!  I am beginning the design work on a new quilt in my Canterbury series.  This one will center around the knight from the Knight’s Tale.   It will have a pictorial central section about the same size as on Canterbury Silk and a border inspired by, or even downright copied from, an 11th–12th Century illuminate manuscript.

I have multiple considerations as I work on this central design.

1. Can I accomplish what I design?
2. Does it match the overall theme of the series?
3. Since I am working in a theme from centuries ago, how can I make it appeal to today’s quilt audience?
4. How should I colorize this central part?
5. Should the knight look something like the knight from “Equipped to Stand” (shown below) that I made in 2012 or like the ancient illustration (shown at the top of this blog, an illustration from The Ellesmere Manuscript, one of the oldest surviving illuminated Canterbury Tales.).  I really don’t like the way the knight’s head looks on the ancient illustration but I can fix that I think.  I really like the Equipped to Stand knight, but he may be too modern, and I would change his and his horse’s dress, or maybe have his head facing front.  🙂
6. What should the background look like for him?  It needs more than just the knight for balance.
7. Should the central theme be silk or can that be cotton and the border made from cotton/silk Kaufman Radiance, like I did for Canterbury Silk?

knight detail from “Equipped to Stand”

I really hope to make this a beautiful and exciting quilt that also goes well with Canterbury Silk.  I plan on making a total of three Canterbury quilts that more or less match in size and character.

Canterbury Silk a MQX with Best Surface Design ribbon

Sew send some good wishes my way as I work through this design and subsequent making of the quilt.  I plan on sharing this quilt journey with you and will discuss my techniques along the way.  I hope to post a blog on this at least once a week, and occassionally more often.

Sew happy everyone!