The Principle of the Patchwork Quilt:Sochi Olympics

Two and a half years ago, I wrote a post about "The Principle of the Patchwork Quilt" at a a time when the theme, the look, and samples first came out as a mere possibility for the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi!

Guess what? It's the theme that was selected!

The beautiful rainbow...a symbol for all people, of all religions, cultures, and  belief systems is especially meaningful during a time when a hosting country has chosen to denigrate an entire group of people, that the same country picked a theme celebrating the patchwork of diversity of cultures.


Here's a look at some of the clothing that the Russian athletes will be wearing.  I made a general collage to share the overall look of some of the Olympic Russian apparel.

And I, for one, would love to own a piece of this as winter wear! I'm thinking the blue patchwork vest on the right near the bottom in my own collage their Olympic team clothing....oh yes, I could wear this!

 

As Bosco, the official licensing organization says:

"Olympic patchwork quilt, developed by Bosco’s creative department and given to the Sochi 2014 Organising Committee, will be the official Look of Russia’s first Winter Games.
 
Our goal was to represent a diverse range of emotions and feelings, connecting concepts like Motherland, Family, Culture, Time, Olympism, Peace, Nobility, Friends, Memory, Honour, Dreams, Beauty, Freedom, Pride, Warmth, Happiness, Greatness, Reliability, Victory, Creativity, Hospitality, Creation, Future, Russia, Planet Earth.     Every region in the world is proud of its unique origins, and it is no different in Russia. That is why there are so many different local traditions, songs and crafts that highlight the individuality of their creators, each valuable in its own right. Bosco had a wealth of choices to represent Russia’s rich diversity, but in the end we settled on something familiar, warm and welcoming: the patchwork quilt.

In the concept design, every patch was infused with the history and personality of traditional crafts from each of Russia’s 89 regions: in a single tapestry we combined Uftyuzhskaya painting and Vologda lace, Gzhel and Zhostovo painting, Kubachi patterns and the flowers of Pavlo Posad shawls, Mezenskaya painting and Khokhloma, Yakutsk patterns, fabrics of Ivanovo and other distinctive Russian patterns.

That is how we arrived at a modern, distinctive and unmistakeably Russian Look of the Games.

With Heart and Hands :

2014 Winter Olympics--Principle of the Patchwork Quilt?

I am quoting from the official 2011 press releases from Bosco, the official licensed clothing company for the Russian Olympic Team apparel.

"The XXII Olympic Winter Games will take place in 2014 in Sochi, Russia. This week the Sochi 2014 Organizing Committee unveiled the concept of the "Look of the Games" which was designed by BOSCO Sports, a sponsor of the Olympics, as well as the official uniform provider for the Russian Olympic team since 2002.

Their newest entry for 'the look' revolves around “the principle of the ‘patchwork quilt’ — a combination of 16 designs representing the most famous traditional Russian arts and crafts, ranging from Gzhel to Khokhloma.”
Using these compiled fabrics....

.....they created a design which the press release describes as....

"The design was created from the motifs of ornaments of the most famous Russian national crafts. Here we can see Uftyuzhskaya painting and Vologda lace, Gzhel and Zhostovo painting, Kubachi patterns and Pavlov Posad shawls, Mezenskaya painting and Khokhloma, Yakutsk patterns and Ivanovo chintz. A new modern approach to the folk motifs, a thorough work on the common algorithm for construction of the patchwork quilt - “an individual net”, and on each of the 28 constituent fragments, and an unconditional work of authorship of the BOSCO creative team add an exclusive urgency to the LOOK OF THE GAMES."

Check out the fabulous unveiling photos...

In my 2011 post, I wrote "Oh yes....If I could vote I'd definitely vote for this patchwork crafts entry as the theme of the 2014 Olympics, how about you?"

Let us hope and prayer that things will improve in time for the 2014 Winter Olympics in all ways and keep the country and all of the athletes in your positive thoughts in all ways! 

Today, the official opening day for the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics, I am off making a patchwork quilt...it's all about "The Principle of the Patchwork Quilt"! Mine won't be like their ideas, just a patchwork quilt of my own.

But here are some ideas and links for you as I am receiving many requests for "How to Make a Sochi Quilt".

All of these Sochi designs for "The Principle of the Patchwork Quilt"  resemble both the Thousand Pyramids and many of the Diamond quilts.


 Thousand Pattern quilt block on my blog:
http://www.with-heart-and-hands.com/2009/12/free-quilt-block-patterns.html


courtesy of : http://www.quilterscache.com/T/ThousandPyramidsBlock.html



But how pretty are these? Look at how differently, triangles make up into diamonds if you just change your fabric choices from each of these looks, below:



Park Slope Triangles Quilt, 49 x 61", free pattern by Michael Miller Fabrics

Tonga Sugar 1000 pyramids, 68 x 83”, by Karen Montgomery for Timeless Treasures Fabrics 
 

 

One reader even mentioned that she had taken a class from Jan Krenz where she showed a very similar idea. Check out that quilter and her own "Indian Summer" quilt made with the "Thousand Pyramid" idea at: Jan Krentz from the book Quick Diamond Quilts and Beyond

Road Well Traveled, 68 x 79", free pattern by Jean Ann Wright for Marcus Brothers 

Skylark by June Pease at Red Rooster Fabrics

  
 

Chateau Rouge French General, free pattern at Moda Fabrics 

Alfresco, 80 x 96", free pattern by Jean Ann Wright for Marcus Brothers Fabrics

Modern Ombre Triangle  42 x 48", baby quilt tutorial and pattern at See Kate Sew

Have fun creating your own Sochi Patchwork Quilt!

++++++++++++++Updated at the end of the Olympics!+++++++++++++

And now, Lyn Brown, on her blog has created her own "Memories of Sochi" Quilt Pattern available for free through Craftsy!

As Lyn says: 
"This design is simplified. There are only three panels. Each panel is made of just squares and quarter square triangles.  It is the color and variety of the fabrics you use that will make this quilt fabulous!
If you want to make a bigger quilt, make the panels longer and/or make more panels.

So start gathering fabrics of all colors of the rainbow to make your memories of Sochi quilt… And don’t forget to download the FREE pattern  from Craftsy!"Memories of Sochi PDF

Meanwhile, Hoffman Fabrics came up with a free quilt pattern inspired by the Sochi quilt,

 When Bali Met Sochi.

I ..and my blog... were mentioned and linked up to in The Quilter's Newsletter!

Sochi Olympics banners as quilt inspiration | Inside Quilters Newsletter

www.quiltersnewsletter.com

 ...it's still all about the Principle of the Patchwork Quilt! 

Michele Bilyeu blogs With Heart and Hands as she shares a quilting journey through her life in Salem, Oregon and Douglas, Alaska. Sewing, quilting, and wildcrafting, with small format art quilts, prayer flags, and comfort quilts for a variety of charitable programs. And best of all, sharing thousands of links to Free Quilt and Quilt Block Patterns and encouraging others to join her and make and donate quilts to charitable causes.   Help us change the world, one little quilt, art quilt, and prayer flag at a time!