Storm @ Cape Point

Storm @ Cape Point, ©Claire Passmore 2011

Storm @ Cape Point

​The Cape of Good Hope is not, as many would have you believe, the southern tip of Africa. That claim to fame goes to Cape Agulhas, about 150 km (90 miles) to the east-southeast. The first modern rounding of the Cape was in 1488 by Portuguese explorer Bartolomeu Dias and was a milestone in the attempts by the Portuguese to establish direct trade relations with the Far East. Dias called the Cape 'Cabo das Tormentas' or 'Cape of Storms' - the original name of the 'Cape of Good Hope'.

I decided to combine both of these names with the well known traditional quilt block, 'Storm at Sea' for this quilt and inserted a picture of the old lighthouse among the waves. The lines of quilting emphasize the swirling movement of the ocean in a storm.

This is a traditionally pieced quilt that has been interpreted in a modern style, with the addition of altered fabrics. I hand dyed and altered the fabrics to try to achieve the dark and stormy mood of the quilt.