Projects from the Past: The Snape-ification of the Project of Doom

Since my crafting time will soon be abbreviated (helloooo, master's program), I will occasionally post Projects from the Past. I'll definitely try to keep up my blog with what I am currently crafting, but there are some finished projects I'd like to chronicle here as well.

I recently finished my Project of Doom. For anyone who might not know, this was a block-of-the-week Harry Potter-themed bookcase quilt from ofenjen at Fandom in Stitches. All the patterns are still available there, for free.

This 30-week project was an amazing journey. I made so many new friends and ended up with a piece of textile art that is so personal and precious to me. Part of the special nature of this project comes from the fact that it is very customisable. I chose book titles that would actually reside on my wizardy bookshelf, if I had one. I chose fabrics (almost entirely from my stash, a feat which I'm very proud of) that looked either worn or muted or just plain magical. Lastly, and what this post is mainly about, I modified some of Jennifer's blocks to cater to my fascination with Professor Snape.

Here is the finished quilt. I drafted the bookcase  pieces using my beloved french curves (passed down from my engineer grandfather). The bookcase pieces are fused and machine-appliqued. I chose the background floral because it reminded me of a William Morris-designed wallpaper.

Now on to some of the individual blocks and how I modified them to fit my Snape-tastic theme. I should preface all this by stating, for the record, that I'm not a traditionally crazed Snape fangirl. I've never read any fanfiction except the lovely Advent story from Muffin on LJ. I've never cosplayed with anyone Snapey (though, I'm still working on getting my dear hubbie to let me dress him in a frock coat. ;) ) It was just so very weird that the character captivated me. I love to read, but only non-fiction. For some reason, the way Rowling wrote Snape affected me in such a manner that I developed a mild obsession. I've had a grand time imagining the character's motives and backstory. So I put it all into a quilt!

Here is the block from week 2:

The leftmost block is Advanced Potion Making, even though it's illegible with the busy print. Again, these are all books I would have on my bookcase at Spinner's End.

Here's Week 7:

Nothing overtly Snape-ish here, but my Snape reads sonnets. Hey, he wrote the rhyming couplets for the obstacle in The Philosopher's Stone, so why not?

Here is Week 8:

And a detail:

Again, potion-y titles. Also, my Snape trained with a shaman in the Amazon for six months, so he's a talented healer.

Week 11:

I omitted the lovely Hedwig in favour of lace...wing...flies. The potions bottle pattern is from PJ of craftylilthing.


Detail from Week 12:

This is a detail from the book with the lightning bolt. I chose to embroider this title because it was at the end of reading The Half-Blood Prince that I became truly ensnared intrigued by Snape.

Week  14:

I modified the piecing of the wand to reflect the shape of the Professor's. The more legible APM book is printed on inkjet-printable fabric.

Here's a detail of the wand handle, embroidered to resemble the Chinese knot motif on the movie Snape's wand:

Week 28:

This was a block with Trevor. Trevor got swapped for a gold-framed picture of Milltown (now known as Cokeworth thanks to Pottermore). The irony is in the gilding.

Week 29 detail:

Yes, that cauldron says "Property of Potions Master Severus Snape".


I hope if you're a Harry Potter fan and you haven't started - or finished - your PoD yet, you'll give it a go. Whether you're an all-around HP fan or you subscribe to a specific sect of fangirlism, the Project of Doom is an amazing way to express your enthusiasm. If you take the time to make this quilt your own, what you'll end up with is an artwork you will truly treasure.

:)