Playing with waste scraps
I have not blogged for so long that I am really embarrassed. The worst of it is that I have had a spectacular year with some truly amazing trips but have been so busy I have not blogged any of it. However - I have just had a bit of fun with fabric and thought it might be a good one to lead me back to blogging.
The challenge for my local quilt show this year is Go Green.
I know - they will probably get fifty green small quilts. Each has to be 50 cm x 70 cm. I know there are options on thinking about how to reduce waste, use of power - any environmental issue in fact.
I had a day up my sleeve, and I felt like a bit of mindless playing.
I decided to make use of a small bag of fabric pieces from dyed scraps - actually scraps from scraps. I have no idea why I did not throw these out years ago but they have been drifting around and now and again I consider chucking them - and do not quite do it. There were mostly very small pieces but a few positive/negative images left over from contemporary techniques class I used to run.
I always set a few personal rules on any project. I decided that I had to pick up a piece from the scrap box and sew it to something green.
Then I had to join those pieces together and keep doing so until I could cut a few little blocks from the piece.
Some of the scraps had already been sewed together but I treated these as one. I used a range of different green hand dyed fabrics as my filler fabrics. I opted for straight line piecing and just cut the bits of green off with scissors at the machine.
Because the first piece I took from the ironing board to the cutting mat divided neatly into four pieces that were 3 1/2 x 4" I decided that would do as my size. If I ever repeated this exercise I would cut the pieces square as then I could turn them around.
If a piece was missing a corner I just sewed a bit on. If a bit was left over I sewed it to something green. If a colour was too strong and dominant I cut the block in half through that section and joined them to other bits.
I found a couple of pieces that were like little trees, in pink and greens, and set them in too.
I have now finished and quilted it and here it is.
It was enjoyable, no fuss, easy and very light hearted as an exercise - and you could use any colour as your fillers.
Have fun.
The challenge for my local quilt show this year is Go Green.
I know - they will probably get fifty green small quilts. Each has to be 50 cm x 70 cm. I know there are options on thinking about how to reduce waste, use of power - any environmental issue in fact.
I had a day up my sleeve, and I felt like a bit of mindless playing.
I decided to make use of a small bag of fabric pieces from dyed scraps - actually scraps from scraps. I have no idea why I did not throw these out years ago but they have been drifting around and now and again I consider chucking them - and do not quite do it. There were mostly very small pieces but a few positive/negative images left over from contemporary techniques class I used to run.
I always set a few personal rules on any project. I decided that I had to pick up a piece from the scrap box and sew it to something green.
Then I had to join those pieces together and keep doing so until I could cut a few little blocks from the piece.
Some of the scraps had already been sewed together but I treated these as one. I used a range of different green hand dyed fabrics as my filler fabrics. I opted for straight line piecing and just cut the bits of green off with scissors at the machine.
Because the first piece I took from the ironing board to the cutting mat divided neatly into four pieces that were 3 1/2 x 4" I decided that would do as my size. If I ever repeated this exercise I would cut the pieces square as then I could turn them around.
If a piece was missing a corner I just sewed a bit on. If a bit was left over I sewed it to something green. If a colour was too strong and dominant I cut the block in half through that section and joined them to other bits.
I found a couple of pieces that were like little trees, in pink and greens, and set them in too.
I have now finished and quilted it and here it is.
It was enjoyable, no fuss, easy and very light hearted as an exercise - and you could use any colour as your fillers.
Have fun.
