May complete - indigo

May's challenge done! 

All damaged digits aside, this was a really fun technique to play with.  I found taking the rorshach like flora print made and then going free motion quilting on it with several threads to be very freeing and really interesting.

I decided a checkered border on 2 sides would give it a bump in color.

I used a bright pink, olive green and steel blue threads for free motion quilting around the dyed pieces.  I may go back and add a few more along a few spaces.

The back is a few strips of fabrics I thought would contrast with the threads.  I love how the reverse image came through - the back is almost prettier than the front!

The flora used were actually small berries, a few weeds and some clipped leaves from house plants.  With the free motion quilting I made no attempt at realism - and it creates a floral that is not quite of this world.

This makes a really lovely addition to the year of challenges!

June - Package and Inspiration indigo

When i opened June's package I had to laugh.  Here are these gorgeous batiks in dark neutrals, and embroidery floss, needles and a pocket guide.  

I have been starting to play a bit with embroidery in quilting.  It's like M read my mind!

Hmmm, a lovely silvery tan floss and a rich red.  With the inspiration word 'haiku'.

Being a literal sort I gave serious thought to embroidering a haiku poem.  Just 2 problems.  I do not know how to embroider words yet and feel that might be a bit advanced.  And I don't write haiku poetry.  Now, i went through a poetry phase in my life.  And I love to read poetry.  But my version was generally dark and a little sad.  That is not what I want for this project.

Then I did a bit of research on haiku.  I read it is syllable based - 5, 7 and 5.

Hmmm.  I could do something interesting with that number sequence in a block.

So, then I went looking for eye candy - otherwise known as inspiration.  Percolating ideas!

Found on pinterest - love it!

Haiku Fabric quilt

From a Haiku Challenge

May Update - indigo

I know, May update in July!  Its getting better but we are still working on timelines!

So for May I blogged about how it had this white fabric, a hammer, some dye and a book about pounding flowers.  I finally got some flowers out of the yard and started hammering.

And thus begins the cautionary tale part of our story.

I decided the little hammer M sent me was too small.  Surely my 5lb rubber mallet would work better.

Well, it's louder.

Then, I forgot my hand - eye coordination is a bit iffy.  and I happily hammered away until "OWIE!"  I 5lb malletted by left pinky.  Searing pain, I hipped up and down a lot, laughing like a moron because I knew it was my own fault!

After my finger went numb and I determined it was still attached, I returned to pounding flowers, keeping my fingers well out of the strike zone, and got the following;

This is a few leaves from a house plant, some kind of berry from my yard, and a few flowered weeds.

 It is an interesting mix now.  I am thinking about seeing if I can add a bit with some of the following pickings from my front yard today.

Some grasses, and some budded flowers.

 I think this is a cool way to play with fabric and various flora - just don't leave yourself with a purple finger for the wrong reasons!

ow ow ow ow ow ow...

April is complete! - Molly

"I think I can, I think I can...."

The last many months in my world have been uphill. With perseverance and support of people I love I am slowly climbing to the top. This quilt journey has been a bit of a guard rail. Although I've not been as on top of it as I would have liked, knowing it was here waiting for me was calm in the storm. (Whoa, that's a lot of metaphor). Anyhow, my April block is complete at last! And I quite love it. 

Indigo sent me a pile of batik scraps in blues and greens and purples, along with a packet of buttons and some gorgeous handmade skeleton leaves. I immediately thought water. And have created, what I think, is like a pool with ripples and rocks and leaves and sunlight creating a myriad  of colors on the surface. 

I have not trimmed it fully yet. The quilting caused the bottom to shrink in a bit and I need to make the wudginess go away, figure I can make it work when I put the final pieces together. 

I pieced the block entirely without a plan. Which is very much outside my comfort zone. I imagine paper piecing with a layout may have been easier. But I really enjoyed the: grab some scraps, sew, iron, trim, grab another scrap...wash , rinse, repeat. And it came together much how I initially envisioned it when I received the package.

It feels good to be getting caught up. I'm going to open my May bundle tomorrow and see what it brings. 

I got mail!

Fun little bundles in the mail today! May, June and July. I am almost done with April. Will explore what the packets contain when it is complete. So (sew) excited!!