New Work

I told you I was sewing, I really was, but just not as much as I used to do. The church that I go to in Florida is very modern and had very contemporary stained glass windows.....no saints or scenes just shards of color set in pale grey glass. Every time I went there I would think to myself that it had to be a quilt. So a took a couple of pictures, not to copy, but for inspiration. My original thought was to use my hand-dyed fabrics, but decided instead to use Dupioni silk, another favorite of mine.

I wasn't sure how big I wanted to make it, but when one of the fiber groups I belong to issued a challenge for an upcoming show I knew the size. The pieces have to be exactly 18" wide by 36" long, a very doable size. The piece is also supposed to be indicative of our style and this one certainly is. I like to do improvizational piecing and this was no exception. I just start with one piece of fabric and keep adding as I go, adding more pieces and inserting those skinny black strips

And here it is. Not quite sure how I am going to quilt it.

I really tried to make it about two inches longer and wider than it needed to be, knowing that it would shrink with squaring up and quilting. But it ended up 19 "x 36 1/2," so I added the black border. I'm hoping I can cut most of it away after quilting and just bind it in black.

I also did a few cards marrying fabric with stamping. I still had my Dupioni silks out so I added a strip along the bottom of the card, first fusing, then doing a machine buttonhole stitch all around. The bottom flower and the sentiment are popped up with dimensionals.

I will be linking up with Off the Wall Friday.