Charms from a charming friend....

As I continue to go thru fabrics and organize the Art Barn, I discover things! This week I discovered a big fat ziplock FULL of charm squares sent to me eons ago by a great quilting friend, Anastasia (just like my own dear daughter, and HER daughter!).

Looking at all those tidy little stacks really took me back...different decade, different style of quilting, fabrics I remember and they don't make any more. They called out to be useful, so I spent the weekend sewing over half of them together. I finished 2 nice big blocks, one in mostly yellows and purples, the other brights. The rectangular bright block I think I will quilt up and sew into a nice tote bag. The yellow & purple block is asking for a nice dark border, possibly some more blocks or applique. Perhaps it will end up a lap quilt, more probably a wall hanging.

I also pieced together a stack to be saved as a bright, random border for a project in the future...here they are all nicely pressed. Now they are neatly rolled and tucked into the drawer with other blocks that are waiting for their moment. It's nice to have a pieced border all ready to go, so when that urge hits me, I won't have to stop and fuss with it!

Thank you so much for the sweet memories, Anastasia!

So I took a class....

at QSDS last weekend! (Quilt Surface Design Symposium) with Melanie Testa. Very sweet instructor, great work, and we got stuff done.

We were taught to use thickened dye to monoprint and stamp on soda-ash soaked cloth. I wish I had finished more, but 2 days just isn't very long! But it's so fun to go to QSDS; gets your creative juices flowing again, or pouring out of you if you weren't stuck.

I still have some prepped blank fabric, and I brought home some of the gooey algaenate thickener, so I guess I need to do some more! It's a little messy, but that's what the Art Barn is for.
We had limited time, so we needed to stick to a single motif. I chose some gears; I cut some out of freezer paper to act as a resist, then I created my own positive and negative stamp with sticky back fun foam & acetate. Quick and easy techniques, and with more time and planning, I can imagine some really great results.