Woven Backgrounds

I'm back. Thank you for your comments. I really needed that confirming that I've done the right thing and that this is a blessing and not the beginning of an onslaught. I decided to make a conscious effort to get back into the world. Took Choco for a walk, visited with friends. I am enjoying the kitten but still contemplating names. I've given all your suggestions to Tetsu but he doesn't seem to want to play the name game and is leaving it to me.

Hey, the two days of self imposed confinement meant that I sewed. Well, fused. I'm still in the fusing stage. The woven background was a lot of fun to make and very easy. BUT it doesn't really lend itself to traditional quilting nor combining with other types of blocks. It seems to be in a class itself and for people who do applique it makes a very interesting background. Oh dear, I'm hoping Liz won't mind if I post a couple of pictures here.

In July, Liz (Artfilstitch) sent me the book called Woven Quilts. Actually, Liz sent me a whole box of fabric back in June and I had a chance to talk with her for about an hour while I was in the States. Anyway, Liz and I decided to try making a woven quilt simultaneously and see what we could come up with. We decided to do the easiest project in the book and picked out colors and shared our choices by e-mail. I chose the orange and yellow, Liz picked out some lovely blue and green dyed fabric. Then we both stepped in.

When I was done making my background I could only say that I'd certainly never made anything like this before and it was quite beyond my creative sense. My background seemed much more whimsical than the example in the book and Liz said she wasn't quite sure what to do with hers either. I loved her colors and wished I'd gone for more of the variegated feel too. However neither of our backgrounds seemed to go with the rest of the book pattern so from here we've diverged. I'm working on some fun flowers and Liz is working on an intricate fish applique.

My fused flowers are just sitting on there right now and I think Liz is doing her applique this week. I need to sew down the edges of the woven fabrics before attaching the flowers so I will be at the sewing machine today zig-zagging or free-hand stitching.

Summer vacation is almost over so I'd like to get this up on the wall as proof of some productivity this past month! Off to the sewing room I go. Think I'll introduce the kitten to my favorite room.