Hot weather means it’s time for me to switch to smaller, what-the-heck projects and leave the larger, more thoughtful ones for autumn. That way I don’t have to quilt large pieces when I don’t need any extra warmth. To inaugurate the fun times I’ve finished “Along Portage Path” plus “Straightback.” Now I’m ready for true frankensteining work.
“Along Portage Path” uses a photo printed on fabric with various hand dyed and painted fabrics (including an old shirt) to convey the idea of driving by a row of crabapple trees in full autumn color. The trees are embroidered with seed stitches in a variety of colors and thread weights to intensify the oranges, reds, and yellows.
“Straightback” shows what happens when I’m determined to use a small top that didn’t turn into the wonderful tour de force I had imagined. My plan had been to create a gradation of dark to light and light to dark in two fabrics with the darkest values of one next to the lightest values of the other. The failure sulked in a box for a bit until I refound a strip of fabric stenciled with chairs and a very strange bit of Spoonflower fabric. A few cuts with my rotary blade and inserts of fabric strips made a piece more to my liking. The edges are finished with fused strips.
A search in my scrap bins for bits of fabric to go with another in progress project unearthed cut off sections of already quilted black and white pieces. The bins are truly the gift that keeps on giving. So far I have pieced unquilted bits together and layered them with batting and backing. The plan is to join them to the already quilted bits to create a new piece. Let the adventure begin.
I’m linking to Off The Wall Fridays.
The Snarky Quilter 
I like both of your finished pieces and the black and white one looks intriguing as well! I am very curious as to how you did the wavy border on “Straightback.”
The wavy border is done with a specialty rotary cutter blade. You can buy them at Joann’s and such places. I think there are tutorials about this binding method on my blog. Back the binding fabric with fusible, cut one side with the special blade, decide how wide you want the binding (add front and back), and cut the other edge. Cut the binding into 2 pieces the length of your quilt’s height, and then 2 more pieces each an inch longer than the width. Then lightly draw a line on the front of the quilt however far from the edges you want the binding to stop. Take the quilt and binding to the ironing board. Put parchment paper under the edge, and iron each strip, one at a time, to the front of the quilt using the drawn line as a guide. Turn the quilt over and fuse the rest of the binding to the back. Finishing the ends of the last two sides is a bit fiddly as you have go over over the ends about a half inch and then fold the extra over. Confused yet?
I have seen those rotary blades but it would never have occurred to me to use it for binding! Just another innovation I have found on your blog! Thank you!
I got the idea from Frieda Anderson, just so you know it’s not original with me. Another plus of this method
more…. you don’t need to stitch the binding down, though it’s helpful to run a line of stitch around the edge just as a precaution.
enjoyed the reuse of an older project… I have several of those too. I’m not into the reuse… yet… I am ready to start making originals again!!!
Recycling projects is an approach that needs to find its own time in your creative life. Reuse is one way I’m trying to whittle down my stack of completed projects. I find that a few years can change how I see a piece and I’m enjoying the second chances. Life doesn’t offer that many of those.
Remakes and leftovers can be so fun. I love the composition of “Along Portage Path” and I’m looking forward to seeing where the black/white leads you. There seems to be a lot to look at and discover in the fabrics.
Thanks for the kind words about Portage Path. I will need to be careful not to have too much going on with the b&w project. I can so easily go overboard.
Oh yes. I love the bins that keep on giving! I am always glad to repurpose and experiment that didn’t go quite as planned.
In a weird way I like reusing a less than stellar effort as I get a second chance.
No matter how busy I am… I just have to come take a look. Heading for my bins. 😉
Hope you’ll usually find something that makes your look worthwhile. May your bins supply inspiration.