Recently someone mentioned to me at my studio that she had some fabric that she had had for a long time. She suggested that she should get rid of it solely for the reason that she hadn’t used it. While we all have our own rules of engagement, that is not one of mine. If I like a fabric I will keep it until I can find a good project for it. In this posting I share examples of using fabrics saved for a long time.
Using Saved Fabrics
As soon that visitor commented on her long saved fabrics, I lead her to see this recently completed piece. I explained that I had had the fabric with wavy yellow, green and turquoise lines for a long time. I could not remember where or when I had gotten it.
Over the years I would try to see if it fit in other quilts. But each time I put it back on the shelf. Often this whimsical fabric didn’t fit the style or mood of the piece or maybe the color wasn’t just right. Here, however, everything works;the colors, the movement, the whimsical style.
Sunset Through the Forest random piecesSunset Through the Forest, an art quil
ATLAS in Rose
I recently completed the abstract art quilt, ATLAS in Rose. The rose, reddish rose and gold fabric is a high quality fabric that I had had for a long time. Yet I hadn’t used it. The red and rose colors would not play well with other colors. In spite of that, I kept it. Luckily, I did. Because it went perfectly with this black and white scientifically inspired art quilt. It added color and just the right amount of movement to the art quilt.
rose and gold fabricATLAS in Rose , finished art quilt
Fabric with Small Boxes
The following red, yellow and green fabric with small boxes is another piece that I liked. I didn’t know how I would use it. But I had to have it. The colors and movement spoke to me. I ended up for saving it for many years. In Cactus Dreams, the colors fit. The geometric boxes mirror the checks in the Guatemalan and in the checkerboard fabrics.
fabric with green,yellow,red and boxesCactus Dreams,detail,abstract art quiltCactus Dreams,abstract art quilt
In Conclusion
I finished these three art quilts in the past year. Without realizing it, I probably mentioned to the visitor that I had used some saved fabric. Thankfully, I had kept the fabric. Because they worked perfectly!
Some fond fabric memories have stuck with me for many decades. Sewing had been a passion of mine for many years. Then I focussed on quilting traditional bed quilts. I began my art quilting adventure ten years.Where did this passion for sewing begin? In search of the answer to that question, I looked back on some fond fabric memories.
Elementary School
For several years in elementary school, the local women’s chorus came to sing for the school. Singing ladies filled the auditorium stage, each wearing a dress of one solid color. I was mesmerized by all of the different colors. This choir sang only a couple of times at my school, but the image of their dresses stayed with me much more than the music. It was such a fond memory that at age thirty I sewed myself a one color dress (teal)that I wore to work for many years.
The Summer before Grade 7
This !960s crop top and shorts are similar to my first sewing project.
At age 12, I begged my mom to let me take sewing lessons during the summer. My memory is that I had to really push to convince my mom to sign me up. My mom was an incredible knitter but she rarely sewed. A friend of mine from sixth grade and I signed up at the local Singer Sewing Machine store downtown. We diligently chose patterns and fabric to make a pair of shorts and a crop top. If only the class had been designed for a total beginner, it would have been fine. However, the teacher expected women to bring in unfinished projects for her to help them finish. My friend and I had no idea of how to get started or what to do. What a disaster!
Eighth Grade
Luckily, I persevered. Eighth grade sewing taught me the basics of using a pattern and of skirt and blouse construction. I made a white collarless short sleeved shirt with a 7” zipper at the neck. The blue skirt was an A-line.Was there a waistband? Another a 7” zipper was necessary for the skirt. Putting in a zipper was definitely a learned skill. I don’t remember loving the class. But for some reason, I did want to continue to learn more about sewing.
High School
In high school in the late 1960s, I took two years of sewing. I continued to construct more difficult items for my wardrobe. Fond memories involve making jackets with bound buttons . Sophistication reigned when I wore those jackets.In those days, department stores like Macys and The Emporium where I worked sold fabric. As many teenaged girls did,I put a lot of thought into planning my wardrobe. My memory is that I worked hard to have a variety of styles and textures in my clothes. I knit a pale yellow shell to go with a skirt I had sewed. Didn’t everyone make sure their wardrobe was intriguing and fiber fresh?
Adulthood
Over the years I continued sewing clothes. I branched out into bed quilts. I was so passionate about traditional quilts. Often after a monthly lecture at our quilt guild, I wouldn’t be to sleep. I would be so excited to try out a new idea! The memory of my passion remains.
A Fashion Show
Another fond memory while transitioning to my art quilt career involved a fashion show at the Pacific International Quilt Festival. The group challenge was to create an outfit inspired by the book, Rare Bird by Iris Apfel. I made a tunic and skirt using African prints. The skirt is trimmed in black and white lace. While actual quilting was not involved, piecing the fabrics into blocks did take place. I created the fabric by sewing the blocks together. Then I cut out the pieces using a pattern. I had to pay attention to where the particular blocks would show up on the actual tunic.
Becoming an Art Quilter
I have now been making art quilts for ten years. People have told me that I have a good eye for color.My formal art education included one year of breath requirements ( drawing and painting). During my elementary school teaching career, I did work for several years at an arts infused school. When local artists taught my class, I participated along with the students. I later incorporated those lessons into my curriculum.
All in all not a lot of formal art education which makes me reflect on where the sources of my art success come from. I am not sure what I can attribute that to. Maybe the years of wardrobe planning did inform my eye for color. Throughout my whole life, I continued to play with fabrics, textiles and colors. Generally I thought all women did. However, recently I have become aware of the fact that color choices come easier to some than others. Based om my fond fabric memories, I conclude that practice and persistence counts.
Tranquility with black stitches pulled through to the front before quilting.
New stitches can be found by accident. Mistakes can sometimes lead to a wonderful realization or improvement.
Discovering New Stitches by Mistake
Tranquility, an art quilt with black stitches pulled through to the front before quilting.
The Tension was Off.
Tension is the balance between the top threads and the bottome threads on a sewing machine.A while back my 20 year old Huskavarna Lily was acting up. Out of the blue, the tension would change as I was sewing. The action pulled the bobbin thread through to the front (top) of the fabric. As annoying as this was, I liked the way the stitches looked. I was discovering new stitches quite by accident. Could I repeat the success of this stitch ?
Let me confess, that I am not a person who often uses all of the stitches that are available on my machine. I usually use the zigzag stitch and one or two decorative stitches. I decided to fool around. How could I could use this “accidental stitch ” to my advantage? I wanted to discover new stitches by mistake. Would it be a way to add interest to my art quilts?
Changing the Tension
I changed the tension to 8 or 9 high on my machine. with a black thread in the bobbin. The top thread I used matched the white or beige color of my fabric. At the time, I was doing Native American inspired quilts. Moreover,I felt the black dots on the top somehow seemed to work for me. The maximum contrast drew my attention. I also adjusted the stitch length and width to make them as large as possible for maximum visibility. The results were pleasing.
In conclusion,errors can turn into serendipitous wonders if we keep our minds open to them. In the future, I should be more adventuous to change the tension and adjust more of my machines stitches.
