Maps Challenge Round-a-Bout

My Maps Challenge over at AHIQ is coming along, but with a significant twist. I've lost all track of time and I've missed this area of focus on the AHIQ site.

The Spring Block



 From here I was thinking trails and roadways that intersect with treed landscapes. I like the way that these look like birch trees, but they left me kinda of flat and my excitement of these blocks left me. 

I was left with trying to interpret the vision I had in my head again and again. I failed again and again in my color pallet. I struggled and like many of you, when the struggle became a chore, it had to go!


Reminder to my readers that I take the choice of not buying new fabric seriously. 


So this means that for me, I must make use of the prints, textures and colors I have in my stash. Its insanely presumptious of myself to think that continued buying of new fabric somehow didn't affect the world's pollution.


It does in a minute way, but I'm still guilty of consuming, so I've stopped doing that and I'm using up only what I have in my stash and some of that stash is organic.


Back in the 1980's I'd read the articles over so many times, I started a retail business in the Boundary Country of B.C. selling organic pet foods, livestock feeds and soil supplements.


I wrote a weekly column for a couple of years while struggling along trying to  educate the locals on why it was important to their health to feed pets, livestock and the soil with organic things, not chemical things. 


I began reading online about the toxins and chemicals used in just the manufacturing process of cotton back when I got my first computer.  I discovered this at a time I was raising young children and I feared for the future. 


Before, use of a computer began as regular life in the second half of the 19th Century, I read Organic Gardening magazines cover to cover. Our bookshelf was a lot more interesting than it is today. But I clearly understood that chemicals were out in our environment and they were a threat.


So I support organic cotton.


But using up what I already have is very important. I like upcycling cotton shirts for example into my quilts. I see that a lot in Kaja's work from her posts, we'd get along like a house on fire.


Her focus is using up as well, I think? She happily goes along injecting cotton from clothing on a regular basis. Secretly, I think its why I'm drawn to her quilts. They just seem to come together in a seamless way.


The Summer Block


I felt like I needed the last big block of intersecting roads must be in bring summer colors. While I am upcycling my own clothing and making up new projects, I am finishing up other projects and I went right into pink, blue, green and white for the summer block fabric pick. Some of these choices are new and some vintage and gifted to me.



Then my interpretation of the landscape and trails became birch trees. I enjoy the process of letting go very much and encourage youu to give it a try if you don't already leave the norms and play. 

And as I got into fall colors and decided to turn the blocks. Wow, suddenly the interest came back to my busy hands and I was able to move on to new developments for these blocks.

The Fall Block



The Winter Block


 I completely missed my follow through with Sew Slowly and many others who do participate and I'm sorry about that. 

But the only way to move forward is to let go of the safety in association. Let go of your own inhibitions about form and texture. That's what I love about the early Gees Bend quilts. They seemed to be so honest and forthright about feelings toward the beautiful colors of the world. 

I fell from the moment and this quilt top took the brunt and for what reason I'm not sure, but now its being loved again and I've proceeded to this stage.



So once I decided what I was going to do with all four seasons represented as the back ground for the birch trees.!

But the obvious green block needs some love, don't you think?

Slashing was the how I achieved the broken bits of similar color themes but improv layout all the way. Sort of like how I made Myrtle's Quilt as seen below.



So the next idea is to slash the whole top on the diagonal, breaking up the forest seasonal thing altogether. I like slashing and sewing thing back in a new way. 

I'm celebrating more progress on my various long term projects that have needed to be finished. And lastly thank you for all the kind encouragement of not letting the unfinished blocks dwell and depress me, but rather just plod at what makes your happy. Making progress on this one feels really good.

Debra Dixon is one such upcycler and one you might want to check out her on IS- debra_dixon_Design where her tenacity and spirit just keeps on giving and its an inspiration because I'm really to have found her again.

Up next post is my take on Outdoor Education and Crazy Quilts. What you might want to do in your community as I'm doing in mine and have some community fun with outdoor quilts. Helping to keep toddlers and children and people warm and feeling comfort is the best feeling any quilt can deliver!



Bye for now,

Comments

  1. You've made great progress and it was fun walking along with you through your design process

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  2. I've been on a 'use my stash first' crusade for at least a couple of years now (probably longer) and it's amazing what having that criteria has done for my creativity. I haven't ruled out buying what I have run out of, but that only happens when I simply can't find what I need in my stash. Even then I resist buying new fabric and much prefer to harvest it from thrifted clothing if I can. Having said that I now have a special request for a quilt for our #2 grandson for Christmas and the design they want will need new fabric to create. Hate the thought of having to buy new!!

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