Another fully-hand-dyed Finished!

I previously posted about the drama of un-sewing the initial free-motion stiches on this quilt. Once I listened to the quilt, the stitching was smooth as silk! It is now complete!

Front

Detail

Back (sorry for the blur, but it is drab and rainy here today.)

Back detail

I love the layered look of it, the first/bottom layer is the crazy mottled star-burst fabric, then the layer of pieceing that looks like window panes, finally the layer of block stitching. And I used 2 bronw that I dyed on the back!

This measures 36" x 51". The hand-dyed fabrics started life as bleached muslin, I used a spaced-dyed YLI thread and thin cotton batting. 

going in the wrong direction

I started quilting a new piece on Sunday. The design I was trying to achieve just wasn't working out. I had seen a neat "filler" pattern and was trying to do it all over the quilt. My thread kept breaking, I couldn't get the tension right, the bobbin threads kept "nesting". All signs pointed to "uh-oh". I believe this was the universe telling me to find my quilt path and do not try to force the wrong design on this quilt. So, I unsewed. I unsewed the free-motion stitches Sunday night, Monday night and last night. Tedious, yes, but it just wasn't right. I had only worked on about 20% of the quilt, but that was still a lot of stitches. I sat down tonight and let the quilt toop tell me which way to go. I have almost 50% complete in only 2 hours. My thread isn't breaking, the tension is good and the bobbin is bobbin along! 

Sneak preview:

Should be able to finish the quilting tomorrow night, and the binding Friday night.

I took this sunset pic on Saturday night after spending the morning in a cool "Digital Marketing Bootcamp" seminar, then the afternoon with my parents. This is in the Brushy Mountains of Wilkes County NC.

 

 

THIS is the inspiration for my grey and orange fabrics and quilt-to-come!

Let me do or Dye!

Took today as a DWOP (day without pay). Since we received a 5%pay cut we get a day a month off. I have a couple in the bank incase the house sells, but I really needed to be home today. So what did I do?

Fabric? Check (even some gorgeous mercerized cotton, thanks Mm!), Rubber gloves? Check. Dye? Check.

New book, Color by Accident? Check. Time? Check.

Tada!

All I can say is: wow. My next quilt is going to be orange and grey. Can't wait to cut into this!

More lovely quilts.....

I really wish these pix could show the details. These quilts are gorgeous!

No, I am not slacking off! I have a work-in-progress made from hand-dyes, and I am spending much needed time practicing my free-motion. I see improvement with every quilt, and I am trying to develop some stitches that I feel really comfortable with. Happy Wednesday!

More lovelies from the "Quilts in the Valley show

As promised, more quiltin' eye candy! Enjoy, then go and create!

Yummy!