Hi Everyone!
I found this site through Jude's blog, was immediately inspired to participate, and was up most of the night jotting down thoughts and designs. Today I purchased gray linen that has been calling my name for weeks and it is now preshrinking away in the wash.
So now I'm thinking a lot about repetition. Not only in design, but in nature, in culture, in families. What is handed down (repeated through generations) to us and how sometimes it comes intact and sometimes it comes in fragments. How sometimes it is useable in the form in which it comes to us and sometimes it's not, challenging us seek its essence and bring it forth in new forms.
I'm intrigued by ralli, saami, and kantha quilts - traditionally made from old cloth. I love old textiles! I don't have any old textiles that I'm willing to interfere with, so I've decided that will be my first step in this class - create "old" fragments that will be pieced into a new whole.
I am a stitcher and lover of all things fiber related, but I am not a quilter. I do not have a fabric stash from which to draw for this. I live in Switzerland where the cost of fabric can quickly plunge me into financial ruin. How am I going to do this? Well, honestly, I don't have a clue! Yet. It is a good thing I have a sense of humor and am able and willing to laugh at myself!
I'm really looking forward to working with the challenge I've set for myself and to watching each of you develop your quilts. I've visited all of the blogs listed in the sidebar and admit to being amazed and not a little intimidated by the quality and quantity that you all produce! This is going to be a lot of fun!
Paula in Zurich
7 comments:
Willkommen, Paula! You could try going through your closets and finding old clothes, or retire some bed or table linens. If you've gone through yours already, ask your friends! I've got a guy at work that brings me his cotton dress shirts when they get a hole in them, and they get cut up and quilted into things!
Wonderful post... can't wait to watch your project evolve!
Do you have anything where you are like our Goodwill stores? Bonnie from Quiltville (quiltville.com) finds loads of plaid shirts that she cuts apart for her quilts (notably her scrappy bargello done for Bargellobowl 2008).
Hope you'll post a little about where you live, too ~ Switzerland has always been highest on my list of foreign countries to visit :-)
Paula,
I have some cotton patches left from used shirts. I've already made a picknic-quilt out of them, so I don't really need the rest. If you want them, just send me your snail-addy.
Hi Paula! Your project sounds fantastic, and I would be willing to mail you some bits and pieces too as I also live not too far away in Germany. I have had good luck here at the flea markets (second hand shops are still too expensive given the limited yardage that you end up with). Last summer I bought four "Decke Bezug" for less than 10 euro -- which gave me at least 8 meters of wonderful soft cotton fabric. I dyed two and kept the other two white. Of course, if you are making your own "old" textiles, you may not need a big stash of fabric -- just a lot of imagination and maybe some paint and/or embroidery floss. Send me your address and I'll mail a package too.
Oh my goodness! I'm touched by your interest, suggestions, and offers of fabric! Wow.
I'm hooked by the possibility of creating fabric(s) with embroidery and want to pursue that a bit further for now. If I hit a dead end, though, I'll be back saying, "Um, about that fabric you offered...?"
I hope to have something to photograph and post within the next week as well as a firmer sense of direction. I look forward to hearing your perspectives as I began making this.
I'm American, not Swiss, which I didn't clarify in my intro. I've been here 3 months into a minimum 3 year stay. Husband's job. We've moved 13 times in 22 years. This is our first international move. I am kind of worn out! I don't yet speak German and there are days when even my English is questionable.
Creating fabric from embroidery??? Sounds very intriguing. Actually your whole post is fascinating - looking forward to seeing more. And 13 moves in 22 years??? oh my.
:-) So many moves are tough on a girl's fabric stash! I'm a bit of a nomad too -- we've lived in 9 different apartments/houses in the last 15 years. If you'd like to commiserate with another American living abroad email me at umzavi(at)hotmail(dot)com. My German is pretty good (although Swiss-German is another animal), and I've made my way around Europe quite a bit in the last decade. There are still days when I think my head is going to explode from processing everything (language, culture, etc.). I'm sure Tonya experiences this too!
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