“Focus Maria“, I told myself each time I pulled the needle through the fabric, the hand sewinf slowing me down. The repetition calming me.
My Three Graces fabric painting has been hanging on my wall waiting patiently for me to work on her again.
Once I decided to dye the crocheted edging red and sew it on the bottom I was just waiting for the Scarlet fabric dye to come in the mail. That happened this weekend and today I did the necessary unseen hand-stitching to hem the whole piece and create the small triangles at the bottom of it.
My intention was to make all the triangles red by removing more triangles from another piece of the old quilt and resewing them on the white ones at the bottom.
Even before hemming the fabric painting, I began my morning by pulling the stitches from the old quilt and freeing five red triangles. (I always think of the woman who sewed those stitches when I do this kind of work. These stitches were even, small and still strong enough to hold the two pieces of fabric together, as the fabric around it was disintegrating.)
But once I saw the triangles at the bottom of the quilt, I kind of liked the mix of red and white, so I left them for now.
Then it was time to dye.
I pulled the old enamel pot, that we use for everything except cooking, out of the back of the cabinet and filled it with water. I heated it up to a boil and added the Scarlet Rit fabric dye. Then, in went the crocheted edging that I cut off an old table runner and some scalloped crochet trim that I had in my stash.
The dye is the perfect color. It transforms the white crocheted from pale to earthy. It’s drying now on the wooden rack next to the woodstove in the dining room. I can’t wait to sew it on and see what it looks like.
I don’t know for sure yet, but I have a feeling once I do, this piece might just be done.
Good to see your work here. Feels like you are getting back to being grounded deep in your art.
Yes Janet, I feel that happening today. Trying hard to stay focused.
A perfect tutorial … And beautiful to boot !
Oh good! I hope my excitement over the piece, (which has ebbed and flowed while making it) shows.
What a beautiful art piece. Knowing that you have repurposed a quilt by adding your own unique energy and vision, inspires me. I inherited a number of quilts that my father made. Imagining combing his work with mine gives hope for a special project. Thank you for sharing your work and process.
Thanks Antoinette, I rarely hear of a man making quilts Antoinette. How wonderful that your father made quilts and you now have them. From the collage cards you have sent me (and thank you for the latest one, it’s wonderful!) I can imagine you doing something very speical with your father’s quilts.
My nephew that lives in Duluth makes beautiful quilts and I am blessed to have 3 of them. I think it is great when men can express themselves through art as well as women do. It is somewhat rare but they a out there. Looking forward to seeing the next addition to your piece.
I hear more and more of men making quilts Marsha. And of course, why not!
Dear Maria, I can’t imagine the patience it takes to make something beautiful out of a quilt that you first have to carefully take apart. I LOVE the red dye result!!
That red has me in its spell Annie!