Studio time this morning: I picked two different fabrics I wanted to work with and started messing around with mini quilt size layouts using a square of rust dyed fabric as a base.

While I liked some things about them, I wasn’t very happy with the end results. Everything looked too purposeful. What I wanted was more accidental relationships that worked without being planned. I think what I needed was to feel, not see what was happening.

I tried a few different approaches, added a few more colors, stripped it down again to two, and then decided it was the size that was making it hard for me to work with. So I went small.

That worked so much better. It was much easier to find fabrics that needed to go together. I was also able to add a few more colors and prints.

I really like the torn edges and the uneven outline of the pieced elements.

I basted the layers just a little, enough to hold them together while I stitch over them, and added a layer behind (initially as support, but I like what it adds to the pieces.)

I’m still thinking about how to stitch on them and if they will go together like this (or another configuration) or be individual pieces in a series.

Looking forward to sitting with these some more to see where I go.

☆

Using: hand dyed, rust dyed, commercial, and hand printed fabrics.