A few weeks ago, I talked about getting sidetracked by a few things, including a bit of a shopping spree. The upper three fabrics in the picture on the left are from that spree - a "tie-dyed" polyester rayon and two silk shantungs, all in ranges of brown. I'm automatically drawn to browns, it seems; I buy a lot of it, both for quilting and to wear. I reminded myself of that as I considered these pieces, even looked for other colorways of the rayon, but they didn't appeal to me. Better to go with what I know, I decided, and not fight it. A few days later, I found myself at the local quilt shop - can't remember the last time I'd stopped in there. I was immediately sucked in by the siren call of a beautiful array of batiks, leaving me wishing I could have some of nearly every one of them. Instead, I picked out the three you see in the foreground of thi picture. I think I was partly influenced by a handbag on display that had incorporated some of these. It wasn't until I got home and took them up to my studio that it dawned on me that they would certainly work with my previous finds. Is there some kind of a garment in the offing here?
A few days later, I was sewing away on my pretty pastel baby quilts when I turned in my chair and spotted these ties hanging in the closet (picture on the right). Oh good grief, I thought. These work with all that new fabric too! I bought them at Goodwill at least a year ago and see them hanging there every day I work in that room, so it's not as if I'd forgotten I had them. But really, I hadn't thought of them when I was picking out the other fabric. This colorway and type of design apparently is burned into my subconscious!
And if you think this was just a fluke, consider this: The friend who accompanied me to the quilt show last week was specifically looking for oriental fabric, so while I wasn't really searching for anything, I was helping her spot and choose some for her own collection. I particularly admired the piece to the left, and since she only wanted a fat quarter and the shop wouldn't cut it that way, I told her to get the 1/2 yd and I'd take half of it. And when I got it home, sure enough - here's one more piece that works perfectly with this group.
A few days later, I was sewing away on my pretty pastel baby quilts when I turned in my chair and spotted these ties hanging in the closet (picture on the right). Oh good grief, I thought. These work with all that new fabric too! I bought them at Goodwill at least a year ago and see them hanging there every day I work in that room, so it's not as if I'd forgotten I had them. But really, I hadn't thought of them when I was picking out the other fabric. This colorway and type of design apparently is burned into my subconscious!
And if you think this was just a fluke, consider this: The friend who accompanied me to the quilt show last week was specifically looking for oriental fabric, so while I wasn't really searching for anything, I was helping her spot and choose some for her own collection. I particularly admired the piece to the left, and since she only wanted a fat quarter and the shop wouldn't cut it that way, I told her to get the 1/2 yd and I'd take half of it. And when I got it home, sure enough - here's one more piece that works perfectly with this group.
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