Saturday, June 16, 2018

One More Chance

"Float" 13" x 21" - Sheila Mahanke Barnes ©2018

"Sometimes what you're looking for is right in front of you." Michael Bungay Stanier, Great Work Provocation/Box of Crayons

"Float" is done, the last stitch on the sleeve put in last night. Did I say I was going to face rather than bind it? I did think so since I had no more of the border fabric nor anything remotely like it to use as binding. Facing seemed the only choice. Another bit of chance changed my mind.

Click on photo to see quilting detail
I was looking for a suitable backing as well as that facing fabric which might or might not be the same as the backing. In picking up a short stack of fabrics that I'd not wanted to fold in half to fit in my racks, I found that fabric from the "failed" black dye run of last summer. It was there apparently because I'd pinned a note to it saying to try some bleach discharge shibori with it. But now as it sat next to the top I'd soon be layering and quilting, it looked amazingly close in color to the paint of the lattice and leaf clusters. I auditioned it again once "Float" was quilted and was very pleased to see how well it would work and that the dark binding made for a better visual finish.

How very many times this has happened to me, the chance meeting of just what I need with something that is right in front of me.

With this finished, the 4th piece for my ArtWalk display, all that's left before dropping everything off on Tuesday is pricing, filling out the paperwork, cutting dowels to length and attaching business cards. Oh, and attaching Leaf Cluster VIII to the foamcore board I cut today and slipping it into its metal frame. All very doable with a minimum of stress! 

5 comments:

Olga Norris said...

Looking good, and from the sounds of it, feeling good.

Christine Staver said...

It was meant to be! This came out really really well. Congrats!

Cate Rose said...

Gorgeous quilt, Sheila. Hope you're well and enjoying summertime! x

The Inside Stori said...

Oh Sheila….this is really good!!! It’s sure to go home with one of the viewers!!!

The Idaho Beauty said...

Thanks everyone! Yes Olga, this one has renewed any waning of interest and did make me feel good. It just delights me so much, and I'm not even sure why! Maybe as Chris says, because it sort of made itself and was meant to be.

And yes Mary, it must be a crowd pleaser because it is already sold before the opening reception, along with the latest leaf cluster. That makes all the time and effort, questioning and grunt work worth it. :-)

Nice to hear from you Connie - yes am feeling pretty well and am just waiting on the weather - has been a bit up and down with big shifts in temps and quite a bit of rain, but hey, it's still June. It will get hot and summery soon enough and I'll be out on some trails. :-)