one quilter's trash

She wasn't throwing out, but practically giving it away - the fabric on the trading table was my treasure.

I love the Auckland Quiltmakers annual show - first weekend in May I'm always there to admire. Each member has a strong and individual style, plus there is great shopping from 2-3 select merchants. The members have a great sale of previously exhibited works - and of course the Trading Table of fabric that they are letting move on. 

I was entranced by the chunky silk sari threads woven with gold Lurex. Didn't I have a power jacket made of this stuff in the 80's?

Found a few more 'treasures' on the table, and added a little more at home.  Thought about it for a week or so, then began cutting.  This is the first time I have ever made a kit for each block before sewing. Completely unnecessary.  It might also be the first time I have used my own hand-dyed fabric. Those funny yellows. The nice hand-dyed green and plum and purple is by Janet & Peggy of Dye-It Fabrics.

First a frame around each square of the silk, then a 4-patch unit. I could not make the same quilt twice if you paid me, but I think I'll be using this simple piecing construction method again.

Laid the 4-patches down in order of sewing - looked so good that was nearly the final arrangement - but a little more playing around with the sneaky half-rows and I'm very pleased with the end result.

In another first, this is a quilt (top at least) completed in the same season as the fabric was purchased.

Of course I have sewn until bedtime to get to this milestone, now there's no daylight to take a decent colour photo. Next time!

How tidy is tidy enough?

I just read a post on Organising by another bipolar chick. Recognized much of my 'neat freak' self there. oooh how I like to have everything in its place.

The writer discussed heping her family understand how much effort she was putting into tidying up after them. It certainly is good to give your housemates/family a chance to realise how much effort *you* are putting into maintaining something they value. They get an opportunity to grow into being able to take care of themselves and others.


However...

It's also useful to think about whether there is a difference between "how things need to be" and "how I want everything to be". I'm the first to insist that tidy is more convenient and aesthetically pleasing - but I have learned it isn't actually mandatory in the home - and sometimes we benefit from finding a middle ground that allows for the preferences of of our homemates.

This is the sweetly reasonable version - the other part is that I finally figured out that Suzy Homemaker was stealing hours from Sarah-the-Artist.  Remember my earlier post on maintenance? Now the tidying is pared down to a fairly relaxed standard. Less junk helps too.

So, I was thinking this is yet another post that isn't about textile art, but maybe it is after all