WIPs That Work

Every once in a while (which, for some of us is not quite as often as for others!), one has a day of sewdio time that just....flows...

3" hexagon background -
English Paper Piecing

Today was one of those days pour moi.  Some time ago now, I posted about the background I was creating for my next 15 x 15 Group piece with the theme, "East Meets West".  It was a series of 3" hexagons, English paper pieced.  Until some time in the middle of last week, I was pretty certain it was going to take forever to create!  I needed to cover at least 16" square to allow for quilting and trimming, and I began to wonder...

"Japanese" print backing (stash)

But by Monday, all had come together.  First I sandwiched the quilt with a great "Japanese" background.  Then I quilted it, tone-on-tone, with straight lines top-to-bottom only.  After that, I was ready to plan and work out the foreground.

I knew I wanted tea pots.  I'd collected photos of a variety of styles, purportedly 'English', 'Chinese' and 'Japanese'.  From these I traced the shapes...and from there I planned to create them in fabric.

But...what colour?

Enter "Inspiration" in the form of Linda Kemshall, and one of her latest DMTV videos, in which she's doing a sketchbook study on the colour RED.  Aha!

Based on her suggestion that one research one's colour, I looked into the significance of red for the Chinese and the English (I couldn't find much re: the Japanese but perhaps I wasn't looking in the right places).  Regardless, RED has served as a colour associated with royalty (Imperial China), revolution (as in the rise of "Red" China) and the military -- as in the English "Red Coats" who fought (in vain) in the American Revolution.  Those same "Red Coats" played a part in Canadian history...and then there are our RCMP "Red Coats"...and red is the dominant colour on the Canadian flag...not to mention the Japanese flag... (sorry; I can't seem to draw a 'border' around that circle to clearly delineate the Japanese flag...nonetheless...

I rest my case.

Today, I auditioned three batiks (from Hamel's Fabrics' Show Special in Red Deer last year -- thank you!)...traced the tea-pot shapes I'd found...and auditioned them in place using a Teflon sheet, because the plan was to fuse each grouping and then fuse the grouping(s) to the background.  I'd not used this technique in a while so have to confess...this is the first time I really got the concept!  Who knew?!

Pieces fused together on Teflon sheet

Next I placed them on the pre-quilted background. fused them down and quilted them -- using machine applique on the raw edge and a tiny blanket stitch (1.5 long by 1.5 apart on my Husqvarna Lily 555).

Tea, Anyone? - Detail 1

Tea Anyone? - Detail 2

That's all you'll see until the 'reveal' at month-end...but that's a pretty good "hint" as to what I've created, don't you agree?  ;-)

I just love it when everything comes together...especially on a Wednesday, generally the "odd day out" in my week.  What about you?

Linking up to WIP Wednesday over at The Needle and Thread Network...

See you later!