Every month, I had the Kinokuniya in Costa Mesa California ship me not only this monthly Japanese magazine, but also a little pack of fabric that Yoko Saito's shop had picked out for you to make the blocks as a kit.
I dutifully keep these publications next to the fabric packs in their little bags for ages as my plan was to make all the blocks.
Eventually, all the blocks were actually published in a book (doh!) so I didn't actually have to collect the magazines after all.
I also finally decided to wash all the fabrics, iron them, and incorporate them in my regular fabric stash since it was unlikely that I'll be making all those blocks exactly as designed.
I would have loved to follow the exact recipe, but the creative genius in me cannot find her way to duplication of an exact quilt. I need more flexibility and I need to make my quilts take on my own asthetic.
The above fabrics are Daiwabo yarn dyed fabrics that came as part of the kit and are now ready for use in other projects. I have already started cutting into them more and I'm glad that I decided to stop waiting to use them.
Maybe this is some sort of a late spring cleaning thing for me, but having new fabrics washed and ready to go is the only way they will ever make it into a quilt.
That's the name of the game after all.
Are you out there doing a little late spring cleaning? Maybe I'm the only one that still has late-spring early-summer fever.
Marisa Iam drooling over my beakfast looking at that fabric! And I know so well about hoarding - yes, I admit it, that is the word -fabric waiting for just the right quilt to make. And like you, I began to cut into my precious Japanese fabrics, to start a basket quilt that wasn't the exact basket quilt I had been saving them for. I put some photos on the post. It does feel liberating once you have begun to cut into those very special little fabric collections, but it certainly is a bit of a hurdle making that first slice!
ReplyDeleteLooking forward to seeing your original qui;t - when you've started it!
Such great texture in those woven neutrals. I usually get into that organizing/prep for the next project mode after I've finished a big project. I agree - collecting fabric is one thing but the point is to use it! I look forward to seeing what you decide to do with these fabrics.:).
ReplyDeleteThat looks like wonderful fabric! I am still spring cleaning and will continue to do so as the weather warms up.
ReplyDeleteThose are beautiful fabrics! I have recently found that I love the Japanese taupe quilt look too and have been drooling over the fabrics and what people are doing with them. Nice to find another blog with that interest that I can follow!
ReplyDelete