The beach is always changing...Waves take the old pebbles away and wash new ones up all the time.

The beach is always changing...Waves take the old pebbles away and wash new ones up all the time.

Woo hoo, a new month, full of possibilities!  What new ideas will wash ashore this month?

Wishing I had my camera right now.  I decided I didn’t feel like machine quilting yesterday, so I started another AAQI quilt.  This one will be called “Fragments,” for the fragments of memory that float to the surface of the mind.

The fabric I’m using is recycled  from an old Sacred Threads coat I had bought at Goodwill.  When I was pulling it apart, there was unfaded fabric in the seam allowances.  So I’m trying to use the frayed edges, and take advantage of the contrast between the faded and unfaded parts of the fabrics.

Most of the quilt is made up of a piece of loosely woven material.  I cut holes in it randomly, and used reverse applique to sew down some spots of material to peek through the holes, which are the memories.  I’m leaving the edges of the holes to fray out.

I started quilting it last night.  But I’m not quite satisfied with it.  It needs a focal point of some kind.  Think I’ll pin it up to my foamboard today so I can look at it as I work today.  Wish I could put a picture up.  I was desperate enough to take a picture with a cell phone yesterday, but my TracPhone doesn’t have a camera on it!  Oh well, Andrew will be home in a few days, so I can show you then.

Water changes form, to ice, and back to water again in the spring!

Water changes form, to ice, and back to water again in the spring. Recycling old clothes changes their form into something new.

Read a post the other day on recycling fabrics, and now I can’t find it!  It must have been a link from one of the blogs I check every day.  I’ve already been doing this for years, on and off.  My best find was an extra large ladies’ blouse for ten cents!  It was cotton (of course), fuschia with a black print, and there must have been two yards of fabric there.  Sweet!

I’ve cut up many men’s shirts, too, but unless it’s an extra large, it can be problematic because of the pockets on the front.  I suppose I could make a pocket quilt?  Hmm, have to think about that one.  Actually, the best garments to cut up are women’s jumpers and skirts, especially if you can get them on sale.  Goodwill is getting more expensive, which I don’t understand.  I mean, it’s used clothing, right?  There is a St. Vincent De Paul thrift store right up the street from me, and also a Salvation Army thrift store across town, and they’re more reasonably priced.

But right now I need to stay away from thrift stores and fabric stores.  Let’s see, in January I pieced four lap-sized quilts, and machine quilted a UFO, and three others.  Plus I made one AAQI quilt.  But I still haven’t made a noticeable dent in my stash!  There are lots of new beginnings just waiting here…