I’m having some fun!

 

Oh I’ve had fun this week! I finished my prototype using the Instant Paper Cloth (IPC) technique I learned from Margarita Korioth at this year’s Craft Napa. Before I get to my project, I have to share:

Yeah, this happened. I had to beef up the napkin supply from which I am making the IPC. I didn’t have much of a stash, so I might have gone a little over board. I think this will be enough to work with for awhile. It’s kind of like freezer paper – hard to believe that people actually use freezer paper to wrap frozen stuff, right? Did you know that people actually use napkins for food??

This is currently untitled and I’m in no hurry to title it. It is a prototype, there are things that I would have changed if I was trying to perfect my process. It does have that “wash day in the Midwest feeling” to me, which is a very good and happy feeling to me (I grew up there). It seems simple, happy, fresh:

One challenging thing about working with IPC is that you cannot use steam or water at all since it’s, well, paper. So the purple marks you see are from the air erasable marker. It would be tedious to use the white eraser thingy to get out all those marks, so I must be content to wait until they disappear. It was odd – some of the marks I made began to disappear right away, and some that were marked at the same time, are still there a week later. There was no discernable difference in the fabric at either location.

I did fester over what fill I wanted in the outer border:

It took me hours to pick out the two (right and left) I decided against. I am not sure I am loving the pumpkin seed grid, but it’s better than either of the other two. I LOVE the Celtic Bubbles in the middle and I’m thinking about doing them in the border and something linear against the curves on the inside. I’m still thinking on that one.

I do not EQ (computer program for designing quilts, quilt blocks and quilting plans) so I took a photo of the block and repeated it in Word – worked for me! I am playing with various layouts and quilting plans. Again, this is still a work-in-process. At the moment, the above is my favorite layout and quilting plan, but that could change. I put the printed page in a page protector and marked on top with a dry erase. Very sophisticated tech, no?

Let me walk you through the process:

I start with my IPC, created by randomly assembling napkins on my Paper Cloth base, then cutting my shapes from that. I don’t have a die cutter nor a template, so I made a janky one with layers of IPC in the size and shape I wanted. It was very…Bohemian in its shape, not at all accurate.

And here we are, unadorned, waiting to be embellished and quilted, buttons just laid upon the top for the time being.

I started with a 1 3/4″ square for my Prairie Points. My LAURASTAR made quick work of them and they were f-l-a-a-a-a-a-t in no time. I’m really warming up to my LAURASTAR. (yeah, intended pun).

I think I overdid the Prairie Points. I think next time I will make them a bit smaller and use fewer.

A few detail shots – the un-disappeared marks are distracting:

I sewed the buttons on with my BERNINA, a super quick and nifty process.

Note the difference between the left petal and right one – the right one is more vibrant. I used Steam-a-Seam on top of the left one and MistyFuse on the right one. Me likes the MistyFuse! I love how the random “piecing” of the napkins produced a fun improv look. I am concerned with those pointy ends on each petal – they tend to want to flip up. I may need to applique them down closer to the edge next time. But I like the placement of the applique line as it is! That is another decision to make.

By the way, I appliqued them down using the triple stitch and 12 wt thread on my BERNINA – I LOVE that beefy line!

The back – in this case, not terribly exciting. Really, my tension was not off, not sure why the photo is showing it that way. I used Quilters Select Perfect Cotton Plus in the bobbin and 100 wt Superior Kimono in the top.

I am enjoying this direction. I’d like to make a much larger top using this technique and maybe a 3-color quilt with color moving across the quilt. I have so many ideas right now. It is possible that I may not return to this for a while. It is nice to be able to be home long enough to be able to play and actually complete a project. Sooo many projects are calling my name. I’ve had a blast with this one!

This week I’ll be sharing with:
Nina-Marie’s Off the Wall Friday
and
Finished or Not Friday