Fibermania

Our Neighbor's Ginko Tree

We are enjoying perfect Autumn weather here in Cary Illinois. So much so that I have been having a mini-vacation, getting dressed late, not working, and watching movies in the afternoon, in bed. I am trying to see what it would feel like to be retired. Three. Days. Without. Working.

OK!

So we got outta bed and went for a bike ride and fed the local ducks and saw a few leaves turning, and I recalled the one Ginko tree in the next block. I wanted to do another leaf collection quilt, especially after teaching this workshop in Janesville last week. The quilters made fabulous pieces (bad blogger, no pictures) and not to be leftout (Competitive, moi?) I had been thinking about doing another.

My Ginko quilt had been sold several years ago when I taught at Art Quilt Tahoe. I needed to make another one.

In my workshop, the participants pick one piece of Special Edition cotton or silk and make their leaves first by tracing around actual leaves. Then they position them on whatever fabric remains after they cut out the leaves. I thought that challenge was a good way to begin for me too.

Ginko Collection #2

18x21"

Cotton and Silk, fused, hand and machine quilted


I included one silk leaf, since it was in my scraps pile and seemed the perfect color to go with the backgrounds I cut.

I am using my hand dyed pearl cotton for the hand work, and marking the circles with a shot glass and juice glass.

This leaf is outlined by machine stitching.

I cut many more leaves than I used, and there is more fabric left from the original piece. I may make a second one...

Making this quilt was like butter. I let the fabric do all the hard work.