Wednesday 25 May 2022

Rainbow Scrap Challenge for May

The colour for the Rainbow Scrap Challenge this month is "Forest Green and Sage".

Forest green doesn't fit in with my little 1930s inspired butterfly and 9-patch blocks, but that nice soft 30s green fits in with sage green quite nicely.
I'm really enjoying making these.
I thought I'd see how they are starting to look together.  Yes, this will be a cute little quilt when it's finished and has a few  more colours added in.
Forest green suits the half square triangles to add to the black and white quilt much better than sage would.  These fabrics are really old.
While I was stitching up the block I just happened to look up and noticed the little hanger on my wall of minis in front of my sewing machine.  See the fabric mid top - yes, that's the one I just used.  This was one of my very first attempts at patchwork and applique, probably in about they year 2000, complete with puffy poly batting and single binding with no mitred corners (what do they mean press binding in half wrong sides together - that must be a typo) - oh how naive I was back then and how much I have since learned.

Mick made the little hanger for this as well.  

I was participating in one of Chooky's Zoom sessions at the time and showed the girls.  It was funny how many of us had stitched chooks on our first or early patchwork projects.

Also, see the fabrics top left, top right and middle bottom.......They were the very first fabrics I bought for patchwork.  

Here's another story.........

In my first job in the bank, way back in 1983, one of my work mates was going to TAFE to learn patchwork, back when there were non-vocational classes.  Anyway, she lent me her notes, which I meticulously copied.  I then planned to make a cushion. 

In that job I had one Rostered Day off each month.  Sometimes Mum and I would go down to Sydney for the day shopping. We went into the big fabric shop "Home Yardage" and they had a small section of "American Patchwork Fabric". I bought some of those and a couple of other fabrics.  

You can read the full story back here, in one of my very first blog posts in 2008.  I think I did eventually throw the cushion away, which I kind of regret. Also, in that blog post I said I used the last of those fabrics in a quilt back then.  That's not quite true, as there were a couple of little scraps left.  They were then used in Nature's Journey and the last little bit was used in Trail Mix.

13 comments:

simplestitches said...

love your butterflies and 9 patches...that is going to look great.
funny the things we started with...still got my first quilt top, unfinished, looking back at it...what was I thinking!!!! and yes I still have fabric from when I first started quilting, have used some in my scrappy top (that's probably the only way its going to get used!)

Susie said...

What a lovely story, isn't it wonderful how a small scrap of fabric can evoke such strong memories. ahh Natures's Journey, still have not quite finished mine....

Jeanette said...

Your butterflies & 9 patch looks really pretty. Cute chook hanging. My first patchwork was making 8 Dresden plate placemats all by hand as i didn't own a machine back then. I chucked them out as they wore out. I wish i'd kept one & framed it. Hugs, xx

Anorina @SameliasMum said...

I love your little chook quilt. So great to look at where you started on your quilty journey.

Fiona said...

Your butterflies quilt is so pretty. Fun hearing about the fabrics - you have a good memory...
Hugz

loulee said...

Your RSC blocks look great.
What a great trip down memory lane.

kiwikid said...

Lovely blocks for the colour challenge Janice. Love the chook too and it was interesting to read about your early quilting days.

Maria said...

The butterflies and 9 patches look lovely together …will make a great quilt.
I enjoyed looking back at your old posts and reading them.
Do you still have the coat hanger ?

Jenny said...

Ah, memories of those early quilting days! I remember stitching a cot quilt for my new granddaughter using a panel and very thick bouncy poly batting! No wonder I had so much trouble getting it through the machine. I hadn't discovered real P&Q groups then, and I'm sure patchwork shops weren't a thing back then either!

Chookyblue...... said...

oh the rainbow blocks are looking great together.......
that was fun on zoom with us all pulling out our early project.....how things have changed...

Jocelyn is Canadian Needle Nana said...

I just love how you relate the history of that particular fabric. Memories tied to it which is wonderful for quilters. Your Butterflies and 9 patch blocks are so pretty!

Susie H said...

Isn't it satisfying to find some fabrics that just keep turning up in so many projects? I know I love it. I think it's sweet that Mick made your hanger and it's still hanging!

Sandy Panagos said...

Your nine-patch and butterfly blocks are ADORABLE!