growing design

Two years ago at the beginning of Lent (a season of 40 weekdays in the Christian church before Easter) I participated in a hand-made printed fabric swap hosted by Leslie over at Maze & Vale. I had dyed fabric for quilting before, but this was my first attempt at printing. Fun, but really challenging! I received great fabrics from my partners, but wasn't sure how I would use them. 

Finally last summer I used a modified version of the tutorial from Ashley over at Make It & Love It to make a bag and used a few of the prints I received in the swap on the pocket (the great tan trees and green trees and sprouts). Its become my trusty library tote! I love the reminder of the encouraging women who were part of the swap. I have another bag using the other swap fabrics laid out and waiting on the unfinished object pile.

 

My daughter Kelsey participated in the swap as well … that may be how I was drawn into it? We did it together. Since then she has completed an art degree with a senior show focussed on art quilts using her own screen printed fabric and continues to design fabric and blog at Lovely and Enough while also in grad school.

This past summer Kels designed four sewing themed prints for a Spoonflower challenge just for fun. We ordered some fabric with no real purpose. Then I remembered the bag. I used tips from Suzanne at Just Another Hang Up to make a more robust bag with the same pattern. Kelsey's fabrics are the outside and inner pockets, with a wonderful shot cotton solid for the lining. The bag is a great size for hauling notebooks and supplies to meetings!  (I may have used it a few times before I finally sent it to her)

  

This year during Lent Kelsey and I have decided that we are going to do a 12" quilt every week as our way of being creative just because we can. I've picked a wonderful wintery palette of fabric and we will see what emerges.