A Creativity Challenge

Sewing & Quilting
On a recent visit, my Aunt (a very talented quilter!) gave me the pieces and parts of an abandoned quilting project.  The focal fabric featured a  Kaffe Fassett print in a deep reds and related hues.  Any of you familiar with his wonderful fabrics and designs for both quilting and knitting, know that he is fearless in the use of color and large scale prints.  I was so excited to get these blocks, but at this time I know I do not have the time to make a large, formal quilt.  However, I was itching to play with the newly inherited loot.

Inherited quilt pieces: featuring the 'square in a square' and pretty coordinating fabrics

Challenge: Come up with a smaller scale project featuring the bright 'square in square' blocks AND use only materials from my stash (on hand fabric supply).  In a creative quilting course I took last year, we worked on exercises that focus on constraints as a way to step beyond our normal perspectives and perhaps arrive at an interesting and perhaps fresh result.  My constraint is to work within existing resources in my studio.  Since my typical 'comfort zone' is usually aqua, green, turquoise, teal, violet, blues and combinations of those colors, starting with deep red was a plunge into a whole new palette set. 

First decision: project scale:  table runner.  Next, what fabrics and coordinating colors?

Result:  

Choices from the stash, focusing on complementary colors 

The purple in the focal block really presented an opportunity to coordinate with complementary color ways.  Additionally, the assortment I came up offered some variety, texture, and movement with the assorted prints.   Next, a design for the runner.  I really want to keep it simple - not use a lot of fancy and intricate blocks and patterns, since the fabrics are busy and the color powerful (plus it would be faster to assemble and see how I felt about the result!).

Next Issue:  How it came together.  Decision about quilting design looming ahead. 

Knitting:

Sweater pieces ready to sew together and add a neckline.  Almost finished, and just in time for the (eventual) warm weather.