OK, so I've got three active quilt projects going... First, I've got to do a label for the one I just finished, and I'll post when that happens, how well it worked. Second, I've got a lot of green & antique white fabrics with a bit of red, for a series of log cabin blocks that I intend to use in a variety of ways for Christmas decorations. The third is my wedding quilt.
I made my own wedding dress. It was very simple in it's styling, not to be too frou-frou, and to show off my curves rather than add a lot of fluff around them. The one thing I wanted out of a dress was that it be real silk. No fake fabrics for this bride-zilla! So I ordered some silk charmeuse from an importer that I trust, and voila, enough to make a long dress with a flowing skirt. I was very happy in it, but no one is likely to ever wear it again.
For the occasion, we bought my stepdaughter her first real silk dress also. Also simple styling, not a lot of ruffles or tucks.
I also have an old jacket, very soft and supple suede of a neutral color.. I'm not sure whether you'd call it fawn or dark beige or light brown, but it's a good color and texture to provide a little variety. It was given to me as partial payment for legal services about a dozen years ago. And I'm thinking of taking one of my old black dresses that was velvet, for a little more and different texture.
What I intend to do is chop all these things up into various shapes, without a lot of forethought, for a truly "crazy" quilt. I've seen crazy quilts recently that were actually cut using a pattern, and there is a definite repeat, definite blocks involved. For this one, I think I'll try a "quilt as you go" method.
Instead of making a series of patchwork blocks, I'll be making a sandwich first. The backing, the fluff, and the underpinnings of the craziness will go first. I will lay down a piece of wedding dress and stitch through all layers. Then I will take a piece of stepdaughter's dress, put it right side together with the piece of wedding dress that is already attached to the quilt, and I'll stitch a straight seam through all layers, then turn it over so it's right side up. Press. Repeat
When I come to a place where the suede goes, I'll not have to turn it under, the edges of that will not fray.
I figure I'll just keep going till the whole sandwich is filled on top, and then if there are parts of the sides that are uneven, I'll slice them off, bind, and VOILA! Wedding dress quilt. OK, not ENTIRELY wedding dress, but it'll be a quilt made of clothing that were very special to me, a big part of which happens to be a wedding dress.
After it's finished, I might also find myself taking some little pearls from the dress and sewing them onto the quilt, or buttons. Or maybe I'll find some lace to add... something a little more frilly, because I'm no longer worried about over-fluffing my hips.
In my constant quest for something that will be both cool, meaningful AND easy, I'm hoping this will be all three! I'll have to post updates about that, though. Charmeuse is difficult to deal with (making the dress was a challenge!) and layering it on top of less slippery fabrics, I have no idea if it'll be easier or harder to deal with. And I sorry about the suede a little... it's VERY fine, without all the stiffness that we see in most suedes. Hopefully, I'll be able to make this work.
Wish me luck!
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