did some magic diarying this morning. finally did some work on my elder cloth. even with the wonderful distractions from nancy's destash - all those studio mags!! i'm back to a version of the original design, but with the dyed woven wool blanket on each side and the small quilt that i'm thinking of as a saddle blanket in the center. since the small quilt has been deconstructed, i think i'm saving it's precious tattered interior for another project and using the stronger part that i had originally planned for this cloth. that meant re-backing the existing piecing it with the invisible baste on muslin. and also adding a beautifully dyed fabric from arlee.
i've a long way to go yet with mending, connecting and embellishing, and there are lots of elements of confusion to me right now. how to join the thick woven cloths with the cotton center and getting the weights just right. how to back the center without backing the sides. how to bind the whole thing. what sort of stitch design i want. but it feels just right, like it's the journey i'm needing and meant to take... one about family and elders and piecing together our stories somehow around and through elderberry, who i thought of with most every stitch. funny that i still haven't taken scissors to cloth to make this quilt, unless you count cutting threads.
i aways feel like the handwork is the icing on the cake whereas assembling can be complex.. working out the construction process is the most time consuming part for me
ReplyDeletede-stashing going on here as well. the confusion seems to work itself out with the stitching as we take it one step at a time.
ReplyDeleteDrucilla, I love that you haven't cut any of it yet, that's amazing. You are just like the Faulkner quote.
ReplyDeleteAlso, what book is that quote from? I absolutely adore it!
thanks peggy!! i'm sure i'll cut sooner or later, but haven't had to yet.. the quote is from faulkner's sartoris, later published as flags in the dust. it's said about an old aunt sally, although there's a drusilla in faulkner's later mississippi novels!
Deleteso glad you're back to this. i know you've taken things apart, but it's such a bringing together that you're doing here & it's going to hold so much, i think. it's beauty is growing.
ReplyDeleteI love how you describe your moment of confusion and indecision. I am going through the same state of mind (and heart) in this moment, I am very hesitant about my next project. Then at a certain point every doubt will melt like snow and we will intuitevley know what to do.
ReplyDeleteMagic.