From This to That

I have been involved in a year long challenge with a local group.  We divided up into small groups of 3 and we each had a starter piece that we passed to the next person in the group.  The rules were - you could not take apart a seam.  That was it.  You could cut, add, take away, change - whatever.  Exciting, excruciating, and expressive all at one time, shaken up like a martini.

This is what I started with to pass to the first person.  Very soft, nothing precise.  I did pass along extra fabrics that went with these colors, not that they were obligated to use them, but I do like reds, browns, and oranges and sometimes other quilters don't have those colors.  The blue piece is a linen, and I am enjoying adding linen to projects these days.

The #2 person passed this to #3 person, she had joined some of the improv patchwork pieces and added on

#3 person then passed back to me and she had added applique - which I loved (the flowers are appliqued on to a piece of the blue linen)

I closed my eyes boldly cut off the applique section. Next I made handles - thinking I was going toward a back and front of a bag, but this could have gone anywhere.

 I quilted the sections but not too close to the edges so they could be added to if the next person wanted

I then passed to person #2 again and she added gorgeous variegated thread quilting around the applique

She passed to person #3 who added some pieces to the sides, and which I unfortunately didn't photograph.

When I got the last pass I moved forward to turning the whole project into a bag, this was a challenge for me because I had already quilted on the two pieces and they weren't the same size.  I was able to enlarge the smaller section by adding pieces and batting to the sides.  Then the problem was the bag was too large to stand up on it's own with the batting, it wanted to fall over.  So I shoved two pieces on Timtex in there to stiffen up the sides.  And really, I shoved and man handled.  I thought I would love Timtex when it first came out, and I know it has it's purpose, but it is difficult to maneuver.   I made box corner bottoms, I didn't really want to because that took away from some of the patchwork sides, but it was easier than trying to figure out how to make sides and a bottom.  I added a liner of a Kaffe Fassett print that is browns and oranges (of course).  

I'm glad my bag idea came through, I am now in love with this patchwork bag that my quilty friends helped me make.  I'm calling it Orange Martini, Shaken not Stirred.
To view one of the projects from the other group visit Shelley 

Keep Calm and Quilt On

Mary