have you ever had the pleasure of touching, creating, and quilting with hand-dyed fabrics? i have ~ and it’s pure bliss! it was an easy “yes!” when vicki welsh asked if was interested in playing with her fabrics! they are simply one of the must-haves in my fabric stash ~ no matter whether you want to do piecing, quilting, landscape, whole-cloth, stamping or painting on them! having hand-dyeds in my collection makes me giddy! but it really means i can create something special, unique, and entirely original. they just inspire me in ways i never can fully plan, and i like that kind of adventure! i also truly enjoy reading vicki’s blog: field trips in fiber. i’ve learned facts about her dyeing processes, to how she takes extra effort to wash them out so they don’t bleed, to color theory, and cool quilt designs and pattern work using her fabrics. vicki also writes a monthly newsletter, offers special prices on her fabrics, and has a flicker group where you can share projects and win a 25% discount, too. this girl’s “got it going on!” i hope you’ll check it out, as well as her etsy shop where she sells these beauties! {and don’t forget she offers custom colors, too!}
today’s project features vicki’s geranium gradient with a design taken from a favorite book of mine, “flowering quilts” written by author and quilter Kim Schaefer of the Little Quilt Company. while it’s an ‘older’ book nowadays, it can’t be beat for inspiration and sweet flower designs ~ perfect for this beautiful bright green and pinky-red mottled fabric.
i hadn’t made this particular design before, and i thought it was the perfect style for the geranium gradient. {get it here}
i enjoyed some quiet time, choosing, fusing, and cutting my fabric choices for the fun, whimsical elements of these cute flowers and flower pots that would complement the gradient fabric.
i thought the pots would be a little more interesting with just an extra touch of a simple design accent, so i added a heart in a beautiful turquoise thread. love how it contrasts with the brown fabric. i decided not to put it on every one, {cuz that would be too predictable} so i only did a few.
and of course, i had to add free motion couching with my bernina #43 foot. i used a hand-dyed yarn, too. it does double duty, for sure. i was able to make it look like two separate colorways; one pinky, one turquoise blue toned, and then combine them, too. {you have the same kind of versatility in hand dyed fabrics, too} very fun! i really do love the basket of beautiful yarns i’ve collected in the past years . a valuable design tool as far as i’m concerned, and wonderful for embellishment. this was an expensive one, but it has been soooo worth it! i’ve got alot of bang for my buck, and i love having it on hand.
i decided to quilt the center blocks in a graceful free motion serpentine style, using a yli variations green polyester thread. not only is it really easy to do, it accents the lovely gradient fabric blocks, adds to the soft, poofy texture of the quilt, and lets the flowers ‘pop’ in their bright colors and styles, too.
i chose a kaffe fasset print for the inner border, as it just ties everything together in my opinion, from the hand-dyed gradient fabric, to the flowers, and the beautiful hand-dyed yarn.
and below, a little bit of a snafu, apparently i accidentally cut into it, which i didn’t realize when i was cutting other fabric. oops. change of plans… but no worries… !
bound and finished!
just a few close-ups of the flower darlings!
and i changed the free motion details on each of the flowers… giving them each their own little personality.
you can see where i had to substitute a stronger red block, {below} for what i had hoped to be the lighter pinky red block? but i like it really just fine.
this little quilt was an unexpected delight… not what i had planned at all when i first picked it out from the fabulous variety vicki has in her store. just another lesson in expecting the unexpected! i do love how it turned out! i hope you’ll take a few minutes to check out vicki’s wonderful offerings.
and now for the give-away! vicki is giving away to my blog readers, two half-yard gradients or one yard of one gradient design. just leave a comment on this post. i’ll choose a winner on sunday, june 28th… oops i mean the 23rd!
and if you prefer not to wait, or take your chances… just enter a free shipping coupon for anyone: LESLIESHIP. vicki is offering free shipping on US orders over $40. international customers can add the code to the comment box on their order and she will refund $5 of their shipping cost.
thanks so much vicki!
thank you for taking a few precious summer minutes to stop by. {i’ll have more gradient projects to show, too, and hopefully a little give-away of my own to add}
xoxo
leslie
Comments 25
I love your piece, I love the fabrics, and I hope you choose me…:) I think my friend Leslie is pretty lovable too! LOL
New follower. Lovely table runner. I love how you use yarn for accent. Need to look up that #43 Bernina foot and read thru more of your posts to see how you use it.
This is truly inspiring. Love the colors and the textures created by the different techniques. Thanks for the chance.
walkingmissmolly at gmail dot com
You are an amazing inspiration. The colors are lovely. What else can one say? You have inspired me to free motion quilt.
Beautiful work as always…love the colours….Cathy
What fun, bright colors you use. Makes me want to try something similar.
I think the thing I love best about your work is that you have no fear. You try everything from straight line to curvy cuts and such a great variety of fabrics, threads and stitches. You truly inspire me and can't wait to visit Vicki's site.
I would love the opportunity to win some of Vicki's hand dyed fabric!
I really enjoy seeing all of the great projects that you share with us through your blog.
~June in AZ
I found your blog through Vicki's blog. You two are a perfect pair! Your work is lovely and so original. I just love it!
I love love LOVE Vicki's fabric. Sure I would love to be in the drawing!
Scruptious! This is the first time I've visited your blog. I will be back!
that table runner is so cute! I love pink/green combinations anyway. I have a couple of Vicki's gradients that I need to cut into.
Your work simply makes me smile! And Vickie's fabrics are beautiful.
So many possibilities with these dyed fabrics – exceptional! Thanks for the introduction.
I'm a recent follower and would love to win Vicki's gradiant fabric. Yoru designs and attention to detail is fantastic. Love this runner and the curves you are currenly working with.
Ahhh key west, what's not to love. Jane
As always, beautiful detail and workmanship!
Your work is always so inspiring and beautiful. Love the colors you used, your friend does beautiful work too. I'll have to check out her site. Thanks for sharing.
I follow Vicki's blog and love her hand-dyed fabric. Love what you did with it in this table runner!
Susan
Beautiful table runner. The colours are fabulous!
You've done such wonders with this pretty gradient! I love Vicki's fabrics – I just ordered a wonderful kit from her last week and was delighted with the beautiful fabric when it arrived! And you'll be happy to know I finally got a #43 couching foot for my little Bernina! I'm probably going to wear out your tutorial playing with it :*) Thanks for all your inspiration Leslie – you amaze me!!!
Vicki's fabrics are wonderful to work with; the way you have tarted them up is amazing. The two of you are a really creative team.
I'm adding your blog to my Reader now.
This table runner is simply gorgeous. Vickie does have beautiful fabric and you made it sing!!!
Your tablerunner is fabulous! I love the fabrics (especially Vicki's), the design, the embellishments, everything about it!
I love the runner , beautiful , the flowers are so pretty with the couching and added touches , great job !! Thanks so much for the chance at the giveaway.
Love the table runner! The embellishments and quilting are amazing – love your sense of color!
Hugs