Blue silk day

After my various errands and so forth this morning, I did find some time to work today - with some windows open and laundry hanging outside in the spring day (finally). I decided to do some work on the April arch and my journal quilt for the week - I was inspired to do both of them with a blue silk background, which was salvaged from a top which I bought for 20p in a jumble sale, but never wear (it's too short at the waist). I could have sent it to the charity shop, but decided instead to use the fabric for backgrounds. As I suspected, although I was having trouble with inspiration for the arch, once I started working on it, it all fell together. This one is for Cathy, who said she liked Victorian things, architecture, interesting views, rainbows, whimsy and flowers (I think it's the whimsy that was throwing me - I'm never entirely sure where whimsy ends and stupid begins) and blues, greens, golden yellows and some other colours I can't remember off the top of my head, but not neon (as if I'd do anything neon, anyway - though this blue is fairly bright, I admit).

The background views are from an Artchix image sheet of some sort; the Victorian family (or perhaps they are Edwardian, not sure) are from an image sheet I've had for a while - think I might have got it on ebay, but honestly I can't remember - however, on the same sheet (it's lightweight card) was a small ad for knitted corsets, which I took as a sign vis a vis my journal quilt, what with the corset exhibit last week... The wings are German scrap, the sequins are from Simply Sequins and the rainbow fabric is swatches of hand-dyes. The ruffle around the outside is from the bottom hem of the same shirt - reduse, reuse, recycle, right?

On the journal quilt, I have used the corset ad I mentioned above, one of the corset postcards I bought at Snibston, more bits of the hand-dye swatches, some eyelash yarn, green plastic fruit netting, and a big lace flower. I have only put the ruffle edge around two sides of the quilt because I ran out, but actually, I think it looks better that way anyway. It will certainly fit in the box better that way!

I also got a couple of nice things today - the first is a pile of cast-off turquoise fabrics - most of the pieces are fairly small - the larger piece at the top left is about half a metre - my friend Lana is paring down her scraps in preparation for moving to India for a few years in July, and as I have an upcoming commission which will involve turquoise, I mentioned I'd be a happy recipient for the fabric. Oh and I should state publicly, a huge congratulations to Lana whose small quilt Learning Curves won first place in its category (wall hanging) at MQX (Machine Quilters Exposition) this year. I will see if I can find a photo for you later...

I also got the piece for the next round of the Spring Fling Round Robin, which I am due to work on. I saw this on the SFRR blog recently and thought it wanted some soft, curving applique for the next round - now that that round is up to me, I'm not sure if it will get that or not, but I still think it's what it wants (ideally).