Thursday 17 May 2012

what's in the shoebox?

It's one of those days where you can't quite get round to doing anything in 
particular.    Clearing paperwork, reorganising shelves and boxes filled the 
morning.   This afternoon I found a shoebox tucked away on top of a cupboard.   

Inside, I discovered............



a quilt top

About six years ago I took two two hour workshop classes with local
school children.  They were all around eight years old, and I had  twenty
of them in each session!  They were given four squares each of cotton 
sateen.   I demonstrated simple shibori patterns.  After binding, folding or
scrunching their squares, we had the excitement of the indigo vat. 

A week later, at their school, they stitched their four squares together.   
I took the piles of squares home, and stitched them into five panels
prior to making a kimono.  Is it still hanging in the school hall?!!

No photos of course of the children creating, which is a shame. although 
there must be a photo of the kimono somewhere in my records.   This
all took place pre-Blog, which is a very good reason indeed to blog.  

However, the quilt top is made up of left over squares.  Now the 
top has reappeared, it has to be finished.  No more lurking in a shoebox.
Many happy memories of the children working away;  the excitement of
the vat, and finally undoing the resists. Their squares were wonderful.

I also sorted out my indigo fabric, need more plains.   I can't wait for
the sun to shine, it just has to be warm enough for a quick dash in
and out to the vat.   No leisurely hanging of cloth on hedges!


3 comments:

Radka said...

I look forward to seeing what you are going to do with it :)

Anonymous said...

Twiggy, I remember lovely work you did with children from a cluster of small schools. I organised a creative arts week with six small schools and you produced some wonderful colours and patterns with the children. Happy memories - but I don't know what happened to all the creations!

Tiggy Rawling said...

Radka, the layers will be stitched simply. There is enough content already I think.

Weaver (whoever you are!) That was a great week.
Thank you for organising it, and inviting me to take part. As to what happened to the creations, who knows. We certainly had fun with the dye pots, and over the week there was an explosion of coloured squares. I did manage to take some pictures, there are lots of smiling faces.