Jul 112 min read

My Summer Wave Art Sample

My next class with the children is next week and they asked that I create a sample piece from the fabric scrap box as well. Some of them said that it is not fair if I don't, as I have access to all sorts of other fabrics and they want to see what I do with scraps.

I agreed, and in order not to "cheat" I told them that they would see which fabrics I chose.

I pulled this piece out of the scrap pile

floral fabric strip from the fabric scrap box

Added all the pastels that I could find

and chose these

fabric strips chosen for my project in pastel and floral colors

I cut them into fabric strips. The narrowest were 1.5 cm and the widest 3 cm

I have never created a wave landscape patchwork piece using 1.5 cm strips, but there is always a first time for everything.

I based my color choices around the top floral piece which has pinks, greens and blue greys.

fabric strips cut and laid out on a table

When I design my piece I lay the strips down on a board which I can carry to the table near my sewing machine when I am done designing the layout of the strips.

fabric strips laid out on a wooden board in a patchwork design

I have to be very creative as I have a limited supply of colored strips.

Color balance is important when designing a piece. I could just sew them randomly but I feel like creating something a bit more artsy.

This is the layout that I decided on. It might change slightly when I sew the pieces as they are also of varying lenghts and might "behave" differently after the sewing. But this is the color feel of the piece.

fabric strips palid out on a wooden board in a patchwork design

I found a spool of pale pink thread for the top thread and I will use white thread in the bobbin.

2 spools of htread pink and white laid out on fabric strips on a table

I needed more green so I went back to the scrap box and found this flourescent green. I will be using the back side of it. It is the perfect green for the color mix that I chose.

And when I sewed I was with my thoughts as I always am when creating and sewed with the flourescent green facing up.

I unpicked it and resewed

and then quilted

This time I ironed all the pieces before sewing them and contrary to what I always preach, I didn't iron at all after sewing. I said to myself that this piece is an experimental piece.

The pieces were very narrow and most of them were 100% cotton so they behaved very well when I finger pressed them.