A "Green" Idea

What a busy month July has been! After months of gathering fabrics, embellishments and supplies for several quilting and wearable art challenges, the last few weeks have definitely put me to the test in getting them finished by the deadlines - all of which seemed to fall this month. As usual (and like many of you I suspect), my design ideas far out-reached the actual time I had on hand to complete all the projects I wanted to. But I was able to do a few, and am happy to report that one of my designs was accepted for an upcoming issue of Belle Armoire Magazine, and also my Wallflowers wall hanging was juried into the Pennsylvania National Quilt Extravaganza, an awesome show this September I will be vending as well as teaching (for more info visit their web-site at www.quiltfest.com)

My most recent endeavor was a wearable art ensemble for the Hoffman Challenge 2008. I have entered this contest once before with a simple paper-pieced purse similar to my Han-di Sak pattern #138, which ended up in their traveling exhibit for a year. But many of you know, I love wearable art! And so I decided to create a jacket and dress ensemble for this year's challenge; the fabric was so gorgeous this year! I particularly loved the peacock, and my outfit ended up being very green (surprise! only my favorite color) not only in color but in the newer sense as well. I did of course use the challenge fabric along with a soft heathery celery woolfelt I had for the jacket, and I bought a rich contrasting batik that set off both of these materials. But then I dug through my stash and found a wonderful teal taffeta that matched the batik fabric beautifully, as well as a cream silk I used for the dress bodice, a recycled dress zipper...I even "re-vamped" one of my old college drawings for some graphics on the dress. And borrowing on one of our old favorite board games, I titled my piece, "Ms. Peacock in the Parlor with the Pipe", a tongue-in-cheek reference to the "Clue" game.

I'm including a picture in today's post of the peacock pin I made for the jacket lapel. This was quick, fun 'n easy to make! I just drew out a teardrop shape on Woolfelt about 4" long x 2-1/2" wide, couched assorted fibers on it radiating from the peacock "eye", needle-felted the eye over the fibers, couched a darker fiber around the eye, and sewed it to a Woolfelt lining, turned it right side out through a slit I cut in the back, and voila! Instant embellishment, and it's great for using up all those little bits of decorative trim too pretty to throw away. And that's my "green idea" for the day - enjoy!