I visit Jen’s Domestick Goddess blog regularly and always find fascinating ideas.  The latest that captured my attention is Virginia Fleck Mandala Art, guest posted by Pelf Nyok.

Virginia Fleck creates strikingly colorful mandalas from….Guess what?  Plastic bags!  As Pelf says:

With all the hoo-haas around the excessive use of plastic bags, it is heartening to learn that there are people who turn these plastic bags into beautiful art pieces!

Virginia’s art is displayed in galleries, public buildings, and private homes.  At Domestik Goddess and Virginia’s web site, you can view her work.

Even though the mandalas are not made of fabric as quilters think of it, I’m sure you can appreciate the colorful approach Virginia has used with this mixed media.  Think what you could do with fabric.

(c)2008 Mary Emma Allen

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Quilting With a Different Approach

When I read this post at Jen’s Domestik Goddess, How to Teach a Dog to Wear Boots, I simply had to share it with my daughter, friends who have dogs, and my Quilting and Patchwork readers.   This may be something you’d like to try with your dog if you live in northern climates.  At any rate, most everyone will enjoy Jen’s photos, whether they have a dog or not.

Have  you ever tried boots on your dog? 

(c)2007 Mary Emma Allen

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Time for Something Light in a Quilter’s Life

Fabric scraps left over from quilting projects would be perfect for those Victorian scrap gift balls that I mentioned in passing, too[in Holiday Decorations]. Basically, it’s a ball of fabric strips, wound up the way you’d make a ball of yarn. At the center, you put a tiny gift, then wrap the strips around to cover it. As you keep winding, you can tuck in some more small surprises and cover each one with the fabric. It’s a lovely ornament when finished — cluster a few in a pretty basket, or fill a large glass vase — and when it comes time to unwrap the gifts, the recipient gets to unwrap and unwrap and unwrap, finding fun treasures along the way!

 What a fun way to use up scraps, Jen!

And here are some more Christmas decorating ideas…

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Quilters – Make Christmas Gift Balls With Fabric Scraps!

As I read about this and saw the pictures on Jen’s blog, I wondered, “Why not make these from recycled quilting or fabric art projects?”

Fabric artists save fabric for years.  (Cyndi at Layers Upon Layers, that the leaves for her September Morning art quilt came from fabric she’d obtained 12 years ago.)  So why not take some from your fabric stash or scraps and whip up the wreath and other decorations Jen mentions at Domestik Goddess?

How have you created holiday decorations from fabric scraps?  Do you use your original ideas from snippets or look to patterns in books and online?  I’d love to have you share with us.

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Holiday Wreaths from Quilt Fabric Scraps

She provides instructions and resources so you can have yourself a faux carpet.  If you’re a quilter, you can add a patchwork design!

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Ah! A Faux Finish Concrete Carpet with Patchwork Design

For a description of how Emily went about making her tote, visit the Domestik Goddess blog (link above).  Jen also gives information about a tutorial for a tote bag.

When I had my quilting business, I often made tote bags for customers and pictured them in my brochure.  My daughter made some fun ones for me, her daughter and herself from denium.  They can be attractive and easy (like Emily’s) or more complex.  But either way, they’re fun to make, to give as gifts, and to produce for sale.

http://domestikgoddess.com/sew-a-patchwork-tote-bag/

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Create a Patchwork Tote Bag…See This Lovely Version

When I saw Beth on our deck the other day, involved in painting some more fabric and placing ferns, leaves and stems for designs on her sun prints, I thought of Jen’s request.

Two books she’s found helpful:

*Mickey Lawler’s Sky Dyes, a Visual Guide to Fabric Painting.  Beth pointed out the portion on “Sunprints” whereby you apply paint to fabric, then lay objects over the wet paint and let it dry in bright light.  In Beth’s case, she worked on our deck in the intense sun, then she laid ferns, leaves and stems on the paint.  After awhile in the sun, these objects showed up as a lighter design in the fabric.

*Sue Beevers Off-The-Shelf Fabric Painting, 30 Simple Recipes for Gourmet Results is another Beth finds helpful.  There’s a section on “Sun Printing.”  The technique described here also involves ferns and leaves on fabric.

Enjoy!

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More Resources for Sun Printing Quilt Fabric

My daughter tends toward autumn colors and leaf motifs in many of her quilts and fabric art.  In fact she’s making a hanging to submit in an exhibit today, and it consists of falling leaves against a green, rust, and brown background, some of these made from her hand dyed or sun dyed fabrics. 

What are you doing in your quilting world that’s inspired by autumn?  (Now I realize in the southern hemisphere, you’re going into spring.  So do you have spring inspired themes?)

                                                    Here are some more fall or autumn inspired ideas for quilts and hangings.

  So quilters in other seasons don’t feel left out, here are some spring patterns and ideas!

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Autumn Quilt Pattern from the Domestik Goddess

Jen also researched and mentions a book and instructional web site where you can learn more about this fascinating technique.

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Quilting & Patchwork Mentioned on Domestik Goddess

Anna Maria Horner’s inner gypsy had to have been at play when she designed her 22 Lollipops Quilt and Bohemium Quilt – and the fabric collections that inspired them, too, mentions Jen.

The fabrics in the quilts shown on Jen’s blog remind me of fabrics my aunt and grandmother used in their quilts and dressmaking in the 1940s.  Lots to reminisce there for quilters who created quilts then…or those who like that type of fabric.  Anna Maria has adapted these fabrics into her unique patterns….which she’s willing to share.

Visit Jen’s blog to find where to get your patterns.  You’ll also find other free patterns there.

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Quilt Pattern for 22 Lollipops Quilt & More