I am so happy when I can work with my fabrics. I like to do things without planning. Like just sitting on the sofa and noticing one of my various baskets of fabrics on the coffee table and just arranging things in a pleasing way. This is what I did the other night while sitting and chatting with Laura and Kate. I’m glad I was thoughtful enough to take a photo of it because the next day Laura and I cleaned up quite a bit and I never would be able to put it together again in quite the same way.

I tried to sew it together this morning. I was too lazy to look at the photo first-so this is what i got

Not quite the same thing -wouldn’t you agree?

Interesting.

I wanted to show you the finished napkins and placemats. They are really cheerful and make me smile every time I see a pigeon on the street now.

Then I found this in my stash. I had forgotten about it. I made it a while back from some cotton I dyed first with turmeric then folded it itajime style and overdyed with dark blue. I have a lot of this kind of thing. I would like to have a huge bright space and lay out all of my fabrics and just work on whatever pleased me in that moment. I wonder what would happen if I did that. How would things look? Would I plan and work in a methodical way or would I just go from one thing to another for as long as my attention and muse lasted? hmmm . . .

I found this also. It is a small piece of linen about 5″ x 9″. It reminds me of a story I read in grade school called “By the Waters of Babylon” written by Stephen Vincent Benet. This haunting story is about a young man going through some kind of right of passage. He goes to this place of ruins and as you read about his experience you begin to realize that the story takes place in a post apocalyptic city, perhaps New York City. Anyway it is a great story and sticks in your mind like “The Lottery”. Remember that one? Scary.

But this piece is not scary. This piece makes me feel calm.