though it can be tedious...and sadly, no dancing!, it is a great opportunity for new projects!
And for this one, you don't need a pattern, or a drawn design, simply......a closet full of old clothes!
Stuck at home with a sewing machine and no chance to go fabric shopping...hmm time for a little death cleaning!
okay, now "death cleaning" doesn't mean getting rid of the bodies! well except for the squashed long dead cockroaches I keep finding (we live in the woods)...
....it's actually a very positive thing.
It involves getting rid of all that STUFF you thought might come in useful one day, or has sentimental value that has diminished over time. And somebody else would have to clear it out for you if you died without doing it!!!!
The term is translated from ?Swedish where apparently death cleaning is a national pastime!!
Now if you live in Sweden, you can correct me if I'm wrong!
But the spare Nordic look is only achieved by minimizing accumulation!
Not accumulating minimalization.......
So ...staying at home...I'm not even grocery shopping, though I'm very glad our local pool is open to little old ladies trying to keep fit!......staying at home, I decided to tackle The Cupboard in the Study!!!
This bulging closet has had "might come in one day" stuff shoved into it for years....
my first find was a huge box of garments made from Liberty fabric. When I was in England, I lived near the mills that produced Liberty fabrics and bought yards and yards. These fabrics are renowned all over the world for their classic tiny flower designs. They were printed onto regular cotton, onto fine lawn and onto a beautiful fine wool.
Thanks to changes in fashion, to say nothing of changes in shape!, and a much warmer climate, I don't need any of these garments......here are just a few of them....
I cut off collars and cuffs and elastic waists etc etc...and ended up with some good chunks!! different rectangles of many different colors....together with my friend who is just learning about quilts, I then sewed these chunks together to make a summer quilt...just one layer of fine wool, enough for the middle of the night when it cools a little and you're sleeping under the fan....
and here is the result....
The big red piece was one huge gathered skirt...I must have looked like a giant potato sack in it!!
Did contemplate cutting it up - but then I decided I like the bold statement it made, and I could arrange the other fabrics around it.
We were really pleased with the result...something both beautiful and functional out of a box of old garments that even the thrift store wouldn't want, and out of Liberty Laine fabric, probably impossibly expensive now...
and all thanks to being stuck at home!!!!
Now I'm embarked on another summer quilt - this time we're going to use all the fine lawns ... smaller pieces...this is going to be fun!!! Sure hope the virus keeps us at home a bit longer!!!
oh, and the quilt on the wall behind??? I made it a while back, I was intrigued by the illusion of basket weaving...it's a lot of half-sewn seams if you want to know the technique.
If you have been, thanks for reading!
and do write and tell me about your lockdown projects....
Elizabeth
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