This link-up is a joint effort by Ann Brooks in Texas, USA (fretnotyourself.blogspot.com) and Kaja Zeisler in the UK (http://www.sewslowly.com/).
They do a link-up on the 4th Tuesday of each month. I’m trying to find more information about the process and will add it once I find it.
Thanks to Sue (another artsy fartsy online friend!) for encouraging me to participate.
My Improv piece is in response to the Mighty Lucky Quilt Challenge for January. We were to go out with a camera and explore. Take pictures. Here is a selection of the photos I took that morning:
And this is the inspiration picture I selected. It’s the cattle loading dock.
I designed my own paper pieced block as instructed. I forgot you work it backwards though so that didn’t come to plan. I also found my lines too far apart so I modified on the run and just lined up the brown strips randomly.
I ended up with 4 blocks – slightly different sizes as I didn’t want it to be set squarely. When I had the piecing finished and paper removed, I planned to add paint utilising some techniques I learned in the book Intentional Printing by Lynn Krawczyk. However, I woke up the next morning and thought RUST! So, again I switched gears.
I used 4 different Cherrywood hand-dyed fabrics for the greens. LOVE their fabrics. (Thanks mom!) Size is approximately 20×20 right now but I’ll bring it down to 17×19″ once quilted (the size I want to work with for this series). The 3 bits in the middle are shot cottons.
Next decision is whether to hand or machine quilt. I’ve decided to go with machine quilting as my hand work pile is rather large right now. I’m pretty sure I’m going to go with walking foot/straight lines rather than FMQing.
Stay tuned for a finish in the next week or so.
Coloring Outside the Lines 
Great work Kris. I can’t wait to get home and be with my sewing machine. Most inspiring thing from your process mistakes are OK!!!
Thanks Robyn!
Love, love, LOVE what you’ve got going on with your rust dyeing!!! I’ll be looking forward to seeing the completed piece.
Thank you, Joy!
Wonderful photos and lovely piece you are working on!
Thanks Tierney!
You really have hit the ground running in 2017!
It was a fun project. February’s project isn’t inspiring me but I have an Improv challenge that I’m itching to get started on.
Does the rust actually transfer from the metal to the fabric? Great idea.
The rust does actually transfer. The rotary cutting blades weren’t rusty when I put them onto the fabric, but with a spray of vinegar/water and then covering them with plastic overnight, they rusted easily.
Wow. I love how the cattle loader morphed into sunflowers. This is what excites me when people share their process. So many new ways to look at our lives. Those big metal pieces you used to rust your fabric remind me of Luann Kessi’s blog. She lives on a farm and uses some huge rusty things. Lucky you.
Overlaying the center with the patches works well, too. That shot cotton fits so well with the rusted parts. This will have a timeless look when done.
Thanks for linking it with AHIQ. Lots of food for thought.
Thanks Ann. I don’t know of Luann’s blog but I’ll check it out. I actually have been nagging/begging people for rusty items as we don’t have a lot here. I have been known to go to the tip and buy rusty items. 🙂
I like that you documented your design idea and then showed how you worked it out.
Thanks for sharing.
My pleasure, Janie. A few years back there was a trend to cover your process of creation so I try to do that occasionally – especially when I work on something that is a little outside the box.
What a beauty – and the rust elements show up so beautifully on the fabric!
Thank you so much!
I tried rust dyeing ages ago with the grandkids but ours didn’t really turn out. I love yours. I’m inspired now to try it again, thank you. I certainly have a lot of rusty things out in the barn to use and I’m a little rusty myself.
I know what you mean about being a little rusty yourself! You should try it again. It is a lot of fun to see what happens. I’m going to try it with some indigo fabric I dyed a couple weeks ago. I’ve found that spraying the fabric and rusted items with vinegar water helps the process. Oh, and covering it with plastic.