I made this little suede leather square sample way back in 2014. I’ve always loved it, but never done anything with it. I do think it could make a great art quilt block in a grid design, and am thinking about that. It could involve the fusing technique, so as I’m making small samply things just now, here’s one from yesterday:

The square behind the stitched piece is a 3.25in square of foam core; and why that particular size is a matter of recycling something that has been sitting around buried in my cupboard for many years.

In a recent clear out, I came across the package of 25 x ~8in x 3.25in sized pieces, carefully prepared by someone at the Embassy of Australia in Washington DC to give viewers the information on each of my quilts exhibited there in June 2005. Each label had been carefully taken down, placed in an individual envelope labelled with the quilt’s title, and they were all packed in a plastic bag and included with the quilts that were returned after the exhibition. I suppose I had thought I might use some of them again… but didn’t. After nearly throwing them out, I had an inspiration that they could be used to mount some small things. I removed them from their envelopes, found they were precisely cut the same size, and realised that if I cut them in half I’d have a large number of matching mounts for some small works, little samply things.

The several I’ve already done are turned back and the edges laced on the back, and of course, the basting guidelines removed. I may get some felt to cover the lacing so they can hang individually, might hang several related ones in vertical rows, or I may have those little panels mounted – we’ll see. I may do a group of tiny landscapes – collections of small things is what I’m aiming for. I intend to keep the project moving along during the next SAQA 100 day Challenge that is due to commence on Tuesday next, August 3rd.

This is partly because I’m waiting for a floor standing embroidery/quilting frame I’m having made here, that is almost ready for delivery. Such a frame will enable me to work on larger areas, with the ability to quickly and easily remove the clamps and move to a different work area of the fabric. Despite inquiring widely here, I found nothing suitable second hand or in deceased estates, and in the craft craft shops there’s nothing like what I want. If I’d visited the US I would have bought a floor standing quilting/embroidery frame by a well known maker for about US$65 to $70 and brought it back, but to import one by ordering from here would cost me about 3x or 4x that. However, who knows how long it will be before we can travel up there again to visit our families? I found a local carpenter, son of one of my friends, who agreed to make something using the US one’s online photo and description. It should be ready this week, and I’m looking forward to its delivery – it will be demountable and all the bits able to be stored in a bag when it’s not assembled and in use.