Make Do Quilt - Curating Materials
I've curated four different bundles from the Public Recycle and Disposal Area at Recology San Francisco during my residency for the #MakeDoQuilt the giveaway. Each bundle has it's own particular features and challenges, and this is part of the creative fun of making quilts with scavenged materials. When I curate scavenged fabrics I consider the basic things that I do with quilts made from off the bolt fabrics - like color, pattern, and value. When using repurposed fabrics there are other aspects to consider such as texture, or types of materials -- corduroy, acrylic, satin, velvet, linen, cottons, denim... all of these materials can be used in a single quilt and be quite striking.It can be skill challenging to manage sewing and combining different kinds of materials.
I love those skill challenges and if I find it's just too difficult to master then "WHOOPEE" time to throw that fabric out and substitute another. But you never know what you can make work until you try.Another consideration are the architectural features of the clothing before they are deconstructed. I love working with the natural shapes of remnants as well as deconstructed clothing. I usually just take clothes apart at the seams. So if you wanted to make something curvy the curves of sleeves or the bottom curve of a dress shirt, or the crotch of a pair of pants will give you interesting and graceful curves to begin with. Or you might want to highlight pockets or plackets or some other interesting feature of the clothing in your quilt.
There are so many things to consider when scavenging and curating a group of fabrics/clothing for a make do quilt. As some of you have pointed out, it's an exciting design challenge to make a quilt out of what happens to show up and sometimes it's a surprise and it pushes us out of our comfort zones. Some of you have gathered together meaningful clothing worn by family members or other household materials like sheets and family linens, which in a way are already pre-curated according to that person's sense of style.
Lots of you are already figuring this out and I can't wait to see more of your Make Do Quilts in the coming months. If you've done a blog post about your make do quilt please share a link in the comments!
GIVEAWAY WINNERS!
Thanks to EVERYONE for your enthusiastic response to the year long #MakeDoQuilt challenge. And thanks for spreading the word. I'm so impressed by the abundant posts on the IG feed already. It's as if people were literally coming out of the closet with the items of clothing and repurposed materials they've been saving to make a quilt with someday.To pick winners I blindly spun the IG feed and let my finger land. I've picked 6 winners in the order below. The make do bundles will be sent to the first four folks who live in the US. Due to shipping costs, winners residing in other countries will receive a vintage apron or vintage linens scavenged in the dump, that will fit in an envelope. If you are a winner listed below please contact me or PM @sherrilynnwood on IG with your mailing address and congratulations! Those of you who do receive bundles I will be looking to see what you make with them!