Properly appreciative 1

I don't give quilts or other handmade things away very often, having been disappointed in the past when people didn't properly appreciate the magnificence of such gifts.  I have occasionally found my quilts spread out as tablecloths or my afghans used as a nice soft doggy bed.  In situations like this, I believe in one strike and you're out -- no more handmade stuff for you.

But when I know that people understand and value what goes into a piece of fiber art, it's a pleasure to give them presents.  Not surprisingly, fellow fiber artists make excellent recipients.  They know what skill and effort are required for such projects, and they are attuned to the subtleties of the techniques and materials.

Towards the end of last year I made two little quilts as gifts for good friends.  Both of them are fine fiber artists, both of them make quilts themselves, and I knew that the quilts would be in good homes.

As it turned out, both were made from leftovers from my summer-long quilting marathon.  When I like a quilt, I enjoy working with the same fabrics for a while longer.  My method of using tiny pieces always results in a lot of extra fabric, because it's so much easier to cut a lot of strips in advance than to try to gauge exactly how much will be needed.  So I feel quite righteous using up the bits and pieces in a small project.

Blue Ohio, 17 x 15"

Morning in America, 14 x 15"






Update:  Linking this to Nina-Marie's blog -- check it out to see what other fiber artists are up to this week.