I guess every quilt has a story, but sometimes I think “Hoo-boy, this one really has a story!”
The finish here started with a shibori dying class with Debbie Maddy in 2018.
I decided to use the fat quarters (FQs) I’d dyed in the class to make a quilt using Debbie’s Usagi pattern.
The blocks were easy to make and I enjoyed the process. Then I decided to quilt it myself! I usually do pretty well quilting on my domestic machine, but my walking foot decided it didn’t want to participate. The resulting quilt was quite a mess. No, I did not take pictures!
I took out a lot of the quilting, using both a regular seam ripper and a tool that looks like a miniature electric razor. Both worked pretty well, and I managed not to make holes in the fabric!
Finally I got up the nerve to try again. I did small meandering in the blocks to make the rabbits stand out, some stitch-in-the-ditch around the blocks, and some wavy quilting in the border. Done!
Quilt stats:
Name: Rabbits!
Pattern: Usagi by Debbie Maddy
Fabric: Most shibori-dyed in class with Debbie Maddy; border is a commercial batik
Size: 44″ x 44″
Quilted by: me (twice–a learning experience!)
Zippy Quilts 
This quilt is magnificent! Sew creative! Fabrics are beautiful!
Thanks. The pattern is by Debbie Maddy.
Fascinating!😊 That IS quite a story!
Should have quit as soon as the walking foot gave trouble—being stubborn was NOT a good idea!
Beautiful work! Please bring to the February MQG meeting for Show and Tell.
Yes! Thanks for the reminder. I notice A Stitch in Time has some Shibori fabrics.
Mary, this is absolutely the best! I love the way you used the detail and design of the dyed fabric to create those adorable bunnies! I’m glad you persisted in undoing the first quilting to try again. This quilt is truly original and beautiful.
Thanks. I’m pleased with it now, but it’s a good thing nobody was in my studio collecting fines for cursing!
Ha! 😂
Oooh. I am triple-impressed. Your shibori dyed pieces are masterful — I don’t know how you got such a perfect results. Unpicking machine quilting is almost impossible (in my experience) so that was another major feat. And then the rabbits are delightful, but could not have been easy to construct (all those curves!).
Thanks, Mariss. The unpicking was a pain, but the curves were no problem—I did fused appliqué with Heat-n-Bond Light!
Ok, another exceptional quilt, your talent is major! I love the hand dyed bunnies! If you ever tire of that piece send it to me 🙂
Thanks! They were fun. You may want to make this quilt 😉
I want to and I happen to have a collection of Japanese and Dutch dyed indigo textiles that someday gave me!
I am most impressed with your diligence to achieve ‘perfection’ via painstakingly unsewing your original quilting stitches…AND producing in a very timely manner a completed UFO…wow!
Thanks! Though I suspect “timely” is relative 🙃
It is wonderful, Mary. I hope all is well with you, my friend.
Hi Ann! It’s great to hear from you! Let’s catch up by phone one of these days 🙂