Is the ribbon border barbed wire?

If the centre of this quilt is Dharavi, then what is the next border? Spillage? Overflow?


The green background with "plinks" printed on do look like people walking around (with or without umbrellas) from an aerial view.Perhaps the ribbon border looks like concertinas that will expand to let more people in. I have used three different dark green-ish fabrics in the ribbon border.

So far they are not stitched on.

I need to calculate how wide to make the straight band of light minty green to make sure the ribbon border fits just so.

Maybe the ribbon border is barbed wire? Does it keep people in or out of Dharavi?

What else could it be? Any suggestions?

Kyomi - another finish!

It's another finish for the year. A gift for my Aunt's 60th birthday. (She is receiving it early, as I will be overseas while she celebrates).

It's too bad you can't see all the beads I sewed onto this.

Edgeing

This is part of the next border. I won't be able to work on the quilt tonight - you will have to wait a few days until the next bit is stitched. I am up to the third dark print in the zig-zag outer border.

After that I am not quite sure what I will be doing. It will need another dark striking border so that this light background edgeing doesn't just float away from the outside.

Borders can make a quilt grow very quickly can't they? It's becoming bigger and bigger. This is so much fun!!

What does it mean?

It's growing and growing! I am thinking about the quilting already Mum!! I am not sure whether to add any applique around the "ribbon" type border, or whether to leave it open for quilting.

I will just let it all talk to me as it grows. I have only used one dark fabric in the outermost border so far, I selected another two dark prints to use as well. I want it to feel like it flows around the outside, and changes colour as it moves.

I originally thought of this quilt as "Log Apartments" - a modern version of a Log Cabin (when I started the centre in about 2000). It was the first time I really enjoyed playing with colour, and was successful with my combinations. Since then, I feel I have really grown when choosing fabric colours.

Now, I think of the centre as an aerial view of sarees lying out on the ground drying... or perhaps silk carpets... or perhaps the brightly coloured awnings or tarps etc used for roofing in an incredibly built-up area such as Dharavi in Mombai, India.

This is an aerial shot of Dharavi I found on google. Can you see what I mean?

This next photo (also from google) shows carpets or block-printed fabrics or sarees (not sure which) laying out to dry in the sun.

I started this quilt about 6 years before my first trip to India. What does it mean?

Digging them up

I sure am digging them up when it comes to this ooooold UFO that has been "hanging" around for about 10 years.I have trimmed the centre down (it used to be an odd shape) and used some of the squares on the outer border.

Still more to add to this border, then another round with a flying geese-ribbon border. That's not a very useful description is it? You will just have to wait to see. I would like to finish this quilt this year.

Sew! Sew! Sew! Go us!

The universe is smiling...

I've been experimenting with saree fabrics we brought back from India. This is what I started with....



then I made this block - with the om symbol. It's my first successful attempt at zig-zag machine applique. The universe was smiling at me when I decided to make it!!

I don't want to join this delicate applique with the first section of quilt. So, I started another block.

This will be the tree of life. I plan to join the 2 blocks then applique peacock feathers down the sides to complete a wallhanging.

These girly bibs are for my DH's grand-neice. She is only a few months old, she will be able to grow into them too.

Twins

I quilted this tablerunner and completed the binding on the same night. Do you know what I mean when I say I have been crazy to finish lots of things?

Do you remember seeing its twin? You may notice they are not identical!

More bibs have gone to good homes. These ones are for a baby boy - James. I think he will have to grow into them! Still, from what I hear, lots of gifts for newborn babies only fit for a short while.