The Contemporary Quilt Group Journal Quilts for the October-January pieces are all required to use buttons, causing many people including myself something of a real challenge. Looking through my button box I came across eight huge buttons and the idea of using these as focal points for composition proved irresistible. As I have eight buttons I have challenged myself to double up and make two pieces per month. I've also set myself the task of exploring complementary colours in each one.
The first, called Yellow Colour Field with Big Button is a collage of various fabrics - cotton, scrim, dyed wadding, felt and butter muslin anchored with machine quilting and embellished with couched purple thread and bits of silk carrier-rod - lots of time playing with the arrangement but the stitching was straightforward.
The second arose from a series of samples I made for a workshop I taught on Improvised Curved Strip Piecing for Textile Without Limits. It uses fabrics which originated I from Ghana along with some hand-dyed fabric. This is also a tryout piece for something larger. It's called Ghanaian Grid with Big Red Button.
Number three, which also uses fabric from Magie, dyed damasks and Zimbabwean prints, is called Big Button Blues.
The fourth one uses my stash of fabrics designed by Native Australian Artists. My husband was born in Australia and was fascinated by Aboriginal Art. Improvised curved piecing again but this time in crazy form. Couldn't resist calling this one Big Button Dreaming!
