Alice's Quilt--Interwoven Lives

At first I found this theme extremely challenging!  But then I decided to weave ribbons together into a design. I have been struck all along about how the lives of all of us Mavens, from all across the USA, are now connected through this group—how our lives are, indeed, “interwoven.” And so I decided to learn to print onto ribbon, and I printed all the Mavens’ names onto silk ribbons.

I found clear directions for printing from a new book I have, and then located the same online.  You can find these printing directions here.  After printing the names, I fused each of the ribbons to re-positionable Steam-a-Seam 2. Then, working on release paper, I tackled the most difficult part of this process—weaving the ribbons so that all names could be read. Next I fused the background turquoise silk to all-cotton batting with Wonder Under. Then I carefully transferred the woven ribbons to the silk background, ribbon by ribbon, and then fused the weaving down. 

A personal goal since the MMs first began was to try out new techniques and materials as often as possible.  This time I used all silk for the first time, and I learned how to print onto ribbons with an inkjet printer.  The background silk came from a blouse purchased at a thrift-store.  I ordered the silk ribbons online, after learning in a recently purchased book that inkjet printing works best on silk or nylon ribbons. Using thrift-store clothing was a tip I picked up in a workshop under Sue Benner this past fall, taken with fellow-Maven Carolyn.

I hand quilted using echo quilting around the woven ribbons design and then added some hand-quilted circles to the corners and edges.   I then bound the quilt with another item of recycled clothing--this one a silk tie-belt from a long-outgrown silk dress of my own that is probably about thirty years old.  I like the way the slightly different shade of aqua and its subtle print define the edges of my quilt.  Pieces from this silk dress will likely eventually reappear in future quilts!

close-up showing echo quilting and circles