Some more show and tell….

In the absence of anything productive to show you, I thought you might like to see something my mother did years ago, and also I thought I’d give you a lesson in why you should always buy all your fabrics from the same bolt.

Look at this lovely wall hanging Mum made for a quilt challenge years ago.  I’m pretty sure she didn’t win but she did very well regardless.  There was not a thing wrong with it for years.  But you can see the problem, can’t you?

Yes, those blacks.

One day, we noticed that the blacks were looking different.  It’s horribly pronounced right now, as clear as day.  But back then, we noticed that there was something only slightly off.  Just a hint of a problem.

Over time, we noticed the problem got worse.  I’m not sure if it was fading from the sun, though the quilt hasn’t really been in the full light for many a year.  Or if it’s just the way fabric react over time.

Obviously at the time she made the quilt there was no difference, and the blacks would have all come from her stash.

It’s a shame, really.  And it just goes to show how you can never really trust fabric to act in the way you want it to.  Blacks are ALL different.  I’ve yet to see two different bolts of black with exactly the same colour.  And they will react differently to time and sun and weather changes.

So learn from my mother, and always buy what you need when you need it.  Better still, if you can afford it, buy a whole bolt of black.  Don’t mix and match!

Hopefully I’ll be sewing a little more tomorrow, and I will have something more substantial in Grand Illusion to show you.  (Child free day.  Very quiet happy dance!)

Till tomorrow,

Suzie