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Wednesday, July 12, 2017

Indigo Picnic Quilt


Happy Wednesday! I'm very excited to finally share this quilt finish with you all. This quilt has been a long time in the making, and it feels great to have it finished at last.

Indigo Dyeing Tutorial - In Color Order
Five years ago, a group of friends and I rented a small cabin southwest of Madison for a weekend. We sewed, ate, and tried out indigo dyeing. Each summer since then we've gotten together to do the same. This quilt top is made from the first fabrics I dyed using indigo. I've been hooked on this type of dyeing since that first summer cabin weekend, and I'm still not tired of it.


I pieced the quilt top together in the summer of 2014, and then the top sat while I figured out what to do for the back. I kept most of the dyed pieces in tact, filling in with some patchwork blocks.

Indigo Dyeing Tutorial - In Color Order
A few summers later, I dyed more fabrics for the back.


All of the fabrics for this quilt started as plain Essex Linen in white. I created pattern using resist techniques, then dyed them using indigo kits.

For more information on indigo dyeing, check out my Indigo Dyeing Tutorial.


Pulling the fabrics from the dye pot and slowly watching them oxidize and turn blue is pretty mesmerizing. I figured it was about time that I finally finished this quilt.


Since it's all Essex linen it's pretty heavy. So I sent it to Melissa Kelley for some simple loopy quilting. It's bound up in a swiss dot cotton that I also dyed with indigo.


I think this quilt will be the perfect picnic quilt. It really feels like summer to me, probably since I've only ever indigo dyed during the summers.


Happy Quilting!

20 comments :

  1. I really, really love this one! It reminds me of summer on the lake too. Off to find some indigo dye!

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  2. great quilt and love the barn photo!

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  3. This turned out so beautiful!

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  4. It's beautiful! I love your indigo dyed fabrics.

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  5. This is really beautiful. I am trying to whittle down my stash so I can do indigo dyeing.

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  6. Oooh I love it. It turned out beautiful.

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  7. Do you use anything to set the dye to prevent the material from bleeding when washed? The quilt is just beautiful, and I really appreciate your instructions.

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    1. I didn't! One of the chemicals used in the kit (soda ash) helps set it!

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  8. Beautiful. The simple patchwork really sets off the dyed fabrics perfectly. Ok, majorly jealous right about now ☺

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  9. marvelous quilt, except I wouldn't want to use it as a picnic blanket

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  10. This is beautiful. I love it!

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  11. I have some shibori dyed fabric and now I know what to do with it๐Ÿ˜Š

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  12. Hi I love your quilt!! What are the dimensions??

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  13. I found some blue fabric with leaves on it, the price was right but I was not crazy about the fabric. I used it for Indigo blue tie dying and it turned out to be my favorite piece. Super fun. I love this quilt, I think it will be my next adventure.

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  14. These ideas of yours have inspired me to do something with my pieces of indigo. Some have been done in a group and some just by myself all year round. Congratulations keep up the fabulous work.

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