Sunday Stash #16 – Magic Suitcase Part 01 – Batik Bombing

1. Go to California for work.
2. Grandma Sparkles in Oklahoma says she’s sending her scraps to hotel for me.
3. Great! I love scraps!
4. Waiting in my room is a suitcase filled with a bit more than scraps (picture below).
5. Fabric collection doubles.

So first up is a fabric of much derision and contention, the batik! As I said in my Fourth Finish – Collecting Memories post, when I was picking fabrics for that lovely, I didn’t consider the difference between quilting cottons and batiks. That’s actually the benefit of ignorance, you do what you do without the influence of others. I’m trying to keep some of that. Quilt what you want, how you want it, when you want it. Quilting motto for life.

But batiks. Such raised eyebrows, sly glances and upturned noses. You’d think they’re shooting the remake of Heathers up in here. (And if someone reading this is, I’m totally available! Call me!) Quite contrarily, I find batiks Fabulous, with a capital F. You know what else always has a capital F? Fierce.

Yeah, I get it, some go to that weird Grateful Dead tie dye place, while others look like a table cloth for the Swamp Thing. I hear you loud and clear, trust. Despite that, do not judge every batik by the mud-brown bolt sitting next to it. Instead, look for the copper, the bronze, and the golds that can make your yellows, oranges, and reds really sing. 

I’m not saying you can throw your batiks in with every fabric range and you’ll have a “make it work” moment. Oh, child, no. Heather Ross ain’t gonna like no batiks. What I am saying though is, don’t be afraid to explore the colours in a batik that you may have never seen before. How you gonna do that if you don’t even look? What might you find? Something beautiful, and blended, and brazen.

For instance, that grey-green, yellow, mauve fabric on the right in the above photo. Seriously, it looks like I got paid with a puked up a bowl of rotten Skittles. Lick it up, baby, lick, it, up. However, the middle fabric with charcoal background and magenta scale lines is clever, edgy and complimentary. I can easily see that mixed in with some “regular” quilting cotton fabrics to add more depth and texture to the finished project. This is not a fabric exclusion zone, and all are welcome here.

All of these blue batiks were used in my Collecting Memories quilt. They’re responsible for making it shimmer. A batik doesn’t necessarily have to feature plants, or the local wildlife (thank the heavens, because in my neck of the gay woods, there’d be drag queens and young cute hustlers). They do however, feature saturated colours, which amp up the volume and contrast. And if you’re standing next to me, there’s gotta be volume, lots and lots of volume.

I say all these things, as my point is to just keep yo’ eyes open. Don’t let anyone dictate to you what can or can’t be done with your project. A batik might not work, but it might, and who’s the fool for not trying, or allowing yourself to be blinded by the words of others? Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to go practice my lines for that Heathers remake. Seriously, what is your damage?

Linking up with Fiona at Finding Fifth for this week’s Sunday Stash-a-thon!    

You should do the same.
That biotch Shannen Doherty just took off with my prom dress.