A fun project finally finished

Sometime last summer, I agreed to take part in a quilt challenge on a quilting message board of which I've been a member for upteen years. Most quilters on the board do traditional quilts, but a few of us have ventured into the art quilt world. So--this challenge was for an art journal quilt. The challenge moderator, Cie from Florida (http://cieangel.blogspot.com/) sent us a little packet of stuff to use--a piece of calico, an assortment of trims and buttons, a couple teeny crocheted pieces and even some beads. We were to use 70% of the fabric and all the trims. The piece was to be merely 8 1/2 by 11". I honestly don't remember when this challenge was due, but I'm sure I had plenty of time to do it. It was, unfortunately, just one of my little projects that got pushed aside for other things.
Anyway, I was inspired right away by the calico. It reminded me of my mother--not that she wore calico often--but it had a retro/old fashioned feel. It also reminded me of full-skirted shirtwaist dresses woman wore in the 50s, so I had my idea.









This is "Washday". This is the whole piece, and a pic of the detail.
The calico is used as the grass in the background. I wanted it to look different than it does in the dress, so I painted it. I made the clothing from scraps, and used the trims in the packet to embellish them. The little bloomers are my favorite, although I like the way the dress turned out. The sky and cloud are commercial fabrics.
It does remind me of my mom, as she hung clothes on the line every week, even in winter, when the clothes would freeze stiff then dry. We had a ringer washer, and that, along with the clothesline, made washing a full day chore. As a child, I helped her by handing her the clothes so she could hang them on the line using those old, one-piece clothespins. When the spring-types ones came on the market--she was very excited. They were more fun!!
I still miss the scent of my clothes after they'd hung on the line all afternoon. I do not, however, miss the scratchy towels. Mom never spent money on fabric softener!
Even though I have a modern washer and dryer, I still try and hang sheets on the line very chance I get, to re-capture the feeling. I now wish I could find the old clothespins--I liked those better.
I managed to use a little of most of the trims. A piece of yellow ribbon, a few buttons and the tiny bugle beads were all that I didn't use. The pic is my leftovers.
This was a fun project. It is also my very first journal quilt, and I thought it fitting to honor my mother. She died more than 12 years ago, and I still miss her every day. But--I know her spirit is well and is with me.