Star Anise

Spices - I read and thought oh oh. Im not a spice kinda girl but I do like the warm colours of them so pulled out two fabrics that I thought suited the theme both in colour and the fact the texture could be suitable for bagging up spices. I searched the library, the grocery aisles even took hubby to a museum exhibit ("The Spice Ships") for inspiration. But other than the rich golds and colours I drew a blank. 

A quilting weekend arrived. On my 3 hour drive to the destination I popped into a health food shop and found the Star Anise. I loved the shape and woody look of it. So bought half a dozen. 

I then endeavored to find the perfect way to show my interpretation of this spice by working on several samples of different techniques. I enjoyed them all from painting the sticky side of Vliesofix, painting one and stamping with it then free motion stitching over the designs, lighting the fabric with paint,  to hand embroidering over thread snippets which where machine stitched under "Romeo water soluble fabric". So instead of picking one I made my challenge quilt out of all of them.  

A month later I find myself in our holiday cottage with limited supplies and an unfinished project but luckily there was a local market where I bought a roll of re cycled sari fabric and some ribbon which finished a couple of blocks plus the borders of my piece. I felt it was complete once I added a few of the original stars. 

Thank you for a challenge that really made me get out my books and supplies and actually try some of them out. 

Happy New Year to you all and may it be one full of creativity.  

Liz