An Aboriginal Fabric Saga

In August 2023, I finished the quilt top for Coddiwomple (which is still waiting to be quilted).

This was my first foray into Aboriginal fabrics and the stash enhancing aspect got a bit out of hand.

In late September 2024, Lynne started sharing posts about what became her Nightingale tutorial and I offered to be a tutorial tester.  

I didn't want to use brights on blacks like Lynne (and later Susan) did, so I pulled out the darkest of my aboriginal fabrics.

A week later, when my foot surgery was delayed due to the hospital's water damage, I went on a cutting spree.

I cut way too much fabric - as in WAY too much fabric.

I even had backing chosen along with a name for my quilt - NIGHT OWL.

But after the foot surgery happened and I lost three months of studio time,  I lost interest in making these into a Nightingale quilt.

Sigh.

Since then, I've been sifting through ideas for how to use all those cut up fabrics.

Decision One - I'll use the widest strips to make a four patch quilt top using these warm camel tones as alternate squares.

I'll keep the NIGHT OWL name and backing fabric as originally conceived.

But then there were the rest of the aboriginal fabrics staring at me . . . 

DECISION 2 - I decided to use a stack of 2.5" strips to create another Macnas series top (number 6) named WALLAROO.

(click here for the name's background info)

I'll pair the aboriginals with a mix of scrappy grays, use this long stashed steampunk yardage as backing, and use the black/white aboriginal print on the left as binding (eventually).

But even after two quilt projects, there was still more aboriginal fabric to be dealt with . . . 

DECISION 3 - I cut the smaller pieces into 7.5" long random width strips to eventually make a scrappy coins quilt top (actual design TBD once the sewing process begins).

I've named this one DIGERIDOO (click here for the name's background info).

When the time comes, I'll use any remaining fat quarters to piece a scrappy aboriginal backing/binding.

And if there are aboriginal fabrics leftover at that point . . .  

* * * 

HUGE REMINDER TO SELF - I am a liberated, eclectic, scrappy quilt maker and running out of a given fabric is a good thing that forces me to use the stash in ways I might not have expected.  

NOTES ADDED SHORTLY AFTER POSTING:

I found most of my aboriginal fabrics online, especially through Etsy sellers - notably DarkStarFabrics.

And yes, Grace - these fabrics are indeed an embarrassment of riches.

ADDITIONAL NOTE added mid-2025:

1.   Night Owl's pieces and parts were gifted to a friend (who may or may not ever make them into the Crossroads design).

2.  Wallaroo was made, although not as shown above.

3.  The remaining aboriginals were gifted to another quilt maker after I realized I was never going to actually make Digideroo or any other aboriginal quilts.

And so the saga ends.

Quiltdivajulie