earthwalker

After having a spring-clean of my wardrobe, I found myself with a big heap of worn out garments. Too worn to donate to charity I decided to set myself a little challenge. To make my pile into a quilt, without buying any fabric, thread or batting just my "pile". I also had some wool blend and cotton remnant pieces (one purple, one paisley) which have been hanging around, unused, for ages.

I also wanted this to be a practice/learning piece, so I added some Suffolk puffs (Yoyos) and some fabric flowers (new to me), I enjoy applique so I added a little sprinkle of that. I have never bound a quilt before (always pillow-cased them), so this quilt was bound. Made some useful discoveries: Suffolk puffs (Yoyos) and fabric flowers do survive washing and are "tougher" than you think, worn out wool jumpers/cardigans/pullovers put through a hot wash (this makes them shrink) can be cut up and used as batting...and best of all I am able to bind and I really enjoy the process. I even named, dated and signed using purple embroidery floss (something I usually put off).

It is named Raggy Wagga...a Wagga is an early Australian quilt made by country people and farm workers out of hessian sacks, skins, rags and anything else they could find...a Domestic Wagga is what you call a quilt made out of anything else...clothing, remnants, flour bags...just a little "finer" than a regular Wagga, generally used inside or roundabout a farm, rather than on the road or for sleeping out.

Hope the pics are ok...very low light today so had to go outside and hang the quilt on the loquat tree.