November Bee Block for Dorothy

So Dorothy sent out this wonderful ikat fabric, which was beautiful, loosely woven and very different from your usual quilting fabrics.  She requested a Mondrian-like geometric pattern.

I have always loved Mondrian's work - it relates directly to my love of stripes and, in fact, my love of quilting.  All those wonderful corners!  All that precision!

Composition 10

Composition with Gray and Light Brown, 1918

The typical Mondrian paintings that you see are primary colors.  But Composition with Gray and Light Brown one is actually a great reference for using the fabric that Dorothy sent.

I didn't know anything about ikat dyeing until Dorothy sent this out.  Ikat is a method of dyeing similar to tie-dyeing that leaves some fabric un-colored so that it creates a pattern.  It's hard to pin down, but it has been around for centuries and comes from different places all over the world.  The word itself comes from an Indonesian word.

Look at this beautiful piece of silk and cotton from the 19th Century.

mid-19th Century, from Uzbekistan, from the Smithsonian Institution

Dorothy chose some gorgeous fabrics, and sent us a beautiful selection!  They're practically a Mondrian painting all by themselves.

Finally, then, this is what I came up with.  Our queen asked for varying sizes, and this is definitely not a standard quilt block size.  In fact, I haven't even measured it - that might be a first for me!