Moonlit Mandala

In continuation of my mandala series, I experimented with hand dyeing my own mandalas.  I was excited by the results and couldn't wait to add quilted texture and transform them into a wholecloth quilt.  Unfortuantely, these plans got put on the backburner in order to meet pending deadlines and teaching engagements.

Hand Dyed Mandala Waiting Its Turn

Recently I experienced a particularly difficult incident that completely consumed my morning and drained both my attention and my energy.  After losing an entire morning trying to make sense of the incident, I soon realized that I needed to regain control over my day and I headed to the studio in search of a distraction.  There, I found this hand dyed mandala which I had just recently pin basted into a quilt sandwich.

A few minutes were spent auditioning threads and then I just jumped into the quilting process.  Starting in the very center, I would study the patterns created by the fabric dyeing process and used the designs as my guide.  Zero marking!!  Almost immediately, I felt the tension of the morning release out through my fingertips.  The meditative nature of this particular project consumed my full attention as I watched the stitched design emerge.  In less than 2-3 hours I had 75% of my quilt top completely stitched and I felt renewed, empowered and creative.  The next morning I woke up excited for a fresh start and completed the last of the quilting.

Quilt Back Featuring Light Grey Aurifil on Kona Solid

For the quilt front, I chose a metallic thread to add some much needed sparkle and bling to my hand dyed mandala.  A light grey Aurifil thread was used in the binding, which really pops against the solid Kona quilt back!

Moonlit Mandala, Finishes 22" x 22"

A raspberry pink striped print added one last pop of color while framing the entire mandala.

Angela Walter's is infamous for her "Quilting is my therapy" mantra, and this wholecloth quilted mandala was the perfect therapy for me.  While I hope the worst is past, I have a few more hand dyed mandalas prepared for a future rainy day!

Future Quilting Therapy

I will be teaching a 2-day "Magnificent Mandalas" workshop as part of an Alaskan Quilt & Cruise July 5-15, 2018.  To learn more, please visit my teaching calendar.  Typically the cruise deposit is $100 per person, but coming up on May 22nd (one day only), the deposit will be only $1!!  I hope you will consider joining this once in a lifetime adventure!!