Today's work on the project: buying fabrics* and interfacings. Washing the fabrics. Maybe ironing them if they dry quickly, but that may happen in the morning. G'night! *I needed black fabrics, slightly patterned/marbled so as not to be boring (I don't sew with solids unless for some special reason), because so many of my Tolkien books have black covers.

First items

I've sewed the first pieces for my bookcase quilt.

CDs/DVDs - can you tell which is which from the stitching? And a book cover for "Tree and Leaf", which needs innards.

New Project

I don't often combine my two interests, patchwork and Tolkien, but on occasion I am inspired to do so. This time the incentive arose from the fact that I will be attending the big event "Return of the Ring" in England this summer. I've already shown the appropriate pieces I have at previous Oxonmoots, so I decided to make something new.

Drawing is not my specialty, so I usually go for geometric, abstract designs. On a solitary walk at the beach (my best place to get ideas!) it ocurred to me that I could use the technique for sewing fabric books (which I love!) to make a Tolkien bookcase. I immediately knew how it would work, because of course I want to be able to play with them. Each book will have a cover and a double page inside. There will also be CDs/DVDs for the radio plays, movies, and music inspired by Tolkien's books. The bookcase "rear wall" will have slits for the books, so that only the backs are visible when in place.

The above photo shows my sketch.