This week's Rainbow Scrap project was to make some Burgoyne Surrounded blocks using dark scraps. I started with scraps, but added fabrics from the stash to make everything work.
The monarch butterfly and black fabrics were scraps, but the other two fabrics came from the stash. I'm always happy to cut up stash and make more scraps!
The starting point for this Burgoyne was the brown floral fabric. The scraps have been in my stash for years. I love the print, but it's kind of a strange shade of brown and not easy to pair with other fabrics. I was tickled to find other fabrics in my stash that pulled the block together.
After I assembled the block, I wasn't super happy with the red and cream print. I thought it kind of overwhelmed the block. I wondered if tea dyeing might help calm the red and cream fabric down a little.
I brewed up a small amount of strong black tea and did some experimenting. Once I was happy with the process, I used a small paintbrush to apply the tea just were I wanted it. I wasn't worried if the result looked a little streaky, I thought that just added to the effect I was looking for. When the fabric was dry, I set the color using a hot iron. I think the block looks much happier!
After stitching up a few 4-patches for the Parts Department, I'm done with my brown and black scraps. Now I can turn my attention to finishing a few things here and there - if I can avoid starting any new projects along the way!
