Quiltlet #7: Fabric that Rocks

Northcott's vast Stonehenge fabric line includes prints that look a whole lot like...well, like stone. Beautiful stone, some shot through with mineralesque veins of different colors and shades: 

 

The line must be very popular, because lately, my LQS (local quilt shop) is looking a lot like the Grand Canyon. On first viewing the Stonehenge landscape, I knew I had to use it in a quiltlet. I picked a favorite, and then went wild by buying an entire 1/4 yard!  (That's the great thing about quiltlets. You can be cheap.) 

Here's what I made: 

It's three layers, 8 1/4" x 3 1/4" finished size, with batting on the inside, and a pillowcase finish on three sides (fold on the fourth side). Once the three layers were together and turned right side out, I let the fabric tell me how to embellish it. After several false starts, I figured out what it wanted: 

Buttons. 

Specifically, mother-of-pearl buttons in whites, beiges, greys, silvers and tans. Vintage metal buttons in silver and rust, to match the faux rust of the fabric. There's also a wooden cube bead that looks like copper. The whole thing has a Steampunk feel. 

After the buttons were attached (through all three layers), I did a bunch of hand-quilting with brown thread. Of course, the quilting thread kept catching on various buttons. The large quilting stitches went in circles around the buttons, and in waves across the length, following the mineral vein lines. (If I had to do it over, I'd do hand-quilting BEFORE attaching the buttons.)

I wear this a lot, as a bracelet. It would also work as a bookmark (with the loftier buttons only on one end,  hanging outside of the book). It's an interesting textured wall hanging too. Just hang it from the loops.  

By the way, my LQS won't go out of business because I only bought a quarter yard of Stonehenge for my quiltlet. I also bought 5 or so yards of  extra-wide Stonehenge fabric, to back my recently completed Jerusalem themed chuppah (wedding canopy). The stoney (stoned?) look on back went beautifully with the cityscape on the front. 

So what are you supposed to do with Stonehenge?  Designers are combining the prints in geometrical ways, for results that look like ancient tiled European marble floors. This one, called Pisa, is from Mountain Creek Creations by Kari Nichols:

And here's Moroccan Tile, by Cheryl Phillips

(note: Phillips' wedge tools are also needed to make the latter pattern).

There's a quarry full of Stonehenge fabrics and patterns (including Pisa, above), all on one page, at  http://www.ericas.com/fabric/stonehenge.htm. (I've never shopped at Erica's personally.) Of course, you should check your LQS before buying online - you might get to fondle the merchandise and skip the shipping charge. My LQS carries several Stonehenge patterns, and precut packs, as well as regular-width and extra-wide yardage. (No financial affiliation with Stonehenge/Northcott! Really! I just really like the fabric!)

Have you made anything from Stonehenge?