Scenic Route

 Almost every morning I take an hour or so to drink my coffee and look at my favorite blogs to get some inspiration and catch up with the virtual world.  I follow friends' blogs about their lives and families, a scientific illustration blog, and way too many craft blogs.  And then there's pinterest, which I just started using and am really enjoying. 

I had planned a day of working on my denim square quilt when I ran across a picture of pojagi.  Not really a quilt, though pieced like one, a pojagi is a Korean wrapping cloth.  I was suddenly struck with how ugly the curtain on the door to the garage was. It's been there as long as we've owned the house and has always escaped my notice.  So scrapping everything else I had planned for that day,  I made a pile of old linen clothes that I had thrifted. 

 

Notice the aluminum square to the left of the pile.  I cut it up with scissors every now and then to sharpen the blades.  It worked for a short time and was helpful because my scissors are overdue for a sharpening.  But I digress - Check out those orange pants.

 They were at my local thrift shop and I had to have them.  They were 100% linen, Ralph Lauren and PINK.  I thought I could dye them brown but stupidly picked up the terra cotta dye (WHY?) and they went horribly orange and - even if I had grabbed brown - fatally splotchy.   Easy come, easy go.  I can always cut things up and make them into something else.

 So, I cut up several linen pieces (5 pairs pants, 1 red dress, 1 white shirt, 1 orange top) and ironed the bejeebers out of them.  I then cut them into smaller squares without giving it too much thought.  I wanted random sizes for a crazy quilt look.

Here's my attempt at a tutorial of how to make a thing I've only made once:

 One of the cool things about pojagi's is that they have no wrong side.  I think this kind of seam is called  a flat felled seam but feel free to correct me.  I layered the square on top about 1/2 inch lower than the edge of the bottom square.

 I sewed the seam down at about 1/4 down from the edge of the top square.

 There is a whole lot of ironing involved with this process but linen is happy to be ironed.  I ironed the overlap from the bottom square into the seam allowance.

 Like so.

 Then I sewed along the ironed under edge and voila!  A completely enclosed seam.  For consistency's sake, I call this the wrong side

 Here's the right side.  Time to iron it again to give it a clean look.  I actually messed that up once or twice so I have some wrong side seams on my right side and vice versa but it's a very forgiving process.  I made several panels and then sewed all those together using the same seam.  It was time consuming but I love the result:

Tada!  Curtain.  I rushed the end - it was dinner time - so the top is messy.  I should, and one day will, redo it but I'm just going to leave it for now.  It makes me happy.

 Here's one of the other cool things about pojagi, because they are not quilted - they don't have to be because the seams are totally enclosed - they are as sheer as the fabric used and look amazing with the light behind them.  Perfect for curtains in a place where privacy isn't important.  I have the best view from inside my garage.  Since that view just isn't observed by everyone, I plan on making another for the kitchen window that looks out to the yard.

I feel like the colors have a similar '70's vibe as the denim squares quilt will have when I get back on track with that.  I like being able to follow my nose and make things in an intuitive way. They tend to relate to each other without me even noticing right away.  I try to give myself a creating day every week or so so should get back to the other quilt soon...unless something else catches my eye...