The Quilt Show, Improvisational Piecing, and I

Back in August I had the pleasure of a trip to Denver (with my favourite Evil Genius as assistant) to film an episode of The Quilt Show. Alex Anderson, Ricky Tims, and all of their staff were amazing! The behind the scenes action and prep work were so well organized and it was a fantastic experience. And now the show is live!

If you are a member of The Quilt Show you may have already seen the episode (number 1911). If not, The Quilt Show has generously opened up viewing for my special readers for one week only. Free viewing lasts only until December 4.

UPDATE: Link now works. Apologies if you tried an earlier version.

On the show I demo making Slabs and a brief overview of Improv Curves. It's a totally free class! And that's on top of an interview/mini trunk show.  More of me than you might want! Or, because I have limited ability to travel, a snippet of me in your home.

It was a total thrill to bring my Evil Genius with me. A truly special experience for us both. And The Quilt Show treated her like a star! She stepped up and went to work on set while I was filming, helping set up and processing sales in the shop. A huge thank you to the show for welcoming her as well. Here she is with me backstage for cuddles and a bonus interview.

I've been a quilter for over 18 years now. Ricky Tims' book, Convergence Quilts, was one of the first ones I ever bought. And Alex Anderson is a super star quilter, with a career to envy. I never could have imagined that I would end up a guest on their show! What a strange journey life can be. Now that I've had another onscreen experience I can honestly say I need to make this a more regular part of my life. I even told Alex that when she wants to retire, that she can feel free to consider me for her replacement. Just sayin'.

March On - Free Improv Quilt Block Tutorial

In the wake of the US election I, like many others, felt compelled to make. I needed the comfort of sewing more than anything else. The familiarity, the creation, the time alone with my thoughts. Rather than start something new I decided to pull out some very meaningful blocks. After sharing them on Instagram I had a few requests for a block tutorial. With my compulsion to create in overdrive I decided to make a video tutorial.

Feel free to make your own March On blocks. Any shape, any size. These instructions are for roughly a 9 1/2'' square block, but they will vary.  If you want smaller, start smaller. If you want bigger, start bigger. They go together quickly so without any trouble you will have yourself your own solidarity march in no time. 

Great Grandmother's Geese - Modern Quilt from Vintage Fabrics

Great Grandmother's Geese

40'' x 48''

Days away from delivering her second baby a friend popped by my house. Part of her nesting was clearing out things from home. I was the lucky recipient of a stack of vintage fabrics once belonging to her grandmother. Now vintage fabrics aren't generally my thing. No doubt, they are pretty, but that doesn't mean I want to sew with them. Something changed a week later. I got the right idea and the fabrics began to talk to me.

As is my style, however, I started the quilt without a plan. I cut all these squares to make HSTs. I was going to just sew them together randomly. But this wasn't about making a Values quilt, I wanted some order and repetition. Without thinking it through I screwed up. Soon I realized that what I envisioned was not going to happen with the process I started. I very nearly lost the time and maybe the fabric to impulsive cutting. So I regrouped, cut my squares into triangles, and got very deliberate with placement. Of course it would have been better to cut the geese shape from the beginning, but so be it. The overall effect is the same.

The vintage fabrics were a bit of a challenge to work with. First off, I should have washed them. They were all clean, but one had that distinct old smell (mothballs) every time the iron hit it. The weight and stiffness of each fabric varied too. So I took my time, made sure not to pull or stretch any of them, and gave the quilt a lovely soak once I finished it all.

The yellow fabrics are all modern, with one classic Denyse Schmidt pink floral also making an appearance in the blocks (Just when I needed a few more blocks cut I temporarily misplaced the vintage fabrics in a studio tidy-up). 

Putting the top together required some patience and attentiveness. One row at a time. But I did it without messing up. Phew.

This is a baby quilt I hope will get used and loved, so I didn't stress about anything too fancy for the quilting. Texture and ease won out. Simple straight lines so the graphic design stands out. In case you were wondering, I used the magical Aurifil 2600, the dove grey. The quilt is pieced with it too, actually. 

On the binding I uncovered another old Denyse Schmidt print, this one from a Joann's release years ago. It was the perfect sweet touch. Because Denyse is so inspired by vintage textiles it works so well.

Now I get to hand the quilt back to my friend. It is a thrill to give these old fabrics new life, especially when there is a family connection like this. A handmade legacy.

Mighty Lucky One Fabric Challenge Take Two

Take one bold stripe and play. That's it. See what happens with no plan in mind.

The center of this piece started as I was prepping for the Mighty Lucky Quilt Challenge in July. I wanted to see what would happen with the stripe and the quarter square triangle. Then I added one border for fun. Now I am adding more borders. I want to see what I can do with the stripe. How many ways can I manipulate the directionality? How can I fussy cut? Can I make it confuse you that it is only a single fabric?

After the first round I went out and bought a couple of metres of the fabric. I'm going to play until I run out, or I get bored. Welcome to the current Morning Make.

Fabric is the Tick Tock Stripe in Mint from Chipper by Tula Pink.