10

One of these days I'll finish a quilt. For now, I'm comfortable starting more.

This is the stack of fabrics I put together for a quilt I'm making my husband for our upcoming 10th anniversary. It might seem girly, but these were our wedding colours. Colours that he loved then (or so he said) and I'm hoping he'll still like. It's for a king sized quilt that is for a date that is 2 months away. Yup, I am purely insane.

Insanely in love.

(Ugh, gag me with a spoon.)

I'll do my best. I got this quilt in my head and I'm on a mission.

BTW, did I mention that our anniversary is more or less my due date? I probably should have done that when I introduced The Bet the other day.

(BTW, he doesn't read the blog at all, so the only way he'll find out is if certain people say something to him. You know who you are - keep your mouth shut!)

Pretty, Pretty Voiles

When voiles burst on to the scene a few years ago, thanks to Anna Maria Horner, I wasn't all that interested. My style may be modern, but I generally prefer the traditional materials like plain old quilting cotton. Then somehow, somewhere someone gave me a piece of voile. I was seduced by the airiness of the fabric, the silky feel, the soft drape.

So, I made a scarf.

And then I started shopping. Just adding one or two pieces onto an order from nearly any on-line store. Only my favourites. Never concerned with collecting from an entire line. I've got more Anna Maria Horner, some Tula Pink, Joel Dewberry, Valori Wells, and Denyse Schmidt.

Then last week I received a few more and thought I better count how many I had. 29. 29 fat quarters or 1/2 yard pieces! It was time to stop collecting and start cutting.

It is going to take me a long time to get through the cutting. Each 1/2 yard piece yields 18 triangles plus 12 side triangles. There is no layering when you cut the voiles because that desired silkiness means the rulers slip. I'd rather take my time and cut properly than risk losing some of my fabric. Oh, and I'm cutting all of this for what I hope will be a king sized quilt.

In my head this pretty, ultra-soft quilt will drape on our bed in the summer months. For when you still want the hint of covers but not the weight of anything over you. Maybe this summer? Probably next.

100 Days of Modern Quilting

Have you been following along with the 100 Days of Modern Quilting feature running on The Modern Quilt Guild? If you haven't, you should be.

Colour, block styles, improv, it's all been there so far. Tutorials too. And there is more to come. Inspiration every single day. It is also a great showcase for modern quilts.

Yes, I know the debate between modern and traditional, and the blurry line too. (This is still where I stand.) Regardless of where you stand on the debate or in your own style of quilting, the series is a great place to see some gorgeous quilts, a wide range of quilts.

And speaking of gorgeous quilts... One of mine is being shared today. How's that for a pretty shameless plug? Your Parents are Cool is still one of my all-time favourite quilts and I'm proud to have it included in Improv Week in the 100 Days of Quilting.

Branch Out

I fancy myself a decent free motion quilter. No, I won't win any prizes for my quilting, but I do think I can do some fun things. That being said, it is good sometimes to push your limits.

This weekend I took a machine quilting workshop from Ana Buzzalino. Ana is a member of my Flying Needles Quilt Guild and an amazing quilter. She can do incredible things with a New York Beauty Block. And her art quilts, which involve painting and stitching are at a level that is both beautiful and well-recognized. Oh, and she is ridiculously nice, genuine, and funny.

Ana's style is so far removed from mine. That alone would discourage many quilters, particularly those of us who identify as young and modern, from taking a class with her. It shouldn't, though. It should inspire us to try something new and push our boundaries.

When you take a class from someone whose work is different than yours the best thing to do is immerse yourself, learn something, then figure out how to apply those lessons to your own work. Do not let style, age, or perception keep you from a new challenge or experience.

I am so glad I took this workshop. Sure, I love dense quilting, but maybe not as dense as Ana was teaching. I still doubt I'll try silk or rayon thread, but she had great tips regarding thread, period. I have more intent in my stitching, some new patterns to try and new inspiration for my own, and I'm heading into the next round of quilts with a boost of confidence in my free motion skills. And next month she's teaching feathers!