Travelling Quilts 2, Latest Round

Despite all my deadlines and personal goals sometimes I feel the need to join a group and play. Of course, I always do it with the caveat that it is pretty much a guarantee I will be late in meeting any deadlines. It is the same with any bee, round robin, or group project. That's why I usually volunteer to be the assembler at the end. Plus, that is one of my favourite parts.

All that being said, I do enjoy the creative process and challenge of working with other people's work. Sometimes it feels like drawing bodies on heads, sometimes it is tremendously difficult. It is a push to add without detracting, to make use of seemingly disparate things. I may not be able to meet group deadlines very well, but I think I can meet this kind of challenge.

I am part of a group, modelled on the Travelling Quilts that you've likely seen out there. Some of us Canadians brought in a few American friends and we're playing. Here are a few of the quilts.

This one started with Jenn, of Pinkbrain Quilts. She made the paper pieced non-star block in the centre. Then Julie added some stellar embroidery, including the pink brain! Then off to Jacqueline. She made up a bunch of linear blocks, but didn't join them to the original.

My initial thought was more circles - shocker. Then I decided to bring in the linear aspect of Jacqueline's blocks. But those angle from the original are so intriguing. So I extended angles and joined them with the fabric and linear aspects of the additional blocks. Not an easy addition, but so much fun and I love the results. I can't wait to see what happens next! Off to Anna and Robyn next.

It's hard to figure out where to go when you start with colour blocked cathedral windows. For me, the temptation was strong to just make more and more. Can you imagine a quilt just like that? These were the beginning of Julie's quilt. Jacqueline made a whole schwack of blocks, many on the large scale like these ones. I took the combination of text inspiration and the cathedral windows and combined them for my blocks.

I used colours already in the blocks as background. The petals are simply appliquéd on. I resisted the temptation to join them into a strip because that would have finished at 72''. That's a big quilt to commit to for the folks coming next. But it would look really nice that way. Hint, hint...

Process on the Quilts in A Month of Sundays

It's another snowy morning. That means it is perfect to talk about quilts. Today to celebrate A Month of Sundays I want to share a bit about some of the quilts with you. As a blogger it is so hard not to share my work in progress when making the quilts for the book. So hard. I'm used to sharing everything from the initial inspiration to the fabric pull to the frustrations to the finished top to the end. Sharing that is part of my blogging style and I believe in the honesty of that. I did take photos along the way while making book quilts, so at least I can do it after the fact.

When I'm making quilts for publication my process is actually a bit different. If I were to go my normal way of sewing - starting without a definite plan, adapting and making changes along the way, and ending with something for the sake of it - I would have a lot of work to do reverse engineering to write a pattern. That is a recipe for disaster - for me and someone trying to make the quilt from that pattern.

Oh boy, was finding text prints at the time of doing this tough! 

Thankful for some screen prints dug up on Etsy.

Quilts destined for publication always start, for me, with the pattern. Not just a sketch, but the actual pattern. I like to draft the whole thing first. This lets me think about the best way to divvy up fabric requirements and calculate yardage as well the most efficient way to make the quilt. I consider myself the first pattern tester. As I work there is always going to be a sketchbook filled with numbers or a pad of graph paper next to me. That allows me to write down any notes or corrections as I go. A half an inch makes a difference.

From first fabric pull to second, after patter drafting, things changed a bit.

A good friend gave me advice when I was starting on the journey of this book. She told me to send out the quilts to be long armed. I'll admit, this was hard for me, but it was the best thing I could do. I was having another baby, after all. The deadlines may push forward because of the need to get the quilts to long armers, but the time saved for me was valuable. It meant a lot less stress and a lot more time with my family during the work. Not to mention the savings on my already taxed joints. So, thank-you to Angela Walters and Janet Madyski for getting me through the work.

I use a lot of binding tape in the book.

Coordinating my snacks and my quilts.

When I was looking through my photo library to pull these images I was struck by just how much the making of these quilts, these books, is intertwined in my life. On the same day I was cutting fabric there was a crew framing in the basement and I had a book launch for Sunday Morning Quilts! Same day. Other days will be pictures of my babies doing their thing - like finishing preschool - while I finish a quilt. And all while I had a newborn. So the quilts, and the book, are a true reflection of our life at a moment of time. And more than once I had to take my own advice that I was writing to slow down and sew, not just get caught up in the frenzy of making.

It is always a huge rush to get the quilts made, though. You think you have all this time but you end up doing everything at the end. Your fingers are sore from binding, your shoulders hurt, everyone in the house is cranky at the fabric everywhere... Then you send the quilts away and don't see them for months, or even a year! It kind of feels anticlimactic. Such an energy high from the moment of first sketches to the last stitch and you don't get a chance to even snuggle with the quilt. But now the quilts are home, living in rotation. Reminding me of the time spent in creation, the moments that happened then, and the concept to just chill out.

Not helping me when I needed to quilt.

So, on this Sunday filled with sunshine and a blanket of fresh snow I will do just that. Right after a birthday party and coffee date with my Hubby. But then, then I can pour some tea, wrap myself in a quilt, and attend to an afternoon of puzzles and paper crafts with my girls.

Remember, there will be giveaways at the end of this celebration. One comment on each post in the month enters you for the prizes.

Tell me, coffee or tea, or hot chocolate with marshmallows?

Some Modern Opportunities

Putting aside the use of Modern Quilting as a term to define a trend, or make something seem trendy even when it isn't really a modern quilt, there are some changes afoot in the traditional quilting world that I wanted to share with you.

Quilt Canada 2014, the big show, conference, and workshops put on by the Canadian Quilters Association added Modern to its categories for the National Juried Show. For my American friends, this is the equivalent of the show in Houston for Canadians. The CQA worked with The Modern Quilt Guild to define the category and judging criteria. Entries are open to Canadians - including Canadian citizens living elsewhere. (Oh, and I'll be teaching there for four days...)

Enter here.

Did you notice there are some pretty hefty cash prizes?

Closer to home, the Calgary Stampede's Western Showcase also added a modern category to its quilt show. The Western Showcase is quite a wonderful part of The Stampede. A little oasis of calm and creativity in the midst of the midway, rodeo, and wallet draining. And it isn't all just horses and cowboys there either.

Entries aren't open yet, but stayed tuned to the Western Showcase site, entries will open at some point in the new year.

Putting yourself out there by entering a show is a scary thing, I know that. And show quilts are not necessarily the quilts you snuggle up with on the couch. Sure, your entry may not be accepted and it is quite easy to wholeheartedly disagree with any comments from the judges. That being said, entering a show is a new experience, a challenge, and rather exciting. I urge you to consider it, put any fears aside, and jump in feet first. Don't worry, I checked the water, there are no sharks. Just a lot of black drapes and white gloves.

One Day - A Quilt

One Day

40'' x 50''

Made for Hubby's best friend's new baby boy. As soon as they announced they were expecting my Hubby informed - not asked - me that I would be making a quilt. Rather than take offence I gave myself a pat on the back that he appreciates this gift as much as a recipient. And this little quilt is now in the baby boy's hands.

The whole quilt came together quite fortuitously. I used the map fabric I had left from this quilt. The couple who are parents of this baby boy are world travellers. In my imagination I live vicariously through the adventures they've had. Hubby actually picked that fabric when I decided I would use this block as the basis of the quilt. In addition to the map fabric I used a variety of low volume prints in blue, green, yellow, gray, and orange. Some of the prints were even from the couple's wedding quilt!

The map fabric is a little odd as it isn't exactly geographically correct. This is not what Canada and the US look like! But the outside borders are there. If I cared to research things in the history books I'm sure I could find a year to associate with this geography. For now, we all get the idea.

The quilting is done with Aurifil 50W in white, as was the piecing. It is a combination of grid work and dot to dot curves around the map sections of each block. Together, it creates a wonderful texture.

This is Hubby's other contribution to the quilt. He insisted that one block with Australia be placed upside down. Sure, whatever.

Finally, when it came to selecting backing fabric Hubby stepped in. He and his best friend have always bonded over cars. And indeed, this guy works at a car dealership now. So the car print was the only choice! I guess it really is a travel themed kind of quilt.

One day the world will be his to explore.