Pride Quilt - Compelled to Make

Two weeks ago I got it in my head that I simply had to finish this quilt top. I couldn't put my finger on why I was so fixated on getting it done Right. Now. I eventually assumed it was because June is Pride month in many cities (but not mine). And I have been calling this my Pride Quilt. The rainbow portion was started a year ago. It was my way of processing the Pulse shooting in Orlando. What I didn't fully realize that today is the anniversary of that horrific attack. No wonder the quilt was front of mind.

So the top is done, the back is actually nearly done, and the quilting plan fixed and determined in my brain. If all goes well I hope to be at the long arm in a week or two so I can finish it up. 

This is what I call a Statement Quilt. You may say it is political, and I am okay with that. I welcome that. I call it a Statement because it is a quilt that has something to say. Sure it is pretty and I hope it snuggles many in its lifetime. It will hold secrets and have stories to tell. But right now, as I am making it, it has something to say.

Love is Love is Love is Love. Period. And I will support, defend, and celebrate the right of all to that exact sentiment. I will mourn when people are attacked for simply being themselves. I will talk to my kids about sex and love and companionship and respect. I will embrace every single member of my family, and yours. I will not tolerate hate in my life or yours.

Yes, a quilt really can say all that. It isn't the only way I communicate.  But, as a quilter and writer and a human I can choose how I make my public statements. This is merely one of them. 

Pride.

Park Quilt Blocks Done and Resting Together

Over two years worth of hand applique. Not the only hand work I did in that time, but definitely the bulk of it. Maybe it should be a relief that it is over, but there is some sadness there too. It's been such a constant companion in that time. Coming with me on trips, to pools, while watching shows, on quiet Sunday mornings. Forever forcing me to slow down, to be silent. A welcome respite from the frenetic energy of improv piecing, deadlines, and household chaos. 

All that being said, it won't be getting quilted anytime soon! Mostly because I haven't a clue how I want to quilt it. The quilt top needs some time to rest and I need time to think on it.

The whole thing started for two reasons. One, I was teaching a couple of hand applique classes and Carolyn Friedlander's pattern is a perfect lesson. With her permission I used the block. The other starting point was a bundle of fabric I gave to Lysa Flower to paint years ago. She asked for a bundle of my favourite fabrics. Many of those fabrics are in this quilt and the originals inspired the rest of the fabric selection. 

It was a lot of fun to pick different combinations of fabric for the blocks. Some times I went for really high contrast, others for almost none. The pattern combinations are shocking to many, but I love each and every one.  I was able to use some of my new Tag fabrics with some old treasures.

I really do need to think on the quilting so I can do the whole quilt proper justice. It's okay, I'm not going anywhere and neither is this quilt.

Amanda Jean Made Me Do It

Seven years ago I made a leap. I was recuperating from my stupid knee injuries and thinking a lot about life, about what I wanted to be when I grew up. At that time I started emailing another blogger a bit more. One day we decided to take our relationship to the next level and talk on the phone. It was like being a teenager all over again, chit chatting for hours as I lay on my bed and ignored my family. Now I consider her a good friend, a professional colleague, and a quilty inspiration.

Amanda Jean Nyberg now has a new book. It is out now and I jumped on board to help her celebrate. No Scrap Left Behind is her perfect book. She is extraordinarily frugal and saves everything. This book takes that mentality and applies it to all your fabric. She does so with useful tips, storage ideas, and completely inspiring quilts. 

To celebrate the release of the book Amanda asked us to not only blog about the book but to also make something from it. Back when we were writing Sunday Morning Quilts she got me to save my binding triangles. Those little bits we cut off when joining binding strips. I hadn't exactly been throwing them away, but they got dumped in with the rest of my colour sorted scraps. In our discussions writing the book we agreed on sorting by colour as well as pulling out strips/strings and snippets. She took it to the next level with those binding triangles. So I started putting mine aside. They filled a jar. Then overflowed the jar. After that they filled a bowl. Just as I was thinking it was time to do something about them No Scrap Left Behind comes out. It was meant to be.

There are two quilts in the book that I could have done, Remainders and Chain of Diamonds (not to mention Up, Up, and Away from Sunday Morning Quilts). I chose Chain of Diamonds because it reminded me of a sketch I once made myself from a store window I once saw. Plus, I had a lot of colours in my overflowing jar and bowl.

I'm not going to lie, this was an intense make. Made more so by me doing it over the last 2 weeks while I was sick (and my kids). I counted, there are 1709 seams in this quilt! But the good thing is that they are all small. 

To keep the project a lot more manageable, I suggest turning this into one of two things. Make the blocks as leaders/enders. That is, prep your background squares and keep them next to your machine with the triangles. At the end of a seam when you are working on something else sew a triangle on instead of cutting your thread. Or, turn this into a Morning Make project. Spend 10-20 minutes a day and slowly but sure the blocks will come together. 

Regardless of how you do this I would totally recommend this quilt. It was fun, it has great impact, and it makes excellent use of those scraps!

I went from a full platter (once I unsquished them from the jar/bowl) to barely a third. I even had to cut a few extra scraps to round out the selection. Now I just might have to make something else to use the rest of the triangles! For a change from my instinctual mix of low volume fabrics for the background I went all the way to the other end of the spectrum. Black prints, including many from my Tag collection, played together. As I made blocks it was a lot of fun to think back to the quilt where the scrap came from. So many memories.

Thanks for being a good friend all these years Amanda Jean. And for continuing to be such an inspiration to quilters everywhere.

I'm happy to be giving away a copy of the No Scrap Left Behind to a lucky reader, courtesy of C&T Publishing. Trust me, you want this book! Please leave a comment below, including your email: nameATserverDOTcom. I can't auto reply through my blog so I need your email to get you your prize. US winners get a hard copy of the book, International winners will get a digital version.

GIVE AWAY IS NOW CLOSED

Make sure you check out all the other bloggers sharing their projects from the book:

Monday, April 24th Mary Kolb

Tuesday, April 25, Lee Monroe

Wednesday, April 26, Sandi Hazelwood

Thursday, April 27, Bernie Kringel

Friday, April 28, Erin Cox

Monday, May 1, Katherine Greaves

Tuesday, May 2, Tracy Mooney

Wednesday, May 3, Cheryl Arkison

Thursday, May 4, Debbie Jeske

Friday, May 5, 

Giveaway Winner was Sue, comment 190/226. Thanks to the Random Number Generator.

Love the black & white background you used! It's nice to read how you became friends with Amanda Jean too. :)

Another Improv Applique Project

Precuts are quickly becoming my favourite go-to for Improv Applique.

My current project combines a charm pack of Robert Kaufman Kona solids and a mini charm pack I made up with my own Tag fabric. Both were lying around the sewing room, collecting dust. I needed some mindless hand sewing and did not have anything prepped. 

That's my favourite thing about Improv Applique, there is no detailed prep required. Grab some fabric, cut a shape, and go. As long as you have supplies handy it is an instantaneous project. 

All I did, in this case, was snip a corner off the mini charms prior to basting them to the solids. Just for a slightly different shape. My daughter says they remind her of the shape of Alberta, our Province. She's right, albeit squared off a bit. 

Like all improv projects I start, I have no idea where this will end up. I am quite enjoying the black and white with the solids. It may stay small, I may not do any more, or I could make this something entirely differently. Who knows? What I do know for sure is that it is a fun little project for on the go.

For any local, or relatively local, folks I am teaching Improv Applique at My Sewing Room May 30, 6-9 pm.