My Scrap Dreams Coming True

I’m not sure what is going on lately, but I have been having some very vivid dreams. It’s happened to me before, but medication was the cause. This time, I have no clue what is happening, but I’m leaning in to it. So when I had a dream about a quilt, I had to make the quilt.

Seriously, I had a dream about a very colourful quilt made from traditional blocks. The block itself wasn’t distinct, but the colour was. That day, when I arrived at the studio I immediately went searching for a potential block. I grabbed a favourite book - Barbara Brackman’s Encyclopedia of Pieced Quilt Patterns - to browse for ideas. Rather, to search for what I might have dreamt about. In the end, I settled on one specific block, which she calls the Crocket Cabin Quilt.

Sadly, my dream wasn’t super specific on the block in question. Or maybe that was a good thing? I mean, what if I didn’t like the block? Regardless, I chose block 1123a, the Crocket Cabin Quilt block. Why? Mostly because it was simple, graphic, and just felt right. The math was pretty easy to figure out as well, considering the block only has half square triangles and plain patchwork.

The first experiments were straight out of the scrap bin. That is, I dug in to the colourful bins on my cutting table and picked two contrasting fabrics. Block 1 was a success so I tried another one, and another. I played around with values, making the dark the bowtie, then making the light fabric the bowtie. I couldn’t decide which I liked better, so I went with both. After only a few blocks it was apparent that I was indeed starting a new quilt.

When I made that decision I also put some limits on my fabric selection. This is primarily to satisfy the vision I had in my dream.

• No low volume fabrics

• No black backgrounds either

• Value is only relative within the block (it doesn’t matter if what is light in one block would be a dark in another)

• No repeating fabrics, each one is only used once

There is no special reason for these limits, it’s only just what feels right for me, for this project, for right now. I am shopping for the fabrics from my scrap bins first. I’ve found some classic gems doing this! Of course I have loads of scraps, but they aren’t always big enough. Then I go to my stash and pull out fabrics that might need to be trimmed a little or not. It will not be hard to get enough fabrics without spending a penny.

How big will I make the quilt? My default size is usually 80” x 80”. I made the blocks to finish at 8” square, so that means I will need 100 blocks (and 200 unique fabrics). I’m currently sitting at 43 made, with a few more cut out and ready to sew. I’ve been making 1-4 each day that I am in the studio. No great rush, but it is a nice way to round out my days before returning home.

Dreams really can come true.

Virginia - Maple Leaves for a Unexpected Fall Quilt

Virginia

60” x 60”

She is a crafty girl, taking her knitting with her everywhere. At this time of year she is buried in yarn and apple cider and cat cuddles. She wants to jump in a pile of leaves, take her girlfriend to a sunflower maze, and totally watch Gilmore Girls even though it is terribly problematic. She’s wearing layers at the first sign of a chill and refuses to take them off when the sun warms her on a walk. She may come across as basic, but she is anything but.

More than a year ago I made a single block. Just one maple leaf to show some folks in a Playdate that you can find use for the ugly fabric hiding around corners in your stash. Ugly, after all, is just like beauty - it’s all in the eye of the beholder.

Of course, of course, I put that first block dead centre in my finished quilt top. That so not me leaf fabric was paired, unexpectedly, with a ikat butterfly print from Tula Pink. From those two fabrics the rest of the quilt came to be. I shopped from my stash and had a blast putting together different combinations. The end result was a fall inspired quilt like no other.

The quilting is there merely to add texture. Each block was quilted with wavy lines crossing the block on the diagonal. Because the leaves themselves change direction across the quilt, I carried the direction of the waves with each leaf. For thread I chose a teal blue Superior at the long arm rental spot. (My preference is for 100% cotton, but this works well with their machines and there is absolutely nothing wrong with it.) I wanted the quilt to be extra squishy so an allover design versus outlining each leaf was preferred.

I broke my fabric shopping fast (I have sooooo much fabric) to pick up a binding choice from the clearance section at My Sewing Room. As I was taking the quilt off the long arm I realized that a rosy binding was going to be the perfect choice. Now, I know my stash, there is not a single rose coloured fabric in any value in there. I am a hot pink girl! Keeping with the theme of the quilt as a whole - starting with ugly fabric - I chose a print very much out of character for me. Turns out it was perfect. It binds the quilt so well and is a great complement to the colour scheme.

In the end, this quilt is another unconventional fall quilt. They don’t all have to be reds and oranges folks! And as I was stitching the binding I also realized that it goes perfectly in our living room with its chartreuse sofa on one side and the blue/brown one on the other. I guess it was just all meant to be!

Tree of Life Modern Quilt Interpretation

If you’ve been with me for a while you know about my wonderful list of Quilts Under Construction. I keep all projects that have progressed from an idea to a potential quilt to a nearly done project on that list. I update the list a few times a year, crossing off and moving things from different parts of the list. It isn’t fancy, just handwritten on a sheet of paper on a clipboard I keep in a drawer. It covers finished Quilt Tops, Quilts Being Quilted, and Blocks. It only enters the list when I’ve decided that some play or an experiment are actually going to be made into a quilt.

The reason I love my list so much is twofold. One, it gives me a direct appreciation for the time I’ve spent creating. It serves as a living memory of all the things I’ve done and can do. History and potential in one. Two, whenever I am blessed with some time, inclination, and less than normal motivation I can consult the list and get inspired. One day I might be in the mood for some easy piecing so I can consult the list and grab one of those projects. Maybe I actually, freakishly, have the desire to baste a quilt so I can see what is ready and has a backing made. Having it on paper means I am not storing it in already busy brain. In other words, I don’t have to open the already packed closet to see what might fall out!

So a few weeks ago I pulled out my list because I had an afternoon and felt like piecing. My tree of life blocks captured my attention. I had 4 blocks and vaguely remembered thinking 5 would be enough for a quilt. No problem! I could make one more block. So I did. This size (18”) is fiddly as you have to make a lot of 2.5” half square triangles but it’s not rocket science. One more block done with ease.

These blocks came in to being, firstly, as a sample for a class I did in conjunction with the Heritage Park Festival of Quilts. I took a quilt from their antique collection and created a modern version. This was one sample, then I made a few more, and now I’ve made 5.

At this point, I could have set the blocks aside but I loved where things were going so I went to the stash (and then the store) for some greens to border the blocks when set on point. My math was off so it is a bit wonky but it works well enough and will be fine with quilting.

Now I can move this set of blocks to the other side of the list for quilt tops. All the satisfaction.

May Morning Make 2022

While May was a busy month for a family it was a relaxing month for Morning Make. Indeed, starting my day with Morning Make meant that I was in a good frame of mind for the rest of a chaos.

These watercolour sketches of quilts are not a new to me effort. I’ve made a few in the past. For me, it’s a great, relaxing activity. Plus, I get to explore traditional quilts without having to sew them. All that precision piecing!

While there are a million resources for quilt blocks in both print and online I turned to this beauty of a book for picking out my patterns: The Encyclopedia of Pieced Quilt Patterns by Barbara Brackman. It’s an absolute classic and was recently reprinted. It pairs, if you like, with the Electric Quilt products, but you can buy the stand alone book. I picked mine up through Quilt Folk, but check your local quilt stores (or ask them to order it for you) or through the big A. Note, the book only contains drawings of the patterns, there are no measurements, piecing instructions, or templates. You need the Block Base software for that.

It was an absolute treat to flip through the book. As you can imagine, it was hard to narrow down a block choice each time! I ended up picking blocks I either always wanted to try or love but will likely never piece myself.

Each painting started with a pencil sketch. Using a good old ruler, a sharp pencil, and with an eraser nearby I translated the single block drawing into a quilt sketch. Sometimes I played with layout, sometimes it was straight grid.

Once the pencil sketch was done I started painting. These are the basic watercolour sets I bought just before the pandemic started. I tried to stick with the colours of the palette itself, so that I wasn’t trying to match colours day over day. I also stuck with 2-3 colours only. This was to force myself to concentrate on the design of the block, not try to create a watercolour quilt like I would sew one. Simplicity is sometimes a challenge for me so this was good practice.

On the first painting of the month I outlined the ‘seam lines’ of the quilt with a black pen. I really thought I would do this to all of them, but ended up not liking the look. I’d done it previously but something about it didn’t feel right this time. I suppose I just wanted a softer look.

It might be a little less ‘finished’? I’m not sure, but I still prefer it with the outline.

My watercolour skills are still very basic - this is essentially just colouring. But there is something about the movement of watercolour that is different than anything else. I am still smitten after my first forays into it over 2 years ago now. Loads to explore!