Quilters' Playcation Adventure Sewalong Launch

Do you remember those Choose Your Own Adventure books? Everyone started at the same place, with the basics of the story? But at the first corner, the first conflict, the first mystery you had to make a choice then follow the story that way? Well, this Quilters' Playcation Sew Along is kind of like that. On launch day I solicited suggestions for themes, colour stories, and fabric inspirations. That is my first corner. That can be your first corner too. The next corner will be about a basic shape or key word inspiring our first cuts and seams. Over eight weeks we will have decisions to make, but those decisions will be influenced by the participation and suggestion of others.

On Day 1 these are suggestions gathered for ideas/inspiration:

• Roaring Twenties/Art Deco/Great Gatsby

• Skyscrapers in New York

• Moonshine

• Mountain/Woodlands

• Tropical Birds

• Skiing

• Flowers

• Maps

• Houses

• Doors/doorways

• Storm at sea and surf against the rocks (Think Hurricanes)

• A toy you loved

• Space/universe

• Rivers

• Ice

• Leaves

Think of it another way. Have you ever seen an improv comedy show? You know, Wayne Brady? Quite often in these shows the performers ask the audience for suggestions for movement in the story. People shout out scenarios or characters or plot twists. That's exactly what I will be doing via Instagram Live. Twice a week, at 11 AM Mountain, I will stand up and be open for suggestions, after sharing progress, of course. In the end, it becomes a collaborative creative process. The eight weeks will take me from nothing to a finished quilt.

Follow along on Instagram or over on Quilters’ Playcation, where I will post biweekly updates.

A Cheryl Version of a Fall Quilt

We had our first overnight guests since the pandemic started last week. That meant I really had to clean the sewing/guest room for my SIL. Thank goodness she is a quilter so she gets it! In doing so I unearthed a few projects. This particular one started as class demos for one of the Quilters’ Playcation Playdates back in the spring!

After my SIL and niece left I decided to scratch the itch to sew and to sew without project purpose so I grabbed the stack of fabric set aside with the already made blocks and started sewing more. Without thinking about it I had 50 blocks! My sewing for the sake of sewing blocks suddenly actualized themselves into a potential quilt.

A little bit of math and inquiry into my stash and a plan was confirmed. I will aim for 100 blocks. I make them in groups of 5, each set made with the same fabrics. The blocks themselves are all improv square in a square blocks. So the sewing is a bit repetitive but very low stress, and playful in my fabric selection. Pretty much exactly what I need at the moment.

Out for a walk the other morning I was admiring the fall foliage. I started thinking about how I’ve never made a ‘fall quilt’. I know why, earth tones aren’t really my thing and fall quilts seem to love a good ochre and rust combination. But when I was putting the blocks up on my design wall yesterday I realized that a fall quilt was exactly what I was making. A Prairie fall, that’s for sure, because all the leaves look that much better against our gorgeous skies. See?

I rest my case.

July Morning Make 2021 (Meet Dot)

Remind me never to hand quilt in the summer again.

Not sure what possessed me to think it was a good idea for July Morning Make, other than a desire for the act. We started the month with record heat so it wasn’t my smartest move. But when it comes to the quilt, it was brilliant!

When you only commit to a little each day hand quilting is far from overwhelming. Hand quilting an entire quilt, no matter the size, is definitely a big deal. Just thinking about it gave me the sweats (or is that the menopause transition?). Quilting a little each day, however seemed manageable. One stitch at a time. In the end, I finished this in the middle of the month! Every step is a step in the right direction.

On this particular quilt the stitching followed one single line. Each day I started where I left off so that now that it is done, it is a trail across the quilt. Twisting and turning here and there. Sometimes following the appliqué, most of the time ignoring it. Just taking whatever path felt right at the time.

The quilt top was another Morning Make adventure from last year. One appliqué shape stitched down per day. No preplanning, just improvising the composition and shapes as I went. Great fun!

Dot

49” x 54”

Meet Dot. Dorothy, if you must, but she prefers Dot. Just like she prefers her coffee with a wee bit of whiskey in it, her steak pretty rare, and her men on the younger side. She might look like your Gran, but do mistake Dot for her. Her heart aches for the baby girl who left this Earth when only a toddler. For years she barely moved, barely breathed. Life wasn't worth it until she found a way to find her spot in the world. A spot that can only be occupied by her alone. Dot moves with double the energy of most, playing with expectations and attitudes. You won't find her marching on a path, rather, she finds a winding road and moves where her whims desire. No worries, she'll get where she needs to in the end, but she has to do it her way.

Not being your typical gal, Dot was finished with a lovely contrasting binding. Unexpected but perfect. Her backside is a woven from Anna Maria Horner’s Luminous collection, with a scrap of yellow because sometimes you make mistakes when doing math.

We should all be like Dot a little more - take a few unpredictable paths and see what happens. Whether it is with your quilt making or in life.

June Morning Make 2021

There is something very meditative about paint by numbers. That was the good part abut June’s Morning Make, it was very meditative. I can’t, however say that it was interesting or very creative for me.

To each their own.

I can see how people would love colouring books and paint by numbers You don’t have to think, you don’t have to be challenged to be creatively ON, and the design work is done for you. It gets easy to get lost in the action, the repetition. This is rather relaxing, truth be told. It just wasn’t enough to hold it for me this month.

The kids gave me the paint by numbers for my birthday in May, with Morning Make in mind. It was kind and thoughtful. I’d never really thought of doing one before so I was game to try it. It went quicker than I thought, I finished by the halfway mark of the month. By then I knew I was okay to not do another one so I jumped when a friend suggested making a quilt inspired by the painting.

It’s me, so of course it was improv. I grabbed scraps in the greens and pinks of the painting and set to making flowers and background pieces. As you can see, I skipped the hummingbird portion.

The whole thing was made willy nilly. Made a few flowers one day, made some background another. Frankly, it would have been better to plan it out a little as it required some headscratching, partial seams, and hacking apart to get it to come together with ease. Above you can see it before I squared it up to finish. With improv you’ve always got to add the order back in.

Both pieces are 16” x 20”. I ever feel motivated to finish and frame them they can exist side by side.