February Morning Make 2022

No, you have not gone back in time. It’s February and I made crumb blocks for Morning Make. Again. That’s because the scraps never disappear and there was a whole year of quilting between now and then. Besides, you can never go wrong with crumb blocks.

The technique is the same, the collection of fabric is 95% my own scraps, but there is one difference between this year’s blocks and last year’s: the size of the crumb. When I went to sort the scraps into size - always the first step in these crumb blocks - I realized that my scraps were just that little bit bigger. What counted as a small in this collection was a large in last year’s. I debated cutting things down for a brief moment, so that the blocks were similar. Then I, wisely, decided that that would be ridiculous. Extra work and it would then barely make a dent in the scraps.

Design wise, I was sure I could make a combination of the blocks work. You can see above a hint of what might happen when they come together, as the first few blocks made with smaller crumbs are in the center. With small bits in all the blocks regardless you can make transitions come together.

Of course there is still fabric left. Of course.

One of these days I will get last year’s blocks up on the design wall with this year’s. Then I will use the scraps I have left to fill in any gaps. After that? Well, I make no promises on the scraps’ fate.

January Morning Make 2022

We’re coming up on 2 years at home. Everyone is tired, frustrated, and annoyed. Some lash out, some quietly move on. Most of us are just living our lives as best we can. I fall into the latter category and chose to use my Morning Make this past month as a moment of reflection.

Quilting as a professional author, speaker, and teacher has taken me to some pretty amazing places over the past decade. I’ve travelled all over Canada, hit a handful of US cities, and even went across the ocean to Australia. I really do hope to add travelling for quilting back on my schedule again down the line. This reflective process does have me truly appreciating even more that quilting has given me. That’s because it’s given me all the people in the places, the creativity and laughter in the room, the morning walks before the work begins, and the ability to share my love of play and fabric with so many.

The project actually began years ago. One day my oldest and I were talking about the places I’ve been and we decided to make a list. It was like the twenties version of former lovers, but this place name list is MUCH bigger. I kept adding to it too. Every now and then I would make one of the places on the list. Then, when I started teaching online during the pandemic I would pick one of these places when I was demonstrating techniques for my Make Words Not War class. Every time it was a moment of reflection and appreciation. Needing to extend those thoughts and feelings I decided to make these place names the focus for January Morning Make.

I won’t lie, I’d hoped to finish all of them. I can only get up so early and these days that isn’t very early at all. But I did get through 18 of the place names on the list. Only 11 more to go.

Frankly, I have no idea how or when this will come together. I do know it will be a massive quilt! Maybe I will make it double sided? All I do know is that it’s been fantastic to take daily trips back to these places. I’m recalling people or the weather or even specific projects from events. I’m in awe of the depth of this travel. For quilting? Yes, for quilting!

Quilters' Playcation Adventure Sewalong 2022

The joys of insomnia. Seriously. When the brain won’t shut off at night I find it better to just get out of bed and let the thoughts out before I try to tuck myself back in. So there I was, one night over the holiday break with visions of quilt blocks swirling in my head. (Who even knows what sugarplums are anyway?) I got up, sketched them out, and developed the idea that was keeping me awake. Add a mug of warm, honeyed milk and I was able to return to bed with my creative burst satiated.

That’s how the Quilters’ Playcation Adventure Sewalong for 2022 began.

Each week in 2022 I am going to offer you a free block tutorial via a live event on Instagram. That's right. Me, live on Instagram, demoing a unique improv block, 52 times this year. Tune in each Tuesday at 10 am Mountain, or watch the replay when it works for you. Sew right along with me or just watch and hang out.

This qualifies as an improv adventure in my books because I have no clue what it is all going to end up like! Sure, I've sketched out a couple of dozen blocks, but there is no specific plan for a quilt here. We're just going to sew and sew and sew and see what we come up with. You can make all the blocks, some, none, or even your favourite one over and over again. Then, in January 2023 we will get together and put them all together. Each quilt will be unique. Each quilt will be awesome. Each quilt will be full of fun.

I am actually making each block twice. Once in a group of solids, once in prints. I wanted to be able to share the possibilities of fabric changing and supporting the design. Not to mention, encourage everyone to play with their fabric choices too. This way I can make one block to build the tutorial then make another live to show how it comes together.

This middle of the night idea is taking off. Using the hashtags #qpadventuresewalong and #quiltersplaycation people are sharing their blocks. So much fabric play and twists on the designs. The excitement is there and it thrills me that is getting people to play. Think of me as the guide on this adventure, but you are going to make it work for you in the way that gets you going.

Mame - The Exclamation Point Quilt

Mame

77” x 72”

Like her namesake, Mame is known for speaking her mind and living wildly. She brings her best energy to everything, even when things are awful. She speaks what she wants, even if the consequences are great. People love her, even when it is hard. People love her, but don’t always want to admit it. At home with Princes and Sailors, Mame is fierce with love and other emotions Loving Mama doesn’t always mean less pain in your life, but definitely a lot more fun.

Confusion, solidarity, mourning, exhaustion, confinement, noise, and togetherness.

When the Covid Pandemic first started we all ran through the gamut of emotions. With or without children, whether you could work from home or not, whether you stayed employed or housed, whether you lost loved ones to illness or friendships to principles, no one is getting through the pandemic unscathed. Then there are all the emotions attached to it. At the beginning I admit to relishing the home time with my family; mostly, the break from rushing from one thing to the next. Soon, it wasn’t easy at all and I became annoyed with grocery shopping, a lack of entertainment, and home schooling. I slept more and still felt tired. More than once I held my head in my hands and cried.

Anger, frustration, laughter, annoyance, stress, despondency, grief, and fear.

I screamed a lot too. Mostly into the ether, but not always. The entire household all had our moments. To channel it all I started making blocks. I wanted to say all the words of anger, call our politicians and Covidiots all the names, give space for my kids to do the same. They say that swearing reduces the impact of pain, but I wonder what they would say about sewing swears? Because I didn’t want to sew all the words into blocks I sewed what would come at the end of each word - the Exclamation Point!

(And yes, I screamed for real when I took the above picture.)

Then I gave myself the freedom to quilt all those words right into the quilt. Using cursive to quilt such strong words felt amazing! It was really, really therapeutic. The overall quilting pattern reflects the first three waves of the pandemic as felt here in Alberta. In between those lines I added the best words, insults, and expressions to make a sailor blush. By the time I finished quilting it we were cresting the 4th wave so the final stitches have some very, very powerful things to say.

While I was making the quilt a lot of people suggested I make some red exclamation points. A strong colour for strong emotions. I wanted to stick to the story I was telling - ink on paper - but knew red would make an appearance one way or another. So I added a big exclamation point on the back, set in an alphabet print of my own. Oh yeah, and a bonus exclamation point in fabric sent to me by Brenda Suderman, a writer who published a story about this project.

Red also found its home in the binding. You know I love a contrast binding! This came from fabric I dyed with kids. You know how it was, sourdough and tie dye as pandemic activities.

There isn’t a quilter out there who doesn’t know the therapeutic power of quilting. Sometimes it is just about spending the time playing or slowing down or even going through the motions to calm our nerves. And sometimes it is about processing our emotions through what we are making, quite literally. This expressive form of quilting is powerful. For me, this very personal project certainly helped me get through these past 20 months. It gave me a focus for my feelings, an outlet for the pent up energy, and. calming for being able to create something cool out of such stress.

Remember, if you want to make your own Exclamation Point blocks there is a free tutorial available.