New Playdates Announced!

It’s taken me a bit to get back into the swing of things for work life this fall. (That’s a long story for another time.) Now that I am here though I am totally energized by it. Aside from trunk shows and a few Zoom classes for guilds, I’ve had a chance to think about new Playdates for Quilters’ Playcation.

Up first: Improv Braid.

A Prairie Braid is an old school quilt technique, often used for borders. My version uses scrap strips as they come. It’s full improv!

A Quilters’ Playcation Playdate is a short, fun event online. I spend some time demoing the improv technique first. You can sew along with me or just watch. Then we hang out in break out rooms where you get to relax and chat with quilters from around the world. We come back together for a bit more on the technique and last words from me.

I may be making some extra long rainbow versions of this Improv Braid. Stay tuned for those!

Up next is the Scandi Village Playdate. These little houses and trees are so stinkin’ adorable! They come together quickly and can be made in any size. I’m very excited to show you how in the upcoming Playdate. Be warned though, they are very addictive once you start sewing them. This Playdate will include a discussion on piecing these together once you’ve made a few.

To register for either or both of the Playdates check out the Playcation Store

Improv Braid: October 29

Scandi Village: November 26

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.

Tree of Life Vintage Quilt Inspiration

What better way is there to spend a late winter day than immersed in a vintage quilt collection? Back in March I had the opportunity to explore part of Heritage Park’s collection of donated and gathered quilts. It was all in anticipation of the Festival of Quilts, taking place in August. Delayed twice because of Covid it was a special experience. My goal was to identify a quilt to inspire a modern interpretation for a special class at the Festival of Quilts. Let me tell you, it was hard to narrow it down!

In the end I chose this pastel version of the Tree of Life pattern. I took a million pictures then came home to sketch. My goal to was make a straightforward version of the block, one easily made with a rotary cutter and one that lent itself to play. I wanted students to be able to play with colour, fabric, and scale, creating their own modern version of the block.

The first version I made tested the pattern. It was also an opportunity to play with fabric and scale. This particular block finishes at 36” square! I dug into the stash of both purples and the low volume black and whites. I love the combination of warm purples and cool purples. Together they make the block very dynamic.

This size proved popular in the class itself. It’s a great way to get far with a project.

The block itself can be set with a straight set like this or on point. It’s hard to decide what you want until you make the block. For example, I debated making 3 more blocks this size to make a four patch in this straight set, maybe all pointing to the four corners. However, I think I will add another round of black and white patchwork squares to make it a bit bigger and turn it into a baby quilt.

Here’s what it looks like on point, like in the original.

You can see I am having fun playing with fabric. Exploring variations in the colour green and playing with value placement keeps this from being boring. The entire block is made from half square triangles and squares. Super easy to make! But also a bit tedious. So having some excitment with the fabric sure helps. So does a good show in the background (I am currently watching Sex Education on Netflix.)

In the class itself students worked in all sizes and with a wide range of colours. It is always so exciting to see people play!

A huge thank you to Heritage Park, curators and staff there, as well as the Festival of Quilts volunteers for making this happen.

PS Don’t follow those pattern instructions, it contains errors that I fixed later.