Jules, or my Arkison in Australia Quilt

Jules

85” x 66”

I’ve never been so sad to finish a quilt. Seriously, a few tears were shed.

This was an epic quilt making journey that started on my teaching trip to Australia back in 2016. I was demonstrating improv curves for some students and grabbed the first two interesting fabrics from the little shop onsite. Over the course of my trip I did a few more demos with that fabric, then collected fabric from both my students and a screen printing adventure. When I came home it made sense to me to keep playing with all those fabrics, like they were meant to be. I added a bit more from my stash and away I went.

Improv quilting can be a total free for all and work wonderfully, but it also works really well with guidelines or even limitations. In addition to my limited colour palette I restricted my improv components to a few key shapes/techniques: curves, diamonds, triangles, and little bits. It may sounds like a lot, but it actually isn’t. Not when it comes to improv.

I basically kept making components until I ran out of the fabrics, leaving a little behind to help me create a quilt top. I did not pay attention to size of the blocks when making or squaring up. When I felt finished making all the components I moved on to my favourite part - making them all play well together in the quilt top. Design wall play is the absolute best. It’s all about making it work as both a composition and simply to use up all the pieces.

And then she sat. And sat and sat. That’s just how things go in my world. I even had the backing fabric - gifts from Emma Jean Jansen, an Aussie designer and one of my students in Australia - but wasn’t ready to quilt her yet. The truth is that I knew how she deserved to be quilted and I wasn’t quite up for the challenge.

When I was asked to put together my show for the Heritage Park Quilter of Distinction display I knew I had to include this quilt. It was time to face the work.

My plan from the beginning was a combination of machine and hand stitching. And most of the machine stitching with would in the ditch. On a quilt like this that meant a lot, a lot of starts and stops. Which also means a lot of burying threads. Nothing like taking on this much work on a deadline! Did I mention the hand quilted elements too?

The bulk of the handwork was finished on an epic road trip we took in May. At least, the parts not done in front of the TV while I ignored the world. It even required a stop at a quilt store in Kelowna and I was very sad I did not have time to shop for anything other than a tool to help me bury my threads. There is at least 20 hours of handwork in her. She is full of my love.

Sure, it was a lot of work and every single stitch was worth it. The quilt came out exactly how I wanted it to, how I envisioned her.

The machine quilting was all done in a pale blue thread from my stash. It might have been a Presencia 100% cotton collected years before the quilt even started. The hand quilted touches were all done with Wonderful Perle cotton, in a couple of different blues and yellows. This included stitching down the binding, on the front, with big blue stitches.

I won’t lie, I was also intimidated by doing that much handstitching, even though it was my own idea. But thankfully, quilting an entire quilt for Morning Make last year built my confidence and comfort.

Did I mention there were a few tears when she was finished? That trip to Australia was formative for me. It was her furthest and longest I’ve been gone from home. I developed and delivered multi day workshops which were an absolute dream. The people I met were incredible and I am still in touch with many of them. This quilt also defined one of my favourite ways to make a quilt - by playing.

She is named for Jules. Jules McMahon was the woman who brought me to Australia. We knew each other online and had met at the early QuiltCons. But that trip solidified a friendship through road trips, sweets exchanges, late nights with wine, creative bonding, gluten free Chinese food, exploring for Lyre Birds, a love of circles, and one chilly ocean swim. We have similar levels of insanity and drive and I am grateful to her for the trip to Australia, yes, but also for continued friendship and inspiration.

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.

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