Gemma

Gemma

60” X 60”

This was the first iteration of the Quilters’ Playcation Adventure Sewalong. Every decision, from inspiration to binding stitches was voted on my Instagram followers. I needed to play and taking the decisions out of my hands was a unique way to do so.

She is a free spirit. Sure, she knows the rules, but she also knows that life is more fun when you veer off track a little. Or, a lot. Unsure where she will actually end up most days, Gemma is a risk taker. She might go too far sometimes, but she has good friends who will always help her pick up the pieces. No matter how many times she screws up. No matter what, she is always willing to go an an adventure.

Week by week I asked my Instagram followers to guide my decision making on this project. From the inspiration to fabric to block choices, from layout to thread to binding choices. It was a bit like designing by committee, but I found that most people leaned the way I did. Or maybe I led them to the same decision? No one will ever know.

It was an excellent exercise in letting go. Definitely a moment for the process to shine.

One area where my idea was not the winner in voting was the quilting. I’m not complaining about the 80s school photo laser background, but it is not the curves I was initially thinking of doing. You know what, though? It looks fantastic!

When it came time to bind the quilt a classic black and white stripe won the popular vote. Not a bad choice at all. When someone, however, suggested pops of the quilt colours in the binding I couldn’t resist that idea. To finish I wrapped the binding around to the front and used an 8W Valdani to finish with nice, prominent stitches. A perfect finish.

My idea for the back was thwarted by an odd alphabet print. Seriously, who makes an alphabet print and doesn’t include all the letters? Oh well. Some orphan blocks from the front, a good reminder to play, and a collection of fabrics from the stash all pieced together work just as fine.

In the end, it was a fantastic exercise for me to bring some real play back into my quilting practice. Truly, this was making for the sake of making. And an excellent reminder to look for that lust for life.

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.