Peacemakers/Piecemakers

"Mom? Who was the lady on the bus again?"

We're driving down the road to get to swimming. I've felt busy all day long with wonderfully middle class privileges of baking snacks from scratch, walking the dog, and trying to get some work done at home. The kids, picked up from school and play dates, are in the back of our large wagon and we are chatting about their days. The Monster is telling me about the unit they are doing on Peacemakers. There is Craig Kielburger from Free the Children, Malala, and the lady on the bus. She just can't remember her name. Or, frankly, why she is a peacemaker.

This one bit of information is all she gives me but I know exactly who she is speaking of: Rosa Parks.

For the rest of the drive we talk about segregation, racism, The Civil Rights movement, the role of children, all their friends of many colours, and just why Rosa Parks is a peacemaker. The girls thought about their school and imagined life without some of their friends, without learning about the places we've all come from. I thought about the same thing. We were all very sad. I had to explain that despite all the work that there are still ugly people doing ugly things to people just because of the way they look or who they love. Again, we were sad.

But then we talked about the peacemakers. The people who were willing to stand up for the good and the right and the just. The people who fought for those who couldn't fight. And I was proud. Proud of them for understanding the importance of that action, for getting exactly what injustices they were/are fighting, and for wanting to fight themselves.

A quilt can be a statement. It isn't a call to arms nor is it going to change the world. It really might only be for me to process and remember the peacemakers. Regardless, it needs to be made. I need to make it. And I will share it with my kids and you, for the lady on the bus.

... I went back to these blocks a few weeks ago, on the anniversary of the 16th Street Church bombing in Birmingham. I added skirts, I changed directions. Now I think I know where I will take it. There will be, appropriately, a Courthouse Steps final layout. There will be some peace with my piecing.

Sanity Sewing

Sometimes you just have to get 'er done.

This quilt has been in the works for a few years now... And I got on top of finishing it a few months ago (well, finishing the top). I was making good progress with some commitment when I hit a snag. I'd made a mistake. My very last block in the very last row was the wrong one. There are two block styles in this quilt and I used the wrong one in this spot. And all I had to do at that point was sew the rows together to finish the top. Annoyed with myself and frustrated, the quilt top sat for weeks at that juncture. Because all I had to do was make a slab, draw a foundation, sew a new block, remove the old one, attach it, and then sew the rows together. It sounds like a lot of work, but it wasn't. I was just in a mood about it.

This week I found myself in a real need to sew. After a few weeks of a bad cold that wouldn't go away I longed to get to the machine. Those are the moments when I usually start something new or default to random improv. Instead I forced myself to make that last block. And it took me about 30 minutes, if that. Not counting a break for Hot Wheels with my boy.

Then I was struggling to get the rows sewn together. With all those slabs, the angles, and some skinny bits on the edges each row is bulky and lining things up was tough. Not to mention that I kept the freezer paper foundation on each block because of the crazy amount of bias edges. Then I caught Bari J. Ackerman on a Periscope broadcast extolling the virtues of glue basting (a la Christie Fincher). Bingo!

I've used glue basting before for Paperless Paper Piecing in a class with Christie. And I've heard of other people glue basting for regular piecing. It did not occur to me to use it this way. I'm so happy I saw that Scope because it totally made it easy to get this top together. A thin line of glue in the seam allowance instead of pinning (or hoping for the best) holds the fabric in place, once heat set. Then you can go ahead and sew your seam.

And get the quilt top done.

Right now this top has the temporary name of Shh....

Quilts Under Construction - 3Q Update

The quarterly check-in. I'll be honest, I had hopes of moving things through this list a lot more. I didn't really start any quilts. But there was summer, frustrations with my machine, a wasp nest, a new school year, and being sick. Excuses, excuses.

It is what it is.

We no longer have a babysitter two days a week. That is really making a difference. Not because I quilted when we had the babysitter, but because it meant I got all the other stuff done so I could quilt once the kids went to bed. Now that time is spent returning emails from the day and planning for the next one. Mornings are for the creative work and my one early riser.  We've also entered that time where the kids' activities take up a lot more time. And with a maniac for a 3 yo there is little sitting and watching time while the girls do their thing.

As I said, it is what it is.

Quilt Tops Ready for Quilting

1. Cosmos Blocks
2. Improv Sampler
3. Checkerboard from Sunday Morning Quilts
4. Slaveship Quilt
5. The Evil Genius' Triangle Quilt
7. Giant Hexagons
8. Lilac Lovely - hanging at My Sewing Room as a sample for my Improv Curves class.
9. Cirrus Solids Pinwheel top
10. Solid Sunday Morning
11. Oh Canada Quilt in Red
12. Circle Lattice
13. Low Volume Rainbow Mini - I don't think I've ever shared this, but I came across it this summer.

I'm really hoping to find a day or two on a long arm to get some of these done. Or a friend to help me baste because that holds me up more than anything.

Quilts Being Quilted

14. Low Volume Circles - Ugh, hand quilting holding me up. Maybe this winter?
15. Antonio's Quilt - So close, yet I don't finish it.
16. Smooch - on the machine right now and about half done.

Waiting for Binding

Nothing in this pile.

Blocks and Process

17. Low Volume Shoeman's Puzzle/Slab blocks - So, so close on this one. I was all set to sew the last rows together and I saw a mistake I made. Just haven't been motivated to fix it.
18. A values quilt in neutrals - I know I said I wasn't counting class blocks, but I now have enough blocks to turn this into a quilt.
19. Green/Yellow/Orange Improv blocks  - These have turned into an almost full set of blocks. About 8 more to go then I can put the top together.
20. Mid Mod Bee - Still wishing for a day or two to get this together.
21. Hand Pieced Diamonds - Is it crazy that I feel the whole top needs to be hand pieced together?
22. More Cosmic Burst blocks
23. Name quilt for my daughter - I think this become a backing more than anything...
24. Chandelier quilt - requires some unsewing and I'm just not motivated to do this.
25. Liberty Circles
26. Respite - a project started in a Bill Kerr design workshop
27. Pieced Stars
28. The Water Quilt
29. Edges/Studio Stash Play
30. Beach Grass Take 2
31. Y2K quilt - Maybe up to 20 rows now.
32. Another leaders and enders project, intended to be like Up, Up, and Away from Sunday Morning Quilts
33. Round and Round blocks - Up to 16 of these now. Still here.
34. Snippets on Dates - Haven't touched these since the last time, but I have sewn pairs together randomly..
35. Leftovers from Modern Paris
36. Gee's Bend inspired blocks after my trip to Alabama - I worked on a pile more of these blocks, but now debating final layout options before I make more.
37. Paperless paper piecing block from my class with Cristy Flincher. I think it needs to be the start of a medallion quilt.
38. The girls' clothes turned into a quilt with the Gee's Bend quilters.
39. Improv work with Cotton and Steel Fabrics that I started for my CreativeLive Improv Quilting Basics class.
40. Blue Improv - pulled out some class sample I've used over the years and played with them for CreativeLive Improv Quilting Basics. Now I think I have a plan for them.
42. The X-Plus blocks I used in the Creative Live Quilting with Low Volume Fabrics class.
43. A whole bunch of pinwheels that I'm playing with. Started as prep for my CreativeLive Pinwheel Play class.

Finished

Glitter Pen - technically it was finished months and months ago, but it was just published in the summer issue of Modern Patchwork so I couldn't share it earlier.
Aloha Kakou - a fun baby and mama quilt that was a secret project finally finished and revealed.
One awesome pincushion.

I am pleased that I didn't start anything new, well nothing new that isn't a class sample. But I was hoping for some finishes. I want to get things done, but there just isn't enough time in the day. You can't beat yourself up over that though, just do what you can, when you can. As long as you are enjoying it when you do it then you need not want for anything else.

Circle Lattice Quilt Top Complete

It seems that big appliqué projects take me about a year to complete. My Circle Lattice quilt is no different. 

I looked back and realized that I started my first block in late September last year. When I cut that first block I only had the intention of making that single block. It finishes large at 34'' (if you cut it properly) so there is a lot of appliqué involved. But I completely fell in love with the fabric and the block. Quite early on I made the commitment to make four blocks.

Now the quilt top is done. These blocks have been to Alabama, Montreal, Las Vegas, Jasper, Arizona, Utah, Idaho, Minneapolis, Austin, Drumheller, and many more places. Seriously, that's the best part about appliqué, the portability. I would spend weekend mornings stitching and drinking tea while the rest of the family caught up on TV. It was my respite, even though I find the process of the block coming together quite exciting.

One of the most entertaining things - to me - is that this quilt top only has 5 fabrics in it. I don't think I've ever made a quilt top with so few fabrics!

There is a mistake in my blocks. Somehow I cut the first block wrong, starting with a 33'' piece of fabric instead of 34''. It only meant that the straight bits on the side were cut off. So I ended up making the rest of them that size as well.



There was some definite lessons learned with basting these blocks as well. Look for a post coming on that.

Now to quilt it...

Aloha Kakou - a Tropical Version of Vintage Spin

Aloha Kakou 

52'' x 52''

A precious gift, finally delivered. I feel that way about so many things with this quilt and the reason behind it.



This is the baby boy of a dear friend. A woman who started out simply as a roommate in a creepy rental. That was 16 years ago and we're still friends, still laughing, still rolling our eyes at each other, still slightly wondering just how we got to where we are. Back in January baby S joined her life, our lives. Crazy munchkin.

When she was pregnant she chose to keep the baby's gender a surprise until birth. I love when people do that still, even if it does present an extra challenge to making a quilt. Then again, who says fabric has to live up to gender norms?!

My fabric selections started with some treats she brought me back from a trip to Hawaii a couple of years ago. I must admit, when she brought the fabrics I hesitated. Batiks and prints best suited to a middle aged man's Hawaiian shirt. But cut up? Perfect! I combined them with various prints and even batiks from my stash. Some of Malka Dubrawsky's original batiks, a Yoshiko Jinjenzi print, screen prints from Karen Lewis, as many organic prints as I had from Daisy Janie, Birch, and Cloud 9 (including the Lisa Congdon print for the centre squares), an old Denyse Schmidt, and quite a few more. It is an eclectic mix and totally perfect.

The pattern is Vintage Spin from Kathy Doughty of Material Obsession fame. It comes from her book, Adding Layers. It was the perfect choice to showcase the fabrics yet still benefit from the crazy combinations I put together. It does use a template to cut the fabric, and there are big scraps leftover after piecing. But I've gathered those and maybe they will turn into something else? The one change I did make was the use a square for the centre of the block, instead of a circle. A conversation with Rachel at 2nd Avenue Studio led me to try it and it works so well!

It thrills me to finally present this to my friend. I made it big enough to grow with S and for the two of them to snuggle together.

Glitter Pen - New Pattern in Modern Patchwork

Glitter Pen

85'' x 85''

 This is a fun quilt with a long back story.

Part 1
Looking to fill some weekend afternoons during our long winter I signed up for Creative Bug. While my son napped and Hubby chilled out the girls and I took a few classes. Their favourite was Lisa Condon's Line Drawing class. Months later they are still sketching based on her techniques.

Part 2
I agreed to submit some quilts to Modern Patchwork. Up until then I'd only submitted articles, not quilts. Working with the editor (hi Vivika!) I agreed to use some fabric they wanted. Well, the original fabric they thought of wasn't available. In the meantime I went to QuiltCon and picked up some Modern Country fabric from Windham, just in case the other fabric didn't arrive in time.

Part 3
Upon my return home from Austin I was greeted with the fabric sent to me by Red Rooster. Cool fabric, for sure, but not right for the pattern I was supposed to be making. Hmm... Then my daughters showed me the their sketchbooks and what they did while I was away. One of them immediately jumped out at me and this new fabric would be perfect for it. So I contacted the editor and asked if I could make two quilts! In just a few weeks.
(The Modern Country fabric went into the Argyle quilt also published in Modern Patchwork.)

Part 4
I also contacted Lisa Congdon. While my daughter's sketch was not a literal interpretation of Lisa's work, it was definitely iterative. And I took it another step with the quilt. Especially because this was for publication I wanted to make sure she was okay with it. She, graciously and thankfully, said yes.

Part 5
Sewing like mad, I designed the pattern and finished the quilt. It is designed to take advantage of simple sewing techniques  - it is just a lot of long strips sewn together then cut apart into blocks. I think the pops are colour are awesome. In the end I added the bright coral fabrics to the original bundle of a line called Steel. And that text print is awesome. It is literally a text print, covered in numbers and texting short hand. Comes in both the mustard and black/white. (Must get more.)

Part 6
She won't take it off her bed.

I purposely designed the pattern to fit her double bed with a generous overhang. Perfect for cozying up. The pattern is available in the summer issue of Modern Patchwork.

It is hard to see in the photos but it is rather simply quilted. I stitched in the ditch between all blocks, then I quilted a saying, one letter for each block (minus the punctuation).

"All that glitters, glows, sparkle, shines is not 

as bright as the light of your eyes, shimmering in sun."

All the Labels

At one point I used to be great about labelling my quilts. I planned and plotted my fancy label, carefully lettering and hand stitching it on. Then I got busier, faced deadlines and snotty noses, and frankly, got lazy. It is time to rectify the situation. I have a lot of quilts missing labels. Or, at most, they only have a name tag on them.

The label of the quilt needs to serve in place of you, the blog post, or the Instagram hashtag. If you've made the quilt well it could outlive you. If it is a gift it could travel to places you couldn't have imagined. The label should allow the story to move with the quilt.

What do you include on the label? Here are the basics I always have:

Quilt Name

Brief description of the why/how of the quilt. That is, who is it for? Why did you make it? Was it inspired by anything in particular?

Pattern credit or original design.

Materials in the quilt - batting and fabric and thread. (Are they 100% cotton or otherwise? Also brand of batting.)

Date the quilt was completed.

My name.

It may seem like a lot, but it isn't too bad. This is what one example looks like.

My preference is to print my label out on the special fabric that can go through the printer. That way I can have it smaller. At one point I used to print the label out on paper and trace it. That was a lot of work! Sometimes it is quick and easy, some notes on a piece of fabric and sewn down. My favourite product for labels is Printed Treasures. It isn't cheap, but I can get 3-4 labels on a sheet, making it more economical. And I've learned, the label looks better if you put it on before you wash the quilt because the Printed Treasures fabric shrinks differently than my quilts.

One thing I was taught early on in my career is to sign my quilts in a secret spot. This is especially a good idea when you are gifting a quilt. Labels can be removed and quilts stolen. For family in nursing homes, kids in dorms or camp, or anywhere there is common access having a secret little spot for a label is a way to identify the quilt if the label gets removed. I've seen people actually make their label before quilting and it is a permanent part of the quilt. Even silkscreening a panel with it and sewing it into the backing! If that isn't your speed, simple sign your name on the inside of the binding. Be consistent on which corner you do it, like lower left. If a label ever gets removed and ownership is contested you can undo a few stitches and your name is visible.

When I updated my goals the other day I should have added 'Making Labels for All the Quilts' to the list. Definitely need that on the list.

Circle Lattice Update

Wow, three blocks done. I'm pretty wowed myself. Even more amazing, I'm not bored with this block yet. Not at all. Considering the intensity of my time with it I find that surprising.

When I started with this particular block - from Carolyn Friedlander's amazing book Savor Each Stitch - I thought I would make one block. It was the one pattern from the book I was desperate to make right away. It was like Carolyn saw into my brain for the exact appliqué pattern I'd always wanted to make. One block was great, but I knew I couldn't stop there, the finished quilt would be far too small.

...
I should clarify that one of the reasons I always make larger quilts is that my husband really doesn't like quilts on a wall. I would rather have the opportunity to cuddle with a quilt then make a small one that languishes in a pile.
...

So now I am on to the 4th block. The fabrics for all the other blocks were easy decisions. I loved the contrast of the NYC print with the colours and patterns of the others. But I really hemmed and hawed on what to do here. Yellow seemed like a good choice, but I didn't have enough of any one print that I loved to use. Then I remembered some Stendig calendar fabric I picked up at QuiltCon. Just a little pop of yellow and much more subtle contrast. It is perfect. The calendar fabric, by Kokka, is a slightly heavier weight so it had to be the background, but that's totally fine.

Summer evenings, the rest of Le Tour, and car rides ahead of me. I will definitely be savouring each stitch as this last block comes together.

Quilts Under Construction - 2Q 2015

Time for the quarterly reality check. Let's look at the Quilts Under Construction list. Things have moved around a bit, although there weren't many quilt finishes.

I've decided to make one fundamental change to this list. If blocks are being used for class samples they are no longer counted. I will make and remake blocks many times in the course of teaching. As they are for demo purposes and not necessarily intended to be a finished quilt, I don't think it is right to include them in this particular list. Of course, that only took 2 things off the list... Hmm. I wonder if I wasn't counting them all before and I just cleaned that up? Oh well.

There was steady work on a number of quilts while others just sat and sat there. I think it might be time to make a booking on a long arm to get a few of those tops done. Or teach my kids to baste because that is the part I hate the most.

Quilt Tops Ready for Quilting

1. Cosmos Blocks
2. Improv Sampler
3. Checkerboard from Sunday Morning Quilts
4. Slaveship Quilt 
5. The Evil Genius' Triangle Quilt
7. Giant Hexagons
8. Lilac Lovely - hanging at My Sewing Room as a sample for my Improv Curves class.
9. Cirrus Solids Pinwheel top
10. Solid Sunday Morning
11. Oh Canada Quilt in Red

Quilts Being Quilted

12. Low Volume Circles - Ugh, hand quilting holding me up.
13. Antonio's Quilt - So close, yet I don't finish it.
14. Smooch -

Waiting for Binding

Nothing in this pile except for a few Just One Slab quilts for final donation.

Blocks and Process

15. Mid Mod Bee - Wishing for a single day or two this summer to get it done. I know what I want to do...
16. Hand Pieced Diamonds - Is it crazy that I feel the whole top needs to be hand pieced together?
17. More Cosmic Burst blocks
18. Name quilt for my daughter - I think this become a backing more than anything...
19. Chandelier quilt - requires some unsewing and I'm just not motivated to do this.
20. Liberty Circles
21. Respite - a project started in a Bill Kerr design workshop
22. Pieced Stars - in recent weeks I've made a few more stars. Crazy precision piecing kick I've been on.
23. The Water Quilt
24. Low Volume Shoeman's Puzzle/Slab blocks - This one has been on my mind lately. Made more low volume slabs while teaching and they could be added. Just need to make more templates.
25. A values quilt in neutrals - I know I said I wasn't counting class blocks, but I now have enough blocks to turn this into a quilt. Maybe very soon.
26. Green/Yellow/Orange Improv blocks  - Part of these are being kept as class samples, but a big chunk of them are now turning into a quilt for my son.
27. Edges/Studio Stash Play
28. Beach Grass Take 2
29. Y2K quilt - Up to 16 rows now. Out of 50.
30. Another leaders and enders project, intended to be like Up, Up, and Away from Sunday Morning Quilts
31. Round and Round blocks - Up to 16 of these now.
32. Snippets on Dates - These are coming together. When I am in the mood for the mess again I will finish it. So, so close.
33. Circle Lattice - Finished three blocks now, and started the fourth.
34. Leftovers from Modern Paris - These may come into play soon as the couple I made the quilt for are now expecting a baby.
35. Gee's Bend inspired blocks after my trip to Alabama - I made up the small blocks into 1 large block, but now I think it needs more.
36. Paperless paper piecing block from my class with Cristy Flincher. I think it needs to be the start of a medallion quilt.
37. The girls' clothes turned into a quilt with the Gee's Bend quilters.
38. Improv work with Cotton and Steel Fabrics that I started for my CreativeLive Improv Quilting Basics class.
39. Blue Improv - pulled out some class sample I've used over the years and played with them for CreativeLive Improv Quilting Basics. Now I think I have a plan for them.
40. The X-Plus blocks I used in the Creative Live Quilting with Low Volume Fabrics class.
41. A whole bunch of pinwheels that I'm playing with. Started as prep for my CreativeLive Pinwheel Play class.

Finished

Precious - an all voile quilt
A Vintage Spin quilt that hasn't been gifted yet, so I can't share it.

Two magazine projects are now published, but I've only shared one so far.
Argyle (Version I and II)
Watch for the other one to be posted in the next week or two. Both are in the latest issue of Modern Patchwork.

Plus, I made some clothes. A dress, 3 Lindens, 2 skirts for my girls.

Argyle I and II

Argyle

12'' x 12'' blocks

It isn't often that I make a quilt twice. Beyond pattern testing, I have to really, really like the pattern to make it twice. Good thing this is my own pattern!

Introducing Argyle. Appropriately named, don't you think? I was searching for ideas for a quilt for my nephew (see below). At first I was just searching for string quilts or X quilts or any number of things. Then my Hubby suggested an Argyle quilt. I didn't like any of the patterns I found, none were what I had in mind, so I made up my own.

It is one of those techniques that involves a lot of cutting, sewing, then cutting apart before sewing back together again. Oh wait, isn't that all of quilting?



The original quilt resides with my awesome nephew. The second quilt is now published, with the pattern, in the latest issue of Modern Patchwork. The original is 72'' by 96'', a very generous twin size. The one in Modern Patchwork is 72'' by 72''. (Just make more or less blocks to size up or down.)

Colours vary slightly between the two quilts. The original one is bolder, with a palette of blues, reds, oranges, and yellows chosen by my nephew. Some of the fabrics are from his baby quilt! To achieve the argyle effect you need the strips to be a dark, then you need mediums and lights. So I went to black and white fabrics for the mediums and white or tone on tone for the lights.



In the Modern Patchwork version I started with a bundle of fabric from Windham, the Modern Country line from Elizabeth Kinch. To this I added some stashed fabrics. Of note, there is some Karen Lewis Textiles screen prints, Carolyn Friedlander, Monica Solorio Snow, and Lu Summers. The white in this quilt is an Essex Linen. Overall, this is a softer quilt, more subtle in its design.

Both quilts were quilted with a squared off and overlapping meander. The original was done on a long arm and the second one on my domestic Bernina. Both were quilted with Aurifil 2600.

In addition to this quilt, I have another one plus an article on charity quilts in this issue of Modern Patchwork. With an extra copy of the magazine on my table I'm happy to give one away. On Monday I will pick a winner from the subscribers to my newsletter. Subscribe up top if you haven't already.

Oh Canada Quilt - In Red

This particular quilt was started after the shooting at Parliament Hill in the fall. A strong sense of patriotism came over me, and many others. I took solace from the news and this incomprehensible act in my studio. It was nice to reflect and find comfort in the act of sewing.

This year happens to be the 50th anniversary of our Maple Leaf flag. With Canada Day coming it got me inspired to finish this quilt. Such a fun holiday, everyone is in such a good mood, there are barbecues and fireworks, and we are reminded at what a diverse and great population we have. It all seemed to be good motivation to finish the quilt top.

Not only that, it was nice to finish the quilt with positive feelings, with joy in my heart not pain. Sewing can do that, turn your mood around. But the quilt can also hold your mood. Taking a break helps change that, if you want to do so. That was exactly why I took a break. The imagery of our flag is joyous to to me and while it gave me comfort to make the first few blocks, I wanted the final quilt to be happy.

This version is a bit different too. Instead of making slabs and using those for the reds, I collected a bunch of different red fabrics. From flowers to geometrics to hockey themed fabric, it is all there. And because no two reds are the same, each block still looks distinct. I made it exactly the same size as my original Oh Canada quilt, which is a really good lap size.

Remember, in honour of the Maple Leaf's birthday, the Oh Canada pattern is on sale in my shop. Free shipping for the printed pattern and only US$7 for the PDF version.

You Inspire Me To Quilt - Introduction (Part 2)

Welcome to the second look at You Inspire Me To Quilt. Today I want to let you in on the rest of the quilts and contributors. If you missed the first instalment, you can find it here.

Have you ever had someone in your life - not a quilter - who suggests some crazy idea for a quilt to you? An idea that you initially dismiss as ridiculous, difficult, or even impossible to translate into a quilt? Have you struggled to work out a design for an idea you wanted to try, for an inspiration that stopped you in your tracks? Well, you aren't alone. You Inspire Me To Quilt is all about that process - from inspiration to finished quilt, from Spark to Binding.

Each contributor to the book shared their process of design and making. That's on top of the pattern itself. We've also included insight from each quilter on a wide range of topics from teaching quilting, finding time for creativity, inspiration, and family. It was such a privilege for me to work with these amazing women, I am thrilled.

Dino Patch is a fun quilt, perfect for collaboration with the favourite littles in your life. You need to see what Carolyn Friedlander did when working with her nephew. Her process is fun for all parties involved and makes for this great quilt. By breaking out the process you can take it and completely make it your own.

Kisses was a labour of love for me. In response to a need for a large enough quilt for a king size bed - with us in it - I made this. Sometimes the inspiration is more functional than funny, but it is still there.

This quilt is a simple, stunning beauty. Straightforward in its construction, yet full of so much love and detail. Jen Carlton-Bailly did an incredible job capturing the phases of the moon and a mother's love for her daughter in one quilt. (I couldn't help but use two amazing mothers in the photo, from Shop Blest, and my dearest friend. Those are their boys/grandsons in the Dino Patch photo too.)

You never know when the SPARK is going to hit you. In Heather Jones' case it was when she and her husband, Jeffrey Cortland Jones, were leaving a parking lot.  In shooting the book I hemmed and hawed about the best way to shoot this quilt. In the end, a stark moment captured interestingly won out over literal interpretations with other signs.

It is totally appropriate that Blair Stocker made a quilt with her husband's request to tackle ski parkas. They are quilted already, after all! Personally, I think this is a fantastic idea for those of us with a surfeit of kids' parkas left with stains and ripped elbows from an active winter. Not to mention cold rinks to sit in and ski lunches to be had.

This was truly an incredible experience, from start to finish, from spark to binding, from first notes to book in hand.

Pick up You Inspire Me to Quilt on Amazon or request it at your local quilt store.

You Inspire Me To Quilt - Introductions (Part 1)

You Inspire Me to Quilt is out in the world! Such an exciting moment and it never gets old. I can finally tell you all about the book, my amazing contributors, and where to get it.

Have you ever had someone in your life - not a quilter - who suggests some crazy idea for a quilt to you? An idea that you initially dismiss as ridiculous, difficult, or even impossible to translate into a quilt? Have you struggled to work out a design for an idea you wanted to try, for an inspiration that stopped you in your tracks? Well, you aren't alone. You Inspire Me To Quilt is all about that process - from inspiration to finished quilt, from Spark to Binding.

Each contributor to the book shared their process of design and making. That's on top of the pattern itself. We've also included insight from each quilter on a wide range of topics from teaching quilting, finding time for creativity, inspiration, and family. It was such a privilege for me to work with these amazing women, I am thrilled.

Amanda Jean Nyberg's quilt is all about honouring a special date. The inspiration was a clock radio and it took family movie night for her to get the idea from her husband into a way that got her excited. And lucky for readers, you don't have to share her husband's birthdate, she provided the pattern for all the numbers.

This is the quilt that my husband requested - for years. In fact, it was incessant asking for this quilt that inspired the book as a whole.

Never once in a million years could I imagine a quilt inspired by bacon, but here it is. It is so true to the inspiration, yet creates a really cool, modern design. Not to mention that Cynthia Frenette walks you through making a not quite improvised background for this quilt. I've already seen what her pattern tester did by changing up the colours and it makes it completely different.

Like bacon, I never would have gone to role-playing games as a source of inspiration. It isn't my world, but the notion of a story telling map based on hexagons makes perfect sense to a quilter. Rossie Hutchinson designed this quilt for her husband, a man with a passion for role-playing games. I adore the concept of using the quilt to tell a story - perfect for a family history, a wedding present, or bedtime creation. With so much sweet, novelty and graphic fabric available now this would be so much fun to do.

A good Canadian loves hockey. Okay, so that is a stereotype which I know isn't true. Personally, I love hockey. That's what got me so excited for Andrea Harris' quilt. Her husband requested a quilt to transport him back to Saturday night watching the Habs on Hockey Night in Canada. She filled the request with a quilt that mimics the colour and graphics of the hockey ice, but pixelated. In the centre she included a large maple leaf, but you could easily add your own design. I have a few nephews who would love this quilt so much, but I don't think Andrea's husband will give it up! Oh, and you should see the quilting!

Stay tuned for peaks from the other five quilts in the book.

Pick up You Inspire Me to Quilt on Amazon or request it at your local quilt shop.

Quilts in the Wild - Of My Home

While I was cleaning up and sorting quilts to put them on my awesome new racks, I decided to take inventory of the quilts at home. These are the quilts being used, abused, loved, cuddled, and slept with in our home. I did not style any of those photos. Just making that clear.

This guy lives for the kids. Needless to say we can't keep him off either of the girls' beds. All day, all night, when he isn't following them around. We rotate the quilts on the bed a lot.

My other daughter's bed. With two quilts, one ostensibly to keep the dog from dirtying the other one, but I usually find it on the floor.

My son's bed. The neatest of the bunch, but when you only weigh 35 pounds and have a full size bed only a small portion gets messy. This particular quilt is from A Month of Sundays.

Two quilts for two people. I've been quite chilly at night lately, so I have my voile quilt layered on top of my QuiltCon quilt.

And, just for the record, the beds usually get made in this house. One of the morning chores for everyone. But the day I took these pictures it was The Evil Genius' birthday and all rules went out the window. She may have had a bowl of whipped cream for breakfast too.

Books and quilts, a perfect combination. My little guy was snuggling with his gift from Amanda Jean and reading this particular morning, when not running around like a maniac screaming.

On the basement couch. Full on TV watching and family snuggles happen here. A baby quilt gifted when the Monster was born coordinates perfectly with one of the quilts from You Inspire Me To Quilt. Photograph by Christy Swanberg.

And upstairs in the living room. The only somewhat neat spot, but I have a habit of straightening it up after I do the dishes every night. Good old Missing U hanging out there, from Sunday Morning Quilts. Shh, but it is covering up a rip in the upholstery.

Between the quilts on the racks, this collection, and various quilts hanging in stores as class samples and promotions, as well as those out for publication, I have 51 quilts in my possession. Woah.

Quilt Storage Solution

Forgive me for being cocky, but I have too many quilts. My husband has been saying that for years, but I'm finally cluing in. There are only so many beds in the house, so many forts to be built, so many little legs to cover. I do give away quite a few quilts too, but the supply at home continues to grow. There is just no stopping the compulsion to create.

Over the winter the spot to store the quilts became the table in the family room. It is supposed to be a table for playing games, doing puzzles, and gathering around as an alternative to the TV. We've used it as a fort or secret TV watching space as well. In truth, it's main function was to hold the precarious stack of quilts.



Nothing was functional - including the quilts themselves.

Then I discovered these racks. Long story short, I found myself with unexpected free time and a case of the grumps. So I went to Home Sense, which is a discount home wares store along the lines of TJ Maxx or Marshalls for my US readers. I went in hoping to find a little table for my son's room, but found these racks instead. I picked up the two they had to test out at home.

(See, I thought I had a genius idea for quilt racks that my husband could make, but I also wanted the quilts off the table before 2017. His business builds cabinets so he has all the tools, but not the time. We are the cobbler's kids with no shoes.)

The racks are PERFECT. Each one easily holds 10-15 quilts. I was so pleased with them that I drove across the city (something I hate doing) to another HomeSense, fingers crossed, to get another one. I'm a firm believer that instead of getting more and more storage one should have less stuff, so three will be my maximum.

As for the brand, to direct you to get your own, if so inclined, I can be of no help. They simply have 'Organise' on the label. I've done a quick search on line and can find nothing. Maybe you will have better luck. For reference, they seem to be a painted or powder coated lightweight steel.



There are currently 32 quilts on these racks.

I should address the sheer volume of quilts. As soon as your write books, have trunk shows, and teach, the quilts pile up. And you can't give them away because you need them. Not always, but enough to need them readily accessible. There will come a time when I don't need to pull out every single quilt from Sunday Morning Quilts, but for now I still need all that scrappy goodness around.

Not to mention that I'm still making, still trying new things. And we won't mention what would happen if I actually finished the quilts on my Quilts Under Construction list!

Some Crazy Vintage Quilt Top

Have you ever purchased a vintage quilt or quilt top? Generally I can admire them but walk by. I might be sorely tempted, but the reality of the number of quilts in my house keeps me from getting them. Then this one came along.

It is just a quilt top. Machine but foundation pieced. A mess of fabrics from different eras and many different substrates. It sat with the other blankets and quilts at one of the local antique malls. I saw it once, then twice. Quite easily I walked away.

Then, after months of not going in the antique mall I took the girls there on an outing our craft supplies. And the top was still there. For $40 I decided it finally needed to come home with me. Frankly, I may have overpaid. The edges are all uneven  - the blocks are various sizes - and there are quite a few loose threads and repairs needed.

I am sure that someone, somewhere put some good love and energy into this. Maybe they are clothing scraps? Family memories tied up in this quilt? Or maybe someone inherited a bunch of fabric and threw it together. There is some thought to design in the placement of the blocks. They are laid out in what I've seen called a Fields and Furrows setting.

All that being said, I think I might use this quilt top to experiment with indigo overdying.

I know. Feel free to comment.

Every since I saw these quilts I've wanted to experiment with this technique. But, I must admit, I'm afraid to do it with one of my own quilts. I've also wanted to play with indigo, period, so that I would try both fabric dying and quilt overdying. With so many different fabrics in this quilt I predict they will take the dye differently. And I wonder if the value work will still be obvious?

The days are definitely getting warmer and I can look forward to a messy few days of experimenting in the backyard.

My Precious - An All Voile Quilt

Precious

105'' x 90''

The all voile quilt is finished. When I was thinking of a name for this quilt I kept thinking about how much I did, and still like to, pet this quilt. It is ridiculously soft and I am ultra protective of it. It reminded me of Gollum in Lord of the Rings and his precious crouching over the ring. So this quilt is my Precious.

I used voile for all the triangles. A collection that took me at least a year to amass, as the fabric companies started releasing a print or two along with regular quilting cotton collections. They keep doing that too. After I finished the quilt top I gave away all my scraps. With this finished quilt wrapped around me at night I want to collect them all over again!

Voile is also what is all over the back too. Not to mention the binding. Did I mention how soft this quilt is?

The batting is the same batting I always use - Quilters Dream 100% cotton, in the Select weight. I thought about using a lighter weight batting, to make the quilt even softer. In the end, however, I couldn't find it locally. With the voile you wouldn't think it was the same weight of batting though. It feels very light and so drapey. I can only imagine how much lighter it would have been, but I am not complaining at all.

This is going to be the perfect summer quilt, for those 2 really hot nights we get.



Not having the desire to quilt another king size quilt I happily gave this to Andrea at Urban Quiltworks. She was awesome about accepting the challenge of the voile, calling on her long arm community for advice and tips. We decided on a pantograph because with so many busy fabrics and such a simple construction there was no reason to spend a lot of effort on detailed quilting that wouldn't be seen. She picked this loopy design that reminds me of Fleur De Lis a little. In a turquoise Konfetti thread from Wonderfil it is perfect.

As I said, the binding is also voile, this ric rac print from Anna Maria Horner was perfect. Initially I thought about putting it on the bias, thinking it would look great and be a bit stronger. Unfortunately, I didn't have enough yardage to make that effective. I can always replace the binding if it wears out. For now, it is perfection.

The quilt is already living on our bed. It is so, so girly but my husband isn't saying a word.

I may or may not be collecting voile again to make another all voile quilt. It is just too soft not to. And with less flowery options coming out all the time... And with clothing making scraps finding their way into the collection... This spells trouble, precious and soft trouble.

Round and Round Update

It felt like months since I did any improv. In truth, it was only a few weeks, but it felt like months. After following clothing patterns and drafting quilt patterns my improv muscles were twitching. Not to mention I was having a pretty crappy day. So I cracked an afternoon beer and dove into my scraps.

Seeing as these blocks are 16.5'' x 16.5'' and my scrap strips are anywhere from 1''-4'' wide, it takes a bit of time to get a block done. But in less than 2 hours yesterday I had 3 more blocks done. And my mood was infinitely better. (Of course the mood improvement may have also been because of a random text from a friend telling me that she saw alligator road kill in Florida and it made her think of me. Don't ask why, but that made me giggly.)

So now I am up to 16 of these blocks. I could stop now and have a good lap size quilt. I'm going to keep going though. I'm always thinking bed size now for the kids' beds, so I will make 9 more blocks. That will give me an 80'' finished quilt, perfect for their double beds.

And perfect for all mood improvements.

Values Plus Quilt

Values Plus

36'' x 48''

Such a fun little quilt. And the only reason it is little is because Amanda Jean talked me out of going bigger. She was right, especially considering this is a class sample. Let's face it, it is much easier to travel with a smaller quilt.

I did find myself quite addicted to making these little blocks. It was made purely from scrap strips. The only decision I made in making the strip sets was making sure that I had value contrast in the pairs. After that it was anything goes! The real fun in playing with the layout.

In the end I went with this colour focused layout. Four patches where the dark fabric was all the same colour, forming a wonky plus sign. The result is bold, colourful, and far more organized. Because the blocks are small (3 1/2'' square) finding order was important. It also makes the value contrasts pop a lot more.

This quilt is a sample for an updated Values class. We've all seen - to great effect - the values quilts based on half square triangles. For this I wanted to play with a different shape and show what can happen when the effect is a bit more subtle. Then, how we find order and design in it.

This was the first quilt I quilted using a stitch regulator. Not sure about it yet, it will take some getting used to. But no one is perfect right out of the gate! With all that pattern I went for a simple stipple in Aurifil 2600. You aren't seeing the quilting on a quilt this busy as it is.

I totally lucked out with some leftover binding. There was just enough to get this quilt done. A little bias fun to complete the quilt.

Playing With Pinwheels in Quilting - On CreativeLive

When was the last time you played? I don't mean get on the floor and play with the kids or grandkids? I don't mean kicking around the soccer ball either. No, I mean going into your fabric and making something for fun; quilting without a quilt a mind?

I'm going to venture a guess that it hasn't been lately. For all the things I start - and I do start a lot - they almost always are started with a finished quilt in mind. I'm not sewing for the sake of sewing. I don't experiment or play much. And this is so, so wrong.

That's because we learn so much when we play. Taking away the play instinct for a child isn't a good thing, we can all agree on that. So why do we think it is okay to do that for ourselves? By playing as quilters we get the chance to explore colour, construction techniques, shapes, lines, negative space, secondary designs, and our own challenges and joys. Instead of trying a new quilt pattern to experiment with just one or two of those things, just play. See what happens when you let go of the idea that everything has to be a quilt.

It is the move past this idea that everything has to be something that has to be tackled first. In this CreativeLive class, Playing with Pinwheels in Quilting, I want to help you do just that. We take a simple, common block - the Pinwheel - and turn it into so many different things. There is one basic way to do it, and then a million other ways. While I preparing for the class I had a hard time stopping. One idea begets another and another. Even while teaching the class on set I had even more ideas. 

Guess what? Playing is FUN!

Now I feel like I could take so many of the ideas from the class and turn them into quilts of their own. The blocks I made may or may not turn into a quilt as they are. I, frankly, don't care. They represent my own little quilty playground. Not to mention design opportunity. For now, they are on my design wall to remind me that play is fun, that exploring an idea or a shape is worthwhile, and that sometimes things are simply pretty.

If you have any questions about the CreativeLive class, don't hesitate to ask. And all feedback is welcome. They are new with quilting classes and constructive comments can only help. Did you know there are free previews of all the classes? 

Playing with Pinwheels for Quilters

Improv Quilting Basics

Quilting with Low Volume Fabrics

Translating Inspiration in Quilting

You can also share reviews and your inspired work with the CreativeLive community. I keep up with the course pages, so please share your work (in addition to blogs and social media if you are active there).