Ariel - A Cut Sew Repeat Playdate Finish

Ariel

56” x 56”

Ariel is a wild child. She comes from a solid suburban background but never felt like she fit. Not that she wants to turn her back on her childhood and her family, but she is itching to move beyond. She wants to taste pomegranates in the Middle East, swim over the Great Barrier Reef before it disappears, hear the crunch of snow underfoot in the Arctic. Her parents long ago gave up/gave in to her wanderlust and can only watch from a distance as she travels the world, trying new things. That’s because she always comes home.

This particular quilt started life as a bit of play. Then again, that’s really how most of my quilts start! I was teaching the Cut Sew Repeat technique in a Quilters’ Playcation Playdate and these were samples. Full disclosure, I went through a few iterations of blocks before settling on this particular Cut Sew Repeat Process. I loved the fabric together, but the earlier trials weren’t that exciting or were messy. As soon as this one was done I knew we had the winner.

Two of the fabrics were from deep in the stash - an original Architextures from Carolyn Friedlander and this lovely ‘dot’ from Angela Hooey. I think the the gold and pink were more recent fabrics from Ruby Star Society, but don’t quote me on that. Maybe Allison Glass? Regardless, I remember having to buy more of the gold to finish off the blocks before I ran out of the other fabrics too.

For quilting I attempted some point to point work on the long arm. I had the appointment and wanted to finish the quilt. I knew, however, that an all over design wouldn’t help the quilt any so I decided to play. It’s clear that I am beginner at this point to point stuff, but you have to start somewhere, right? I used a pale pink thread that didn’t stand out too much on any of the fabrics.

The backing came together with an older piece from Carrie Bloomston that was sitting in my stash. The swatch/paint chip fabric had all the colours, and then some. And, in usual fashion for me, I went with a contrasting binding. The teal speckles were just perfect for finishing off this bold piece.

I’m teaching this technique again in a Quilters’ Playcation Playdate in April. I can show you how to make this specific style of block, but we will explore a lot of options. For example, you could go a lot more random like this one, or really showcase your fabric like I did here. You can join online or in person at my new studio.

Cut Sew Repeat Playdate

Online - April 8

In Person - April 12

Register here.

Desktop Inspired Quilt Top

From this…

To this…

Back in 2018 I had the opportunity to go to Montreal to teach at Courtepointe Quebec, a lovely quilt show held in the suburbs of Montreal. I had to lean on my very shallow memory of high school French as my driver and many students didn’t speak English at all. We were in an old school with no air conditioning in a heat wave. Despite all that, we had a fabulous time! One day, on a break with some students, we discovered the art installation made from old desks. We were talking about being inspired by the world around us, including these desks. I remember coming home and experimenting just to see if I could make a block that referenced those desks. A little improv curve action made it happen. I made a few then folded them up and put them in the closet.

Now, as I am in the process of cleaning, sorting, and getting ready to move my sewing room, these old projects are seeing some light of day. That, and I updated my list of Quilts Under Construction after these recent finishes. I wanted to work on something “new” but not really start something new. A dive into the vaults served that purpose.

I didn’t like the blocks just plain. Right idea, ineffective design. Going back to the original inspiration I decided to try setting them so they popped off the background. Honestly, I have no idea why I chose the pinks/reds, but I think they work. I did not have enough of any one colour, so used 3 different ones. Their placement is random, but all being so close in value they read well together.

For me, this is a small quilt. It finishes a bit over 40” x 50”. So, really, just a baby quilt. But I didn’t have any more of that dominant alphabet print to make more blocks. Plus, this size keeps it as a quick finish. I have no idea when I will touch this quilt again, but for now the memories can live more strongly than my French skills!

Quilters' Playcation Adventure Sewalong Update

It’s hard to believe that we are 28 weeks in to this sewalong. Mostly because that means we are more than halfway through the year already!

As a leader/instigator/quilt teacher I get such joy from seeing my students and followers enjoy the process of improv quilting. I never anticipated how much joy I would get joining in with you. It is a great comfort to me to show up each week and sew with people. On the occasions where I missed and had to reschedule I’ve been quite sad. I feel like I am letting everyone down, for sure, but I also just really miss it.

This year’s Quilters’ Playcation Adventure Sewalong is different for me. How many times have you heard me talk about NOT squaring things up until you are making layout decisions? (Hint, almost all the time.) This time, however, I started squaring up and sewing the blocks together right at the beginning. This means I am composing the quilt as I go. It’s a different thought process. It’s a good challenge for me.

So long story short, I love everything about the Quilters’ Playcation Adventure Sewalong this year.

Yes, You Can Change Your Mind While Making a Quilt

Did you know that you are absolutely allowed, even encouraged, to change your mind while making a quilt? Far too often folks think that because they started down a certain path in the quilt making process they are not allowed to veer from it. This isn’t school and standardized testing. Or, as my husband likes to say when the children complain about him changing his mind: I’m an adult and I can do whatever the eff I want!

Definitely applicable to quilting.

These blocks started as class samples. I use them in my Scraptastic class as one option for when you are playing with scrap strips. I make one in a class, put it with the others and move on with life. I had zero plans for the blocks, they served as a teaching tool.

Last month I was teaching a virtual workshop with the Thompkins County Quilters’ Guild out of New York. I had a pile of these blocks on my cutting table and starting arranging them to show possibilities. Quite quickly I was struck by a certain layout of 8 blocks. I don’t think I even had 8 blocks at the time, but I could see potential.

After the class, I finished up those 8 blocks and quickly sewed them together. Smitten, I decided to make more blocks. A lot more blocks. My initial plan was that top picture there. Every 8 blocks sewn together with them all assembled in an alternating layout. In my mind it was perfect.

Not so much on the design wall. My seemingly brilliant idea looked a hot mess.

When I am lecturing and teaching about using scraps one of my big messages is about finding order. When people complain that scrap quilts look messy it is often because they do, because they are lacking order. You can find that order with colour selection, playing with value, or through shape. My blocks are multicoloured, improvised, and made without regard to the value placement of the fabrics. That meant that shape matters the most.

Now my initial blocks - an improv variation on the Prairie Braid - are all trimmed to the same size. That helps. I thought the block layout made with 8 blocks would be totally fine in repeat. As you can see in that top photo, I was wrong. Even with the repetition of the original block shape/size and the repetition of making the larger square block, it still looks messy.

Here’s the thing, nothing was sewn together or set in stone. Even if it was, I would have taken it apart. If it’s not working, it’s not working. If you subbed salt for sugar in your cake would you still eat it? If you installed a bathtub too small for the space you framed, would you just live with it? No matter what, you aren’t tied to finish something that isn’t working.

So I tried something different. I played around and realized the second layout was much stronger, way less messy. Better yet, it used the exact same amount of blocks that I had planned to make!

That is, until I changed my mind again.