A little improv

I consider myself to be a modern quilter.  Not every quilt I make fits that definition, but I think my overall approach to quilting is more modern than not.  However, I don't do much improv piecing.  As I've been working along on some of my current projects, I've been thinking that I really need to add a little improv to my quilting life.

Quilting Modern by Jacquie Gering and Katie Pedersen is the perfect book to get me started.  I'm a huge fan of both their quilts and blogs.  (I could gush for several pages here, but I'll stick to the point)  I think one of the reasons I avoid improv is that the number of choices seems overwhelming.  Jacquie and Katie break it down and explain how they approach a new quilt.  Then they show seven different improv techniques to try.  OK, I can do this!  Choosing a quilt size, a technique and a few fabrics before I began cutting made approaching my task much easier.

I desperately need a new bag for carrying my laptop around.  So I started with that size in mind, Urbanicity by Michele D'Amore and Jacquie and Katie's log cabin makeover technique.  My original idea was to make large center squares with the background fabric and frame them to make "hollow" looking square blocks.  As soon as I got out the fabrics, I changed my mind and decided to make framed rectangle blocks using some of the other fabrics in the line.

My first blocks were way too big so I cut them down and went along adding bits around the blocks to make it all fit together.  I'm pleased with the way this part of the bag turned out.  Now, shall I use the same technique for the other side or try another one?  I can't wait to try their ideas for triangles!

Have you tried a new technique lately?

That nagging feeling...

From the pattern cover

Do you ever have that nagging feeling that there is something you are supposed to be doing but you don't know what it is?  I had that feeling Monday night.  I went through my mental to do list and couldn't identify the source.  So, I chalked it up to the fact that there is almost always something I should be doing :)

Enter Tuesday morning and my Handwork group.  Ooops - nothing ready to work on for Handwork.  That's what it was all about!  It turned out to be a blessing in disguise because I took the opportunity to work on this project I started at Quilt Market.

My WIP

Let me back up a bit.  At Quilt Market, I took a class from Becky Goldsmith and Linda Jenkins of Piece O' Cake fame.  I've admired many of their designs over the years so this was the perfect opportunity to learn about their methods in person.  The class was only 90 min long, so it was definitely the condensed version!

The project was the tea towel in the top picture using their "Applique with Attitude" technique.  (You can find the book here).  Basically, the idea is needle turn applique without invisible stitches.  The applique shapes are stitched down with perle cotton using a running stitch or mock blanket stitch.  It was interesting to learn how they prepare their applique shapes and that they like to use an overlay for proper placement.  I've been a fan of overlays for quite some time - no need for lightboxes or marking the background fabric.

You should see the tiny pins they use!  Half inch sequin pins.  Anyway, the technique is lots of fun.  If you like turned under edges in your applique, but struggle with invisible stitches give it a try!  I think it would be fun with perle cotton in a color that matches the shapes too.

Long overdue

I won't tell you how long overdue this bee block is - it is too embarrassing.  I had a great idea for it when I first got the fabric and the instructions, but, to be honest, I wasn't sure if I could make it come out the way I wanted it to.  So, long story short, it got buried and a bit forgotten.

Lucky for me, my bee buddy is very patient and gracious.  So I dug it out this week and decided to change my plan.  I was a little short on the background fabric, so a strip still needs to be added to the left side to bring it up to the right size.  I never would have put these colors together myself, but I really like them.

I'm not sure it is worth the very long wait, but I hope she likes it!  And I promise to be a better bee buddy in the future.

Summer Sunrise

I enjoy working with bias strips so much.  The slim curves they make just suit my minimalist style to a "T".   For this pillow, my color choices were inspired by summer sunrises and Jacquie's lovely low volume quilt.  I quilted it in wavy echoes of the bias strips.

(I'm sorry this picture is not very good.  My camera is not working and I had to borrow my daughter's.)

This pillow recently made its way to a new friend.  She has been incredibly supportive and encouraging to me and is just one of the nicest and most generous people I know.

Sharing a connection

Lynne from Lily's Quilts wrote a post on advice for new bloggers the other day.  While I'm not a new blogger, I'm always eager to learn from other bloggers - especially ones whose blogs I enjoy as much as Lynne's.  Advice point #11 was "...Blog for fun.  Blog because you enjoy it.  Don't feel guilty about not blogging for six weeks because life got in the way.  "

I don't know if I'll ever be able to make that goal!  I definitely blog because I enjoy it and it is fun.  But I hate it when I haven't blogged in a long time.  Guilt isn't the right word for what I feel when I'm not blogging.  It's more like frustration and distance.  Frustration usually because I'm working really hard on things that I think are cool, but that I can't share with you!  Distance because I love sharing what I'm doing - I love getting feedback and comments from you all out there and I feel disconnected when I can't do that.


I guess this is a long way of saying I miss you all.  And while I am working hard on the cool things I can't show you, I'm going to try a little harder to fit in a few I can share.

So today I just have a few photos to share.  Some of you may have seen them on Facebook or Twitter.  I took these last week when I was in Chicago picking my daughter up from school.  There are four in the series (I missed the yellow ones) and I guess their point is that these apartment buildings have remodeled kitchens and bathrooms.  I love how they are "bordered" with quilt blocks!  Inspiration really is everywhere :)

GenQ giveaway winner!

The winner of the Generation Q magazine is tubilinha tiacarminha, commenter #28.  Congratulations Tubilinha!  I've sent you a separate email.  Thanks for playing along everyone!

Based on all the answers you gave about your favorite part of a magazines, the projects are it!  Whether you like to make them exactly as they are written or use them for inspiration, projects are what most of you like best.  Next favored were tips and photos.

I hope you all get some great sewing (and maybe magazine reading) done this weekend!