Flying Geese for Small Wonders

Between studio clean up, the holidays, and obsession to finish and not start things I've managed to not start in on much. I made an exception - finally - for my Small Wonders fabric. You may recall that I was sent this fabric around Quilt Market in October to play with. I made a plan and now I'm going for it.

By going for it, I mean experimenting. Based on the sketch below you can see I was aiming for some flying geese of varying sizes. I've played around with it and not done much in the way of planning.

(There comes a point where that approach can bite you in the butt, but hey! That's the joy of improv.)

Based on my sketch I picked five of the fabrics to work with and paired them with a pale blue Essex Linen. Then I drafted out and cut a few different sizes of rectangles. Just putting the rectangles on the design wall had me changing things. That's design on the fly!

At this point I'm realizing it isn't going to end up exactly like my sketch. My triangles are simply too big. There isn't going to be that much negative space. So be it. I will play a bit more and see what it can be.

See, improv doesn't just mean wonky and no measuring. This is precision piecing and I only started with a rough sketch. It is totally improvised because I really don't know what it will be in the end.

To see more about my process on this quilt make sure to follow along on Periscope. You can catch my previous scopes here on Katch.me.

Mod Christmas Tree Take 2 - In Modern Patchwork

It's that time of year! Snow and Christmas trees and frenzied making. Cookies and cocoa and stress. It's all there. In the midst of it I hope everyone gets at least one moment to step back and appreciate their favourite parts.

My favourite part, as long time readers know, is the tree. Not so much the tree up and all sparkly and covered in handmade ornaments, but the getting of the tree. Last year I celebrated that with a quilt. A fun, modern quilt honouring the tree and my son's new found obsession with Christmas.  The obsession with Christmas and the quilt hasn't changed.

Modern Patchwork, a lovely magazine, asked me to contribute the quilt to their latest Winter issue. I was happy to oblige. I offered them an alternate colour way, but they chose the original. I still made the other colour way though. In this great line from Dear Stella, Mount Snow. Mittens and trees and bikes. It really is super sweet.



For this version I picked out the low volume, soft prints from the line and paired them with a few random, coordinating prints from my stash. Originally, my plan was to make the whole thing low volume, with soft contrast for the trees. But that felt too soft. So I grabbed the red Net print, also from Dear Stella, for the background. I love, love, love low volume paired with red.

The pattern itself is quite simple. The hardest part being the cutting of the angles for the background pieces around the trees. Last year I went from start to finish on this quilt in a few days. This year I have this top done but it won't get quilted, unfortunately.

Now is the time to slow down and celebrate, to make the cookies and take in special moments with the kids. I hope you have the chance to do the same.

Pick up a copy of Modern Patchwork at your local quilt shop, magazine rack, or online.

Smooch - Using Half Circles in Quilt Design

Smooch

74'' x 53''

Depending on how you look at, it is hearts or lips. I choose to see lips. Big, juicy lips heading towards a kiss. Whether that is the first kiss of a married couple, the slobbery attempts of a toddler attempting to kiss Mama, tentative lip locks of teenagers, a son kissing his mother goodbye.

This entire quilt started as a plan to show quilters that you can use half circles just as easily as two quarter circles. Just that, in a fun design. But now I have grand plans for this quilt. But first, the details.

I used only 5 fabrics in total. Absolutely shocking for me! The lips are Cloud 9 Cirrus Solids, the background is a print from Cotton and Steel. The backing fabric is a gorgeous voile designed by Bari J. for Art Gallery. Finally, the binding is an older one I found in my stash, I think it is from Birch Organics.

Quilting was done on my Bernina 820. My Stitch Regulator is not working properly so I turned it off and just free motioned the hearts inside the lips. I used a variegated pink, then a red from Wonderful for the lips. The background is quilted with straight lines using Aurifil. There was a lot of stopping and starting on those lines, but it was totally worth it for the finished impact and texture.



It is fairly densely quilted, but with the voile backing and Quilters' Dream Cotton batting it is quite soft. Gloriously soft.

Perfect for snuggles. Because if there ever was a quilt that invited snuggles...

Small Wonders by Mary Fons - New Quilt in the Works

It isn't often that I get asked to make something with a designer's fabric. And it is less often that I say yes to the request. But when Mary Fons asked I was more than happy to respond in the positive. Mary has been tremendously supportive of my career through our relationship at Quilty and I'm happy to return the favour.

Small Wonders is her new fabric line with Springs Creative. She dove through their archives and worked with them to produce a dramatic and graphic line. The colours are out of my personal norm, but so rich. Sure to be a hit with many different audiences.

I have a plan worked out for the fabric and look forward to cutting into it this weekend. I see some playtime in my future.

Keep up with my work on this project on Periscope. Haven't heard of Periscope yet? It is the latest social media app - allowing for live broadcasts to be streamed from my phone to your phone or computer. I am enjoying it for sharing snippets from my sewing room and process posts about quilt projects. If you don't have the app you can still watch my broadcasts on Katch. My first post on this series is up there now.

Pincushion Party for Good Neighbors Fabric

This is the first pincushion I've ever made. And I would only do it for Amanda Jean.

I was thrilled when I got the news that she was designing her first line of fabric. I say first because I'm positive there will be more. While I couldn't automatically picture what she would do, without a doubt there would be red polka dots and versatility in the prints. And most definitely, there would be no purple.

Good Neighbors is the fabric line, available exclusively with Connecting Threads.

It is a mix of prints in sunny colours and they all play well with each other, and pretty much any other fabric you might have. Simple lines, pretty prints, good colours. Personally, I really appreciate the low volume prints, especially the diagonal stitch line. (Hello binding!) They work so well with others, hence the name.

It's been five years since Amanda Jean and I started working on Sunday Morning Quilts together. Five years. One of the questions I am most often asked at trunk shows is whether she and I are still friends after the process. People, we are better friends. I trust her implicitly, she encourages me like no other, and we challenge each other in healthy ways. Our friendship launched our quilting careers, but it is the friendship that matters more than books sold or classes taught. I would give all that up if I had to just to stay friends with her. (But I won't lie, I am extra happy that I still have it because then the times we get to see each other now are usually business expenses.)

When Amanda Jean asked me to be a part of her launch tour for Good Neighbors I jumped up. Not because I wanted to make a pincushion, but because I want to support this amazing woman. Bonus, I really like my pincushion.

Just a little house. One for now, but there should be another so that I can pretend she is in one sewing away and I am in the other, chatting through our open windows.



Check out all the other pincushions on the Pincushion Party for Good Neighbors fabric.

9/1/2015	Amanda Jean	http://crazymomquilts.blogspot.com/ (kick off blog post)
9/2/2015	Anna	http://www.noodle-head.com/
9/3/2015	Mary	http://maryonlakepulaski.blogspot.com/
9/4/2015	Svetlana	http://sotakhandmade.blogspot.com/
9/5/2015	Debbie	http://www.eschhousequilts.com/
9/6/2015	Holly	http://www.bijoulovelydesigns.com/
9/7/2015	Carla	http://carla-graceandfavour.blogspot.com/
9/8/2015	Faith	www.FreshLemonsQuilts.com
9/9/2015	Vanessa	http://www.vanessachristenson.com/
9/10/2015	Anna	http://www.thimbleanna.com/
9/11/2015	Krista	http://poppyprintcreates.blogspot.com/
9/12/2015	Erin	http://whynotsew.blogspot.com/
9/13/2015	Lee	http://www.maychappell.com/
9/14/2015	Alex	http://teaginnydesigns.blogspot.com/
9/15/2015	Cheryl	http://naptimequilter.blogspot.com/
9/16/2015	Penny	http://sewtakeahike.typepad.com/
9/17/2015	Amy	http://duringquiettime.com/
9/18/2015	Debbie	http://aquilterstable.blogspot.com/
9/19/2015	Anne	http://www.springleafstudios.com/
9/20/2015	Melissa Corry	http://www.happyquiltingmelissa.com/
9/21/2015	Amber	http://www.oneshabbychick.typepad.com/
9/22/2015	Nettie	http://aquiltisnice.blogspot.com/
9/23/2015	Adrianne	http://www.littlebluebell.com/
9/24/2015	Cindy	http://www.liveacolorfullife.net/
9/25/2015	Amy	http://www.diaryofaquilter.com/
9/26/2015	Chase	http://quarterinchmark.blogspot.com/
9/27/2015	Rene	http://www.renecreates.com/
9/28/2015	Erin	http://www.houseonhillroad.com/
9/29/2015	Nicole	http://modernhandcraft.com/
9/30/2015	Teri	http://blog.connectingthreads.com/

And go here to buy the fabric itself. Available exclusively with Connecting Threads.

Amanda Jean has also designed a number of patterns that work so well with the fabric. You can buy complete kits - with fabric and pattern from Connecting Threads as well.

You can also leave a comment here for your chance to win a charm pack of Good Neighbors fabric. Tell me about your favourite neighbour or what makes you a good neighbour.

Open to US and Canadian readers only. Sorry. You can leave an entry until the end of the month.

PS Do you know how hard it is to NOT put that U in Good Neighbors? Then my autocorrect adds it in anyway.

Diamonds, not Squares. Plus, a new Improv Log Cabin Class

There has been a jelly roll of Doe fabric and a stack of screen prints patiently waiting their turn to be used. Every time I opened up my stash closet they taunted me, asking to be used. But I needed to clear space - mentally and physically - before I starting something new. I finally felt prepared to do just that this week.

A few hours of play and experimenting with a new shape and I'm very happy.

Diamonds. Not squares turned on their sides like a certain cereal marketing campaign of a few years back. Actual diamonds. It all comes down to the first shape you start with. Just a slight change in the angles on the corners and a whole new world opens up.



Playing with basic techniques in new ways is a wonderful way to explore improv. Log cabins are one of the oldest techniques in the quilting handbook, but that doesn't mean your log cabins quilts have to look old.

I'll be teaching Improv Log Cabin Variations at the Wonderfil Threaducation Centre next week. Come out to play, explore shapes, and dip your toes into the improv pool.

June 24
6:30-9:30 pm
Call 403-250-8262 or register here.

Even the trimmings are pretty. I have a friend who makes mixed media collage and she periodically takes my little trimmings. She's already got her eyes on these.

The Linden - With a V-Neck and in Double Gauze

To be clear, I've now declared that I will happily sew clothes and it is all the Linden's fault.

Here are two more iterations of this Grainline Studio pattern. I've also made one for a friend, ordered fabric to teach 6 members of my family how to make one (so I don't have to do it for them), and have one more version I want to try on deck.  But this pattern also has me feeling confident enough to make more, sew more clothes. Without the success of the first one and the realization that this is a welcome break from life and work as a quilter I wouldn't be so far gone. 

There is now a v-neck version. In my regular clothing I love a v-neck. Always have, always will. So of course, I had to try one. No mind that I've never sewn a v-neck and could not find a version of the Linden online in a v-neck. I also made a rookie mistake that could have been fatal - playing with an expensive fabric. Thank goodness it worked out. 

To get through the process I relied on this tutorial from Seamwork.

The neckline isn't perfect. I could have cut the neckband a few inches smaller, it gapes on my shoulders. And my middle seam doesn't lay perfectly flat. But I don't care because I made this and most people can't tell. And those that know, think it is cool. And I have a loose, light sweatshirt/t-shirt that I love.

Another change on this version was to add length. I wanted it to be like a big slouchy t-shirt. So I added 4'' to the length. And I split the cuff. The first crack at the split cuff was good, but I didn't do a top stitch and so pulled the seams when I wore it and stretched it out. I fixed the ripped seams, but unless I gathered it, I couldn't fix the gap. I'm okay with that. More room over my hips.

The fabric is an US organic jersey, designed by Josi Severson. I splurged on it, for sure. But it is worth it for so many reasons. Down the line I might make a more fitted shirt from another fabric from her. Fabric available on Honey Be Good.

The other version I made was one from Nani Iro double gauze. It fact, it was this fabric that got me on to the pattern. I'd seen it online, but when I held it in my hands in the merchant mall at QuiltCon I knew I needed to have it. On a whim, and a distant thought I might make a shirt from it, I picked up 3 yards. Over drinks one night I was telling a friend about it and she told me about someone she saw that day wearing a Linden made from double gauze. As my friend was wearing a Linden at that moment the stars collided and lit the way forward.

This version is the exact same as my first. The only change is that I made it maybe 2'' longer. The first fits well, but I wanted more length. I also wanted, even though I was using the double gauze, to have this still be a sweatshirt. So I hit the local chain fabric store and picked up some pale pink jersey to use for my cuffs and neckband. That was a pain to work with, I picked a super thin one. It all came together for this breezy version.

This is a very good addiction.

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.

Tips for Cutting and Sewing Voile

After posting my Precious - all voile quilt I've had quite a few emails and some comments about the quilt's construction and working with voile.

Voile, while a woven cotton, is not exactly the same as the quilting cotton most of us are used to sewing. It is thinner and silkier. That means it requires some special handling. Nothing fancy, just a bit of care.

Tips for Cutting and Sewing Voile

1. Pre-washing does not make a difference to the feel of the fabric - so go with what you generally do when it comes to pre-washing.

2. Starch or not? I can't say here as I am not a starch user and did not experiment. Again, I think going with what you are comfortable with is going to work for you. But because you pick voile, in part, for its softness, you will definitely want to wash the finished project before using.

3. The ruler will want to slide while you are cutting. Keep your pinky finger of the hand stabilizing the ruler off the edge of the ruler, right next to it. This helps hold it in place.

4. You can cut more than one layer at a time. Voile is much thinner, so I cut with my fabric doubled up.

5. Make sure your rotary cutter blade is sharp. Of course this should always be the case, but the voile seems to snag a bit more.



6. Be careful to keep it right sides up. It can be hard to determine right versus wrong on some voiles, so stack and keep organized accordingly.

7. Use your walking foot for sewing. Or a dual/even feed if your machine has it. This is an absolute necessity. (At one point my dual feed was turned off and I wrecked fabric trying to sew. It took me a lot of swearing to figure out the simple fix.)

8. If pinning, use thin and sharp pins to make smaller holes and not have snags.

9. If you don't already piece with a 75/11 or 80/12 needle do so for this. Personally, I'm a fan of the Microtex Sharps for piecing.

10. You can absolutely mix voiles with regular cottons. They sew together nicely. Use these same tips, even when combining the fabrics.



As for how I put together this particular quilt, it was totally random patchwork. I collected the fabric, cut out a bunch of random triangles, and sewed them together.

Fabrics were gathered from all over. Mostly on-line sources. The selection of voile continues to grow and there are more and more geometric rather than floral options. That gets me very excited and makes me want to make another all voile quilt.



To cut my triangles I used the 60 degree ruler from Marti Michell. You could easily create your own template too. I liked this ruler because while it did give the options to cut different sized triangles it was a larger triangle when used as a template. Frankly, it was the size of the ruler that dictated my own triangle size. Cutting was made a lot easier that way!

Two other things I liked about this particular ruler. One, the little notches on the corners are great. It is so much easier to cut those triangles off before you sew, rather than after. And you do need to cut them off to reduce the bulk in the corners. And two, the guidelines in the centre help you cut the half triangles for the edges of each row, with the correct seam allowance.

Once I had a pile of triangles cut I sat down and sewed. Working on two rows at a time, I sewed one triangle to the next. For the first rows I kept sewing until I thought I was long enough to cover my bed, checked and rechecked that measurement, then finished each row with a half triangle. Once I had enough rows together I used my bed as design wall. Because it was inevitable to have some triangles line up from row to row I embraced that and moved things around for intentional diamonds.

Thank you so much for all the questions and compliments.

Now, as for those giant pencil crayons in the first photo on the post, wouldn't that be cool? Alas, they are just old posts of some sort.

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.

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).

The Third Circle Lattice block

And another Circle Lattice block. Just can't get enough. Once you make two, you might as well make four, right? That is my plan, at least.

It took me longer than I would have liked to finish up the second one, only because there were a lot of quilts to bind. That took up a lot of hand work time and nearly killed my wrist. The longer time, however, doesn't bother me. That is indeed the point - to slow down (and savour each stitch).

This time I switched up the fabric. I still totally love the New York City fabric from Samarra Khaja. Even with all that face time spent with it, I am not at all bored. Lucky for me, I was also able to get more of it. So I have enough for the 4 planned blocks, and then some. This time the great fabric is making the circle lattice instead of being relegated to the background. Instead of unicorns in New York, the city is taking over the forest. Hmm, there is a political message in that...

For those of you new here, the block comes from Carolyn Friedlander's book, Savor Each Stitch. And it has taken me 6 months of hand appliqué here and there to make the 2 blocks so far.

Knits, the Linden Sweatshirt and Thoughts from a Beginner Sewer

If you've read this blog for a while you will remember that I've said many times before that I don't sew clothes. I'm a quilter, not a sewer.

I stand corrected.

Behold my first sweatshirt. When I told my SIL that I was sewing a sweatshirt for fun she commented that she hadn't even seen me wear a sweatshirt aside from a hoodie at the campfire. Quite true. But I picked up this dressy one from J Crew last year and fell in love. Then, at QuiltCon, I finally caved on some gorgeous Nani Iro double gauze I've been admiring for a few months online. Those two loves collided when a friend pointed out to me that they just saw a Grainline Studio's Linden sweatshirt in double gauze. Sold!

Not only was I keen to make this sweatshirt, it was actually serving as my reward. Some selfish sewing after basically 2 months straight of work. Something is clearly wrong with me.

Okay, so this pattern is rated for a beginner. While it is true there are not major technical skills required to make this, it certainly reminded me that I am indeed a beginner when it comes to garment sewing. A few Staple dresses does not make a seamstress. The last time I sewed with knits was a pair of sweatpants in junior high Home Ec.

The pattern is pretty straight forward and well illustrated. It provides a few hints and tips on sewing with knits, like what stitches and needles to use. I felt much more prepared, however, after spending some time on line searching out more tips, tricks, and guides for sewing with knits.

There were a lot of little things that flew under the radar. An experienced sewer would probably just chalk them up to common sense, but it was spots that a beginner would perhaps struggle with. For example:

- Knit is stretchy, this works to your advantage when attaching your cuffs and bands, but against you when cutting.
- When attaching the wrist cuffs, take off the table around the throat of your machine, it pretty much made it perfect for attaching the cuffs. If you don't, you are trying to manage all the material, the stretching, and a good seam allowance without catching the other side of the cuff as you sew.
- If the fabric isn't moving for you under the presser foot, you can raise it a bit.
- There are different settings required for your machine, very different ones if you are used to quilting.

I spent a lot of time trying to figure out stitches, speeds, and settings on my machine. In fact, the machine was my biggest frustration. Rather, my ability to work it with this material. With the help of a strong Campari and Soda I found the patience and the rhythm required.

It really got me thinking about beginners and the assumptions I make regarding terminology and basic skills. I write patterns and assume a certain level of knowledge. Now I realize I can't write for every audience - if I broke absolutely everything down the more experienced quilter would be driven bonkers by the detail. There is likely more of a middle ground, however. Especially when marketing to beginners. Definitely something to think about.

I love, love, love this sweatshirt. I like the fit on me. I went for a size 16 based on the pattern measurements and adjusted nothing other than the length of the neck band piece. (I found I liked the wide opening and wanted less of a gathered feel, so I added a few inches to the band). The sweatshirt is loose, almost blousy.  The bottom cuff doesn't get tight around my hips, which I prefer to the alternative. If you wanted it tighter you would just have to make the band a bit shorter. The arms are pretty much perfect for me. This will be a good layering piece as we head into spring.

The material is from Birch Organics, the Elk Grove knit line. I picked it up at a local store. Selection was limited locally to a lot of cute little prints, but I don't do cute on my clothes. So ridiculously soft, the flowers were worth it. I was paranoid about stretching it out before I finished sewing so I was super careful, then someone else commented on an Instagram photo that it wasn't very stretchy! Perhaps it was just paranoia on my part?

Now I am very excited to tackle a double gauze version. For that one I am going to lengthen it a bit so it is extra slouchy. I need to pick up a knit or a ribbing for the wrist cuffs and bottom band. Hopefully I can find something that coordinates nicely. I may switch out the neck band for a bias binding, but I haven't decided on that yet.

Look out world, I'm a sewer now.

Talking Quilts... Picking Fabric

There was once a girl who only bought fabric as she made a quilt. She only bought the fabric she needed for that particular quilt. I know this to be true because I worked with her for ten years. At first I thought she was kidding. I mean, how is that even possible? But as I watched her make quilts I did not see her stash grow. It was amazing.

I am so not that girl.



Frankly, I was buying fabric at quilts shops long before I even quilted. I could sew and I would buy little fat quarters under the pre tense of making napkins with them. I did, once. They were really, really bad napkins in an odd shape because all I did was turn under the edges to hem the fat quarter. But oh, that fabric!

Fabric is probably the reason 95% of us quilt. Yes, there is the making aspect. But it is the fabric that brought us to our glorious making. And it is the fabric that gets us most excited, provides a level of frustration, and where most of our money gets spent. Fabric is awesome.

Pulling fabric for a new quilt is one of my top treats in the quilt making process. I've been known to pull fabric just because. A little shopping in my stash to create a random pile of fabric itching to become a quilt. Sometimes all its dreams are fulfilled. I find just the right inspiration, block, pattern, or concept and the quilt comes into being. Sometimes the fabric lingers or hovers on the edge of the scene (the closet shelves) slowly being picked through for other projects until I eventually return all the pieces to their rightful colour stacks.

Having a large stash makes this all possible. Never will I add up how much money I've spent on fabric, but I think it is safe to say that if I were to never buy fabric again and quilt for another 30 years I'd likely still have fabric left over. It means I always shop at home first. And usually only. Fabric buying involves getting something new that I love, just for the sake of loving it. Or picking up enough yardage for a backing or something specific for a binding. My stash fits in one normal size closet, with a tiny bit spilling over into scraps bins or the quilts under construction/batting closet. Gone are the days when it fit under a bed in a plastic bin.

When I started quilting nearly 17 years ago the advice du jour when picking a palette for your quilt was to find a large scale print you liked for the colours, then pick coordinating fabric for your blocks, add a little zinger of a border around your blocks, and make a big border of that large scale print. I still see that in action all the time. When I give trunk shows at guild meetings I will take a quilt in the room that I see made that way and fold away the large scale border to show quilters the difference in the quilt. Those large scale prints are often quite gorgeous, but they are doing nothing for the quilt. And all that piecing the quilter did is lost to the large scale border. So let them be your guide for picking fabrics, then set it aside or put it on the back. And if you are worried about the quilt being too small now, make more blocks. Or use whatever background fabric you have to be the border now.



Looking back on my childhood I've realized that I was destined to be a quilter. It wasn't the sewing of the barbie dresses or winning the Home Ec award in grade 8. It was my constant reorganization of my colouring supplies. One day it was rainbow, the next I was making colour combinations. I wrote my notes in colour order and obsessed over 4 colour pens. It was not acceptable to me to have a single box of jumbled up colours. This wasn't OCD, this was playing with colour.

Picking fabric is also playing with colour. Play being the key word there. No one is saying your piles of fabric have to become anything. Pick and repick, dig through your stash and challenge yourself to make a certain ugly fabric play nicely with others, get lost in interpreting a store window through your stash.



For some quilters picking fabric is stressful and hard. I feel for you. Getting to the point of fearlessness and confidence in fabric selection is no different than being comfortable with free motion quilting. It takes time. And practice.

The only way to gain confidence in fabric selection is to just do it. Read or take classes in colour theory, learn about value, stop obsessing over whether this particular green is the same as the green in that fabric, step away from the pre cuts. Pull fabric for the sake of pulling fabric. Leave the bundle be for a little while then put it all away and start again. Make practice blocks in your fabric pull before launching into a full quilt. Ask for advice and actually listen. It should never cause stress, only joy. It should bring excitement and possibly induce a little bit of drooling.

If you've got the inspiration, now you pick the fabric. Fabric is awesome and the root of what we quilters do.

This is the second post in a monthly series on all the steps of making a quilt. Musings and thoughts on the process.