I love quilting for so many reasons, but the ability to have crisp points or patchwork align perfectly is probably at the top. When I view the approach Jefe has to take with remodeling around the house I’m thankful for the ability and flexibility to manipulate my material. Of course it’s not like I’m running out of fabric or anything either 😉
Cutting it short? Add some more. Too large proportionally? Cut it down. Not lined up? Rip it apart. Run out of that fabric? Use another similar.
I find free-hand cut curves are a different animal compared with other improv techniques, NOT in the sense that you can’t add or subtract from them, but in that curves are a good lesson in letting go of knowing exactly how something’s going to turn out. A lesson that’s good for me as someone that practically catches leaves as they’re falling from the tree.
Not knowing their outcome exactly is part of their fun. An opportunity to flex creative muscles and open up to new ideas.
It’s easy to feel like you don’t know where to go next when playing with improvisational techniques and/or design, so we quadrant out our blocks in the Embrace Your Curves workshop. This allows us to focus on a design within a margined space and work with the design as a whole instead of one block at a time. I cover techniques for successful free-hand curves (and ‘bit’ curves), give you the structure and steps I use to get there and nudge you in your design when teaching. Something like the pillow above emerges.
I find improv curves are like going to your favorite restaurant, but you’re not allowed to order your favorite dish repetitively, forcing you to have a new experience. The outcome is new designs all the time.
A rabbit hole for sure;)
I finished up these free pieced curved blocks, quilting them and whipped them up into this box pouch serving triple duty for my boxed pouch pattern and some workshops on the schedule:
- Straight line workshop (Yes, you can quilt straight line curves;)
- Embrace Your Curves workshop
- Box Pouch Pattern on sale though weekend!
As always, if there is a workshop or skill you’re interested in we can schedule it in studio.
Happy Week Peeps!