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Intersected Quilt

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 I’ve had my sights set on running a Part II Psychedelic Baby workshop.   We create secondary or cast off blocks in the Psychedelic Baby workshop that can be simply used on the back, but why not make another quilt?

 I’ve been focusing my studio time on finishing up a variety of samples for this new workshop and now have enough to start rolling them out here.  I’ve popped some sessions of Part II on the calendar for those of you that have already taken the first session or are signed up.

Here’s the quilt I made using the secondary blocks.  I’ll call Intersected.

Here’s the Cross-Roads Quilt I shared last week with blocks from the first session workshop.  You can read more about it here.  I’ve added one more session since the two I had up filled last week.

My past samples using the secondary blocks have been more improvisational in design, so I was aiming for a ‘traditional’ layout with Intersected.  We’ll cover how to size our blocks into geometric shapes, study the construction of several more traditional designs and learn how to build out improvisational designs like I did here and here.

I’d like students to also bring with them several inspirational quilt designs from books, patterns or photos so we can talk about their potential construction using the blocks as a group.

A few details about this quilt… I’ve straight line quilted vertical random lines at different widths in white thread.  The binding could really have been any of the fabrics in the quilt, but I went with the neutral Essex to have more flexibility in picking the backing fabric from stash.

sew katie did | Seattle Modern Quilting & Sewing Studio | Intersected Quilt Workshop

The backing is a fabric that you’ve seen before if you follow the blog.  I have a 70s love for this Smitten Kitten.

sew katie did | Seattle Modern Quilting & Sewing Studio | Intersected Quilt Workshop

As always, if you’re looking for a specific workshop to fit your schedule let me know;)

Back in the 90s here in Seattle, but looking at a cooler weekend for our workshop.  Enjoy Peeps!

P.S.  Big thanks to Curated Quilts for featuring my quilt in their triangle issue.

Cross Roads Quilt

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Well happy summer.  Finishing quilts doesn’t seem to be an issue, but getting them photographed and up here to share is another story.

Cross Roads quilt is yet another sample for my Psychedelic Baby workshop.  The versatility of this block in creating different designs is part of the fun in the class.  Perfect timing as I’ve got a Sunday class in the studio coming up on August 12th (Full) and another requested for Sunday September 16th (Full).  This month’s Sunday open studio (Full) is up as well if anyone wants to come socialize and finish up some projects.

The colors for this one came right out of a Garnet Hill catalog, but walking through IKEA yesterday they seem a staple there as well.  The dark grey leaning towards black in my photos.

 Pulling from stash to match the colors to my inspiration there’s a mix of Kona, Essex linen for the neutral and some Michael Miller Cotton Coutures.

Simple straight line quilting of course on this one.  Let the patchwork shine.  The quilting on this one done in a grid about 1″ apart on the long arm.  White thread.  I think it finishes up about 54″ x 54″.  A good size baby quilt.

I added the white flange before putting on the natural Essex for binding.  I really wanted the square blocks to stand out and not have the binding be a distraction.

I’ve long loved this Alexander Henry hills print and it finally found its home on the back.  A few left overs popped in to bring it to width.

We’ve finally dropped back to normal temps in Seattle and I’m missing the hot already, but my garden is ready for the rain we’re suppose to get the next two days.

We spent nearly three weeks out of the country with the majority of time in Croatia.  We had an amazing time.  I’m back in the studio tomorrow now that I’m caught up on life back home.  New projects and workshops are ready to be sampled up for fall.

Hope you’re all having some down time and a relaxing summer peeps!

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Summer Sampler Block #3 | Southwest Highways Block

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Welcome to week #3 of the Summer Sampler and my Southwest Highways block!

I wanted to create a block that was simple and graphic.  If you’re new to paper piecing it’s a technique that allows you to get sharp points and extremely accurate piecing.  If you’d like a walk through of this technique I’ll get out all my tools for the studio’s June 8th Open Studio.  Of course you can always bring a paper piecing project to any open studio.  Can’t make it to Seattle and would like to know some tips and tricks?  Lee of Freshly Pieced has a great post and Faith covers paper piecing for beginners here.

The Southwest stole my heart in about 1993.  The colors of the landscape and their reflection in the cultures around you are really the inspiration for this block.

After numerous road trips from Michigan I caught a ride with a friend heading to school in Arizona.  I settled in Flagstaff working for the Winter Sun Trading Company in their herbal apothecary.  From the herb room I could take in the colors of the native art we sold in the front room.  The artists often used natural pigments for their art work.  I certainly could have added some turquoise to this block!  Whether inside or out it’s hard to escape the colors of the Southwest when you live there.  They’re reflected everywhere you go.

 Just a reminder, you can sign up for this quilt along at any time.  When you sign up after the start date, you will get all the patterns that we’ve release to-date.  You can catch up on past blocks on your own schedule and continue quilting along with the group as we release weekly block patterns.

Time doesn’t allow for me to complete all the blocks, so I decided to pick mine apart and make the two panels from the triangles to make a box pouch after adding some background fabric to the top and bottom of the triangles.  This is one of my favorite projects to make with orphaned blocks.

I’ve been making and teaching box pouches for ages and am now offering the pattern on sale for the week here.  

Hope you’re enjoying the making;)

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:: Spring Has Sprung ::

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I’m fresh back from my annual spring retreat with my quilty friends.  We’re all having some sort of issue with reentry;)  Treat yourself peeps, anytime you can.

I finished up the instructions for my Southwest Highways block for this year’s Summer Sampler.  A follower on IG commented they’re going to use the block as the border on their’s.  What a great idea.

 Sunday is the last day to get the discounted price.  Read all about it on this post.    You can purchase here.  I’ll teach the block paper pieced block above in Open Studio on June 8th for those interested.

A few new classes on the schedule.  Modern Quilt 101 is an improv spin on a Chinese Coin Quilt.  For my working peeps I’ve got a Memorial Day and weekend option on the schedule.

It was about time for a project workshop and students have been asking about the thread catchers for awhile.  I never leave for a workshop or retreat without mine.  I’ve got you covered on some of the specialty supplies needed, you’ll just need to bring yourself and some fabric to customize your own.

Looking at the calendar I honestly don’t even know where to put classes this summer.  Vacation, soccer tournaments, family around…I swear I’m going to blink and it will be August.  Open Studios will continue and anyone interested in a workshop can contact me to schedule.

I’ll be teaching my improv string block class, Psychedelic Baby June 24th at The San Juan Museum of Arts.  This class is part of the many activities around the exhibition Conversations With Gee’s Bend at the San Juan Islands Museum of Art from Memorial Day to Labor Day weekend.  Sign up is here. If you are on island come visit.

And finally, if you get a moment and you love looking at amazing traditional quilts, check out this wonderful video of The Quilts of Ken Burns.

Have a great weekend and Mother’s Day peeps!

Summer Sampler

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I’m not much of a joiner, but I really admire the ladies (Katie of Swim Bike Quilt, Lee of Freshly Pieced and Faith of Fresh Lemon Quilts) that host this sampler.  So when I was asked to design and contribute a block to this year’s I thought to myself to just keep it simple.

This year’s sampler is travel inspired and my thoughts went to all the solo and accompanied road trips I’ve taken throughout the years in the Southwest and those roads tucked between all that sandstone.

Thought I’d share the quilt mockup with you today!  They’ve mocked it up in 3 different color ways, and Sewtopia will be offering solids kits [10% off if you pre-order here], and so will Mad About Patchwork in Canada!!

Beginning May 14th, each week they’ll share a quilt block inspired by a different global destination.

Katie, Lee and Faith have 10 guest designers this year including me, with a total of 18 blocks to make an 80” x 80” quilt, and we hope you will follow them on Instagram [if you don’t already!] and get to know them all a little better.

You can purchase the 2018 Sampler here!

Katie Blakesley – www.swimbikequilt.com @swimbikequilt

Lee Heinrich – www.freshlypieced.com @lee.a.heinrich

Faith Jones – www.freshlemonsquilts.com @freshlemonsquilts

Daisy Aschehoug – www.warmfolk.com @warmfolk

Rebecca Bryan – www.bryanhousequilts.com @bryanhousequilts

Debbie Jeske – aquilterstable.blogspot.com @aquilterstable

Kristy Lea – www.quietplaydesigns.com @quietplay

Karen Lee – www.quiltaposy.com @quiltaposy

Melissa Mortenson – www.polkadotchair.com @polkadotchair

Carolina Oneto – www.carolinaoneto.com @carolina_oneto

Katie Pedersen – www.sewkatiedid.com @sewkatiedid

Angela Pingel – www.angelapingel.com @angelapingel

Christopher Thompson – www.thetattooedquilter.com @the_tattooed_quilter

Our hostesses have picked out three color ways.

 

Save $5 with special pre-sale pricing! Now through May 13, Summer Sampler 2018 is available for a one-time payment of just $24.99 total. That gets you all 18 blocks and everything else listed below!

Summer Sampler 2018 includes:
• Fully-tested instructions for a new 12″ (finished) block each week, beginning May 14 and running through September 17
• Complete finishing instructions (delivered September 24)
• All fabric requirements and suggested Kona Solids colors
• Quilt mock-up coloring sheet for planning
• Weekly Summer Sampler newsletter email subscription with information about our inspiration, tips for sewing that week’s block, and other bonus content
• Access to a subscriber-only Facebook group to interact with other quilters and the designers

If you have already purchased, you should have received a “Welcome PDF” with fabric requirements and much more information about the quilt-along. (If you purchase now, you will automatically receive that and all other future files.)

The first block pattern will be sent the week of May 14.

Customers in the European Union: Please visit Lee’s Etsy shop to purchase this pattern.

Fabric requirements for the blocks: Approximately 2-1/2 yards of white for the blocks and a total of 3 yards of colored fabric to make the blocks, as well as 1 yard of white for the border and 4-5 yards of solids for the hourglass filler blocks. More detailed information is available in our Welcome PDF that you can download on purchase.

 

 

 

Destash

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The time has come to move out some of my most coveted stash.  So listen up, here’s how it works.  My friend @crftychikdestash will be handling the destash over on Instagram.  Follow her to see what goodies you can add to your stash like out of print Heather Ross, Alexander Henry, Denyse Schmidt, Tula Pink, Echino…

Some of the listings expire tonight at 7pm and others will continue.

Happy Hunting!

:: Fractured Hearts Quilt with the Double-Trouble Quilt Block ::

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Phew, I’m home cleaning up all my messes.  I simply dropped and ran from everything as I flew or drove teaching here, there and all over.  I’ve always been a lover of people and the adventure of visiting new places is in my blood.  Words can’t even explain what a fun, amazing, and inspiring time it was hanging out with EVERY ONE of you, but I’m certainly happy to not drag a hundred pounds of quilts around or live out of my carry-on for a bit.  With that many quilts, you’ve got no room for clothing;)

As I folded my Heart Value Quilt at the end of the bed this morning it occurred to me that I’ve made quite a few quilts and patchwork projects with this graphic symbol, the shape might even rival stars by now.  Poor Jefe.

And I’ve got another.  Actually I have two of the same design, but one using the wrong colored thread and wrong quilt design that might or might not ever make it to these pages.  Mistakes and experience make the best learning tools.

I’ve been tagged on IG by some creative quilters and their inspirational heart shapes using the improvisational triangle from Quilting Modern and thought about a little twist on it.  This fractured heart image using the Double-Trouble Block stuck in my head.

I pulled out a bunch of half square triangles from another design idea that never panned out, added an improv triangle and popped them up on the design wall, filling in the blanks from stash for the background.

I love it when ideas work.

In Seattle this time of year you have to take advantage of the light when you can for photos, but the problem was the quilt wasn’t/isn’t still 100% done.   Since the sun was a shining and I hadn’t yet sewn the binding down to the back I used Steam a Seam tape which is a double-sided adhesive to keep the binding in place.  It’s a good tricky trick if you need a photo of a ‘finish’ for a show.

Making smaller quilts makes for smaller pieces for backing.  I think I’m on my second year of piecing backs from stash and no dent in stash has been yet sensed.

The quilt top came from those pieced blocks and stash as well.  Piecing a quilt from stash is a little more doable now that I’m scaling quilts down in size for easier travel.  Run out of that blue?  No problem, just grab another similar value of the color.  That piece too small?  No problem, sew 2 scraps together and cut square.  I love all the texture it adds.

I quilted out from the center in a quartered-V shape with Mettler white thread.  I’ve been using this brand of thread for years for quilting tops. I’ve learned quite a few tricks for quilting this design that I teach in my straight line quilting bucket class to keep it flat. I go for a stitch length of about a 3 on the Berninas.

Like everything I make I ask myself, “Is this one teachable?” For sure!  And once I back into the best teaching methods I’ll have the class run solo and finally get a pattern together for those of you that have asked.

I love having multiple examples of what students can do with the improvisational quilting techniques I teach in workshops, so when I taught the Double-Trouble workshop in B.C. and South Florida MQG this season I had another new sample.

I’ve updated the available Open Sew Studio dates for April.

 I’ve got some traveling peeps coming through Seattle requesting workshops at the studio.  Perhaps you’d like to join.  I’ve got a Saturday in April focusing on Straight Line Quilting that combines the quilting technique we practice into some useful buckets and a May weekday workshop for the Improvisational Strip Piecing workshop I call Psychedelic Baby.

I’ll be back once I have the new classes ready to roll.

Hope you’re getting crafty.

 

 

 

 

Have a Heart

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As I was folding up my Heart Value quilt at the bottom of the bed this morning I pondered about all the quilts and patchwork projects that I’ve used the graphic heart shape and symbol.  I thought looking forward to February it might be fun to go back in time and show them all here in one post.  If you need more detail feel free to follow the links.

My Heart Value quilt has lived on the bed since I finished it last Spring.  What do I love about it?  That it has so much of my stash to look at, but it’s the simple vertical straight lines of the quilting that really do it for me.  I was a bit concerned with how stiff it was with all the quilting, but it wasn’t anything a good washing couldn’t relaxed and with a flannel back it’s now dreamy with drape.   Tutorial here if you want to make your own.

Populating my sofa for the next month are these Fractured Heart pillows.  I love the variegated thread and again combined with the simple straight lines.  Simplicity.  I can’t get enough of making these fun Split Personality blocks into all sorts of patchwork goodness (more to come), but the heart shape seems to work well.

sew katie did |Heart quilt block | Seattle quilting and sewing studio

I put together a tutorial for my Heartstrings Quilt.  Perfect for those jelly rolls you had to have or all those left over strips;)  I think I love most how happy this quilt is.  The simple cross hatch quilting was a perfect finish.  I’d like to make more of these.

sew katie did | seattle modern quilting and sewing studio

Still my favorite and wish it was 10x the size is my BIG Tossed Hearts Quilt. All those yummy print fabrics made into Split Personality blocks and tucked into a pieced background.  I’ve really embraced running out of a color and digging around in stash for something close to finish up.

And a new one to end!  The brighter days are a bit hard to come by in Seattle come winter, so I’ll have to get more photos on a brighter day.  This new one is made with the Double-Trouble blocks. I’ll be teaching Double-Trouble Saturday, February 10th in my Seattle studio and with the South Florida Modern Quilt Guild in early March.

Looking outside, the Boca Raton trip can’t come soon enough.

Modern Quilts: Designs of the New Century

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Forming The Seattle Modern Quilt Guild seems like such a long time ago now.  I’ve met some of my closest friends through the group.  In the beginning we just hung out together in a lovely church up on Phinney Ridge and quilted.  I’d be lying if I said I didn’t miss the days of the guild being small, but movements take hold because there is interest in doing more and we became one of the first to formalized into our non-profit status as part of The Modern Quilt Guild.

Had the Modern Quilt Guild stayed small and this movement not grown, my quilts, studio and teaching likely wouldn’t have evolved and intertwined itself into my life at the level it has.

And then the Modern Quilt Guild conceived Quiltcon and I had a comfortable avenue to submit my quilts for exhibit and I did so every year.  2018 is the first Quiltcon I haven’t submitted to the exhibit and I have to say that it was a mix of bad timing, needing my quilts for the workshops, and that having my quilts in the new release of Modern Quilts: Designs of the New Century felt like accomplishment enough.

It’s certainly an honor to have my quilts placed next to some of the artists I admire most in this beautiful coffee table book by the Modern Quilt Guild. Two of my quilts are in the book, Skewed Symmetry and Diving Geese.  You can read more about these quilts and the process of making them here and here.

I submitted a few quilts to Quiltcon last year and tag Skewed Symmetry on at the end.  If you were ever to see my trunk show/lecture you would probably think this one doesn’t fit in with my other quilts.  It lacks the color I generally go for, but it’s good to push the limits and make something out of your comfort zone every once in awhile.

My Diving Geese quilt was made with a crazy piecing method I’ll be teaching at Quiltcon this year.  It hung a few years ago.  Quilted by my friend Krista Withers, it won Best in Quilting.

Good thing the book is hardcover.  It’s pages have been thumbed through by all the students in the studio and there might be a little margarita salt stain already.  We all agree what a beautiful and well published book this is.  Very inspirational.

I’m bookending the tour here, but go have a browse at all the other amazing artists involved and pick yourself up a copy of Modern Quilts: Designs of the New Century, you won’t regret it;)

 

12/13/17 Amber Corcoran Fancy Tiger Crafts
12/14/17 Heidi Parkes Heidi Parkes Art
12/15/17 Melissa Cory Happy Quilting
12/16/17 Penny Gold Studio Notes
12/18/17 Shruti Dandekar 13 Wood House Road
12/19/17 Amy Friend During Quiet Time
12/20/17 Paige Alexander Quilted Blooms
12/21/17 Angela Bowman Angela Bowman Design
12/22/17 Lysa Flower Lysa Flower
12/27/17 Sheri Cifaldi-Morrill Whole Circle Studio
12/28/17 Jacquie Gering Tall Grass Prairie Studio
12/29/17 Christa Watson Christa Quilts
12/30/17 Heather Black Quilt-achusetts
1/2/18 Kristin Shields Kristin Shield Art
1/3/18 Krista Hennebury Poppy Print Creates
1/4/18 Cinzia Allocca Deux Petites Souris
1/5/18 Suzanne Paquette Atelier Six Design
1/6/18 Yvonne Fuchs Quilting Jetgirl
1/9/18 Ben Darby Hunts Patch Quilts
1/10/18 Nicole Daksiewicz Modern Handcraft
1/11/18 Kristi Schroeder Initial K Studio
1/12/18 Kathy York Art Quilts by Kathy York
1/13/18 Marla Varner Penny Lane Quilts
1/15/18 Brigette Heitland Zen Chic
1/16/18 Stacey Sharman Hello Stitch Studio
1/17/18 Stacey O’Malley SLO Studio
1/18/18 Kim Soper Leland Ave Studios
1/19/18 Steph Skardal Steph Skardal Quilts
1/20/18 Cheryl Brickey Meadow Mist Designs
1/22/18 Shea Henderson Empty Bobbin Sewing Studio
1/23/18 Katie Larson Katie Larson Studio
1/24/18 Katie Pedersen Sew Katie Did

New Year, New Techniques

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Happy New Year Peeps!

Have you had your fill of green smoothies yet?

Students and I kicked off the new year in the studio Saturday by flexing our creative muscles with an Embrace Our Curves workshop. Confidence in mastering improvisational curves grew and unique designs started to grown on the design walls rather organically.

It was so inspiring I had to restrain myself from starting a new curved project as I cleaned up, well ok, maybe I started one;)

 This no pins required technique can be rather liberating.  Come join me in the next round of this inspiring workshop, including a Presidents’ Day session for my 9-5er peeps.  FULL  Saturday, March 24th Available.

Don’t know if you’ve seen them on my Instagram or Facebook feed, but just in time for Valentine’s Day I’ve added some new heart shaped quilt samples to My Double-Trouble Quilt block class.  You might all have had enough of my hearts over the past year.  According it Jefe it’s looking like an epidemic around here.  I’ll take it;)

Not into hearts?  No worries I still heart you and we’ll play with all types of geometric shapes of design layouts.  Bonus, learn some shortcuts for making multiple half-square triangle blocks.

sew katie did | double-trouble quilt block | seattle quilting and sewing studio

 

Wanna have some hand binding ready for quality couch time this winter?  Or maybe try your hand at box or zip pouches? Open Studios for the month of January are up and might be your calling.  Please come pick my brain, learn something new and finish up while using the studio’s tools and Berninas. Sometimes we just need to make the time and have the space (or huge design wall) available to get things done!

All other available workshops are listed and can be schedule by contacting me😉

There will be plenty of traveling this season.  If you’re in the neighborhood I’d love to see you.  Please spread the word!

sew katie did | Seattle Modern Quilting & Sewing Studio | #seattlemodernquiltiingstudio

Embrace Your Curves | Mastering Improvisational Curves Workshop-

No pins required for this wonderfully liberated technique!  Curves aren’t complicated when you create them improvisationally, even for beginners.  We’ll go beyond mastering a curve and cover how to make your blocks unique by creating strip pieced rings and adding straight strips.  Learn design and construction techniques to create blocks that back into the sizes you need to finish a project like a quilt, pillow or box pouch.

Let’s embrace our curves and add this fun technique to your quilting arsenal.  If you enjoy my other classes that focus on technique within a finished block and freedom from matching seams than this is the next class on your list;)

Double-Trouble Triangles Workshop-

A modern quilt block that is really no trouble at all!

Double-Trouble is a fun quilt block and design workshop that merges a traditional half-square triangle block with an improvisational stitch and flip triangle technique. We’lll explore and inspire each other on the design walls with the unlimited controlled and chaotic quilt design potential this block has to offer.  One block = endless designs!

I’ll will have multiple examples made with prints and solids to show for inspiration.

P.S.  I wanted to share a little game changer for sewing.  These LED light strips stick to the inside harp of your sewing machine.  I can’t rave enough about how much they improve sewing on long dark rainy days or make my ailing eye sight seem drastically improved.  Treat Yourself!

 

 

I’ve got four quilts bound and am ready for Winter/Couch Olympics.  Hope to see you and that your season’s start is creative.  xo Katie

Shortest Day of the Year

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This post has had over three names.  The one named ‘shortest day of the year’ might be an indication of how many times I tried to make it here.  Life has taken control and I’ve gone with it, but it’s time to hit the ‘post’ button.

I love the reflection that the new year brings.  I’ve been thinking lately about the comfortable pace at which my teaching, lecturing and working with students in the studio has grown over the past few years and nestled itself happily into my life.  I’m truly thankful to hang out with a bunch of people that share the same delight in cutting fabric apart and sew it back together.  A big thanks for your support and spreading the word about the studio and my teaching.

My season of travel is coming up and I’ve had the opportunity to travel to places I’ve never been for teaching and lectures.  I’ve also spread my wings a bit and accepted an invite to teach at a private retreat.  What a fun treat to have several days to work on one quilt technique.

Here’s 2018’s workshops and lectures:

  • January | Maple Valley Washington
  • January | Vancouver Washington
  • February | Frasier Valley BC and Quiltcon
  • March | Private Retreat in Leavenworth WA
  • March | Boca Raton Florida
  • June | Friday Harbor Washington

I’m pretty thrilled with my workshop offerings now.  They have really tightened up in the past year and the feedback on my style of teaching has been wonderful.

As a teacher I’ve found that improvisational techniques are fun, but without a block structure most students were going to leave a workshop with another UFO regardless of showing them how to build out a quilt design.  Sure, it would be great to create whatever I want, but as I’m designing I have to ask myself, “How could I teach this?”  That question alone brings me back to block construction.  Combining an improvisational technique with block structure has led my workshops onto a path that everyone seems to feel they can successfully finish a quilt that’s unique to them.  Win-Win.

sew katie did | Seattle Modern Quilting & Sewing Studio | #seattlemodernquiltiingstudio

Winter will be a tight wrap for the studio with all the travel, but I’ve got a few workshops and Open Studios lined up and I’ll get a few more up in the next week or so.  Embrace your Curves is this Saturday and I have had a last minute cancelation if anyone is interested in making blocks using this improv technique.  No pin curves, I promise!

We’ll also be making some zip pouches on Friday January 19th, one slot left.

I’m not much of a resolutions person, but I am a creature of habit and like to think about things that create happiness.  I generally pick something small and if I’m going to deprive myself of some indulgence I always pick the month of February since it’s the shortest;) Last year I made my bed every day and this year I was toying with 15 burpees a day, but haven’t done it yet.  Got any similar plans?

We’ll see what happens for 2018 Peeps.  Have a great holiday.

Paneling | An Improvisational Quilt Design Tutorial

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I snapped a few photos of the construction method I refer to in my improvisational workshops as ‘paneling.’  My Skewed Symmetry quilt is just one example of what students can do with the cast off blocks from my strip piecing workshop Psychedelic Baby and finish with paneling.

I’m missing some of the basic photos, but I think you’ll get the idea. When designing improvisationally a design wall is a must (see my tutorial here).  If you’re lacking design wall space this one is for you.

1) Complete Blocks & Trim | The first step is sewing together the cast off blocks along their angled edge to create the mitered log cabins.  Trim to their largest square or rectangular size.

2) Construct 2 Columns with Blocks | Play with the layout of your blocks by stacking them on the design wall into two columns of blocks.  Each of my columns has 4 mitered log cabin blocks.

In the photo above I’ve already sewn some background fabric to the top and side of block in the right upper corner and to the side of the bottom block, but the vertical continuous straight line you see above is where the two columns of blocks come together.

3) Panel Out Blocks |  If you have a certain quilt size in mind then create yourself some margins to stay within by taping out the size of the finished quilt on the design wall next.  I just used pins for this one.

Now that you have your quilt size marked, choose a background fabric and measure out with a tape measure from the top of the block to the tape/pins marking the top of the quilt.  Cut your fabric and sew to the top of the upper block.  I usually go a little larger so I can trim down in the end and don’t have to fuss with seams.  

Trim the background fabric you’ve added so that it is square with the side of the block.  Now we add background fabric to the side of this block and bring it to the width we’ve taped/pinned out. Take a measurement for the background fabric again adding for seams.

sew katie did | Seattle Modern Quilting & Sewing Studio | Improv Paneling Tutorial

Continue adding background fabric to the side of the blocks by measuring out from the block to your quilt’s margins and trim the background fabric square to the blocks.  Finish the column by adding background fabric to the bottom of the last block in the column just as you did with the first block.

sew katie did | Seattle Modern Quilting & Sewing Studio | Quilt Paneling Tutorial

Now I repeat the paneling on the left with black as my background fabric.  Follow the directions above.

I didn’t talk about the little bits of vertical ‘strata’ at the top and bottom, but those are just added to the side of the background fabric prior to adding them to the blocks on the bottom right and top left.

sew katie did | Seattle Modern Quilting & Sewing Studio | Improv Quilt Paneling Tutorial

Sew Blocks into Columns | Now that all my blocks have background fabric I sew them together into the two columns and trim a straight edge on both sides as needed.

sew katie did | Seattle Modern Quilting & Sewing Studio | Strata

Sew Columns Together | I usually pin the columns if I want something to match and sew them together.  I like to use (2) huge square templates and a 36″ ruler or two to square it to size.

sew katie did | Seattle Modern Quilting & Sewing Studio | Strata

One of my No/Know Quilts is constructed in a very similar manner with the exception of rows AND columns.

I’m currently binding another quilt that is an example of what you can do with the cast off blocks that isn’t improvisational in design.  Hope to show you all that one soon.

If you want to learn more about improvisational quilt design we have a whole chapter in Quilting Modern about it!  If you’re interested in these blocks I’m teaching it at Quiltcon and there are some spaces left;)

Happy Week Peeps!