blog

:: Run-In Quilt ::

July 16, 2020 By Katie

Since last week the neighbor’s chickens and I are up around 5:30am. About midweek I found myself wandering into the studio instead of the garden or behind the computer. I puttered around with a couple of quilts and soon I’d filled ALL of the design walls, mostly with new projects, because, why not?

My routine has been to piece one block for each of the quilts daily. You’d think that wouldn’t take long, but I swear, I sew much faster in my head and before I know it I’ve ended up spending a full day in the studio. Rotating through each quilt has been a good improvisational process for developing the color ways and holding my attention. I’m hoping to show you one of those in the next post if my momentum continues.

Today I’ve got another oldie that has traveled all around the world with one of the first Modern Quilt Guild shows, but never made it to some good photos. It deserves a remake, but reminds me of how far modern quilting’s evolution has come in design and artistry.

sew Katie did | Seattle Modern Quilting & Sewing Studio

I can’t recall much about my creative process in making this quilt, but I remember having played with the improvisational Slice & Insert technique from our book Quilting Modern in the same way early on in this quilt here and wanted to apply it to a different layout.

Run-In has been my best example in my straight line quilting workshop of a more organic 90ish degree turn using a walking foot. Quilting it this way was pretty carefree. I don’t think I’d do it differently in a remake.

I like a generously sized baby quilt and for backing went for a wider Echino fabric intended for some pillows that never got made, no piecing required. Linen on the front and linen on the back gave it fabulous drape. Washed up it’s super soft and finally ready for a new home with a neighbor baby.

I finished the ironing station I mentioned last week. I was trying to be all precise with measuring to make a top (here’s the old one and the tutorial) and somewhat achieved a satisfying cover. It will do and certainly needs some use to lose the puffiness three layers of batting gives it.

Luckily I’ll be looking at it from the top most of the time so the off-set of the print on the side will only bother me when I’m walking down the stairs.

One of the quilts on the design wall is a scrappy mix between my Value Hearts and Splintered Hearts Quilts with a plan of adding improvisational triangles. Not sure how it will develop, but having my scraps handy is pretty convenient and inspirational.

The timing was perfect. With the subfloor in the kitchen leveled/replaced yesterday my old pressing station became a mobile unit for some of my cookbooks and a few plants. We’ll move everything back in as we figure out floor plans for altering the break your neck basement stairs and the impact that will have on the kitchen layout. At least now things won’t magically roll north.

To answer a few questions I’ve been getting:

-No, it’s not you, I turned off comments since I was getting spammed too much for Viagra.

-My website contact form isn’t working for some people, but the email address is there on the page.

-Thanks for the inquiries, but I decided not to teach at Quiltcon next year. I’m still contemplating Craft Napa and some sort of live on-line guild/workshop things. If you’d like to be notified when just shoot me an email and I’ll add you to the list and/or will announce here.

The good news of no kitchen is take out for lunch AND dinner, freeing up the whole day for the studio. Hope you’re all finding some creative ways to embrace all this change.

xo Katie

:: Leftovers ::

July 9, 2020 By Katie

It seems ridiculous to me that it’s July 9th and I’m freezing, all wrapped up in a quilt on my couch;)

I guess we got spoiled in May.

But snuggling up in a quilt isn’t all bad, so I thought I’d use this lounging moment as an opportunity to share some projects I’ve posted on Instagram, but have yet to make it here.

My Mom use to tell me jokingly that her favorite part of quilt making was buying the fabrics. I can’t argue with that fun, but second best for me is always picking the color way. It’s super hard for me to limit my palette and/or not throw a print in, so even this one felt minimalistic.

The color way was inspired by this creative lady’s quilt. I added a little texture to the mix via a yarn-dye fabric in gray.

sew katie did |Seattle Modern Sewing & Quilting Studio | Side-Hustle Quilt

Obviously, I needed more pillows AND I had leftovers from the my Side Hustle Quilt above.

The backing is the softest fabric IKEA ever sold. I wish I had more.

Quilted it out in these easy Vs.

I want to make everything out of this color way.

Good thing I have like a gazillion blocks leftover from making that first quilt.

They’ve been up on the design wall in a couple layouts and then folded up and put away for another day.

I’ve got quite a pile of unfinished tops now, so more focus should probably be applied to quilting, but with zero road trips planned I’m not really feeling the pressure to have quilts in binding stage.

After I talk myself out from under this quilt and off the couch this afternoon’s project is going to be Frankenbatting large batting scraps together to make a new ironing station for this lovely.

I almost talked myself into the ease of ordering a piece of batting large enough to cover it with the 3 layers it needs, but I’ve got so many large pieces of batting leftover from quilts it seemed frivolous. It will take some time to measure and give them some straight edges, but then I can simply butt those pieces together and connect them with a zig zag stitch to get the sizes I need. I could use one less tote of something in the basement anyway.

I’ll have to remember to snap a photo of its peek-a-boo drawers full of scraps I sorted by color. Its usefulness for organization makes me so happy.

Since we don’t have enough projects started, we demolished the kitchen after the dishwasher started leaking and the rest of everything had exhausted itself. My original station might go back to being a cookbook shelf as it would be a functional mobile unit to shuffle around.

So I guess I’m also crossing my fingers for better grilling weather.

Having some faith in our future here, the Denver Metro Modern Quilt Guild and I are going to hang out in 2021 for a workshop, they join the Kenai Peninsula Quilting Guild and the Beach Cities Quilters Guild on the calendar. I love that we’re looking to the future of being in person again even if it seems far off.

Take Care Peeps. xo Katie

:: Deep Freeze Pillows ::

June 29, 2020 By Katie

I often mention cooking and gardening being kindred spirits to sewing for me. The other day as I cleaned out the freezer and tidied up the studio it got me thinking that quilting projects and frozen food live somewhat parallel lives and that the same phenomenon occurs in both spaces.

Surely I’ll remember my meal plan for that unlabeled jar, and similarly, there must have been an intention for those strips boxed in the studio? A photo might have been snapped or a cookbook inspiration dog-eared, but why not just start from scratch, just make something?

I don’t think the strips were originally destined to become pillows, just like that apple cider I thought was chicken broth wasn’t meant to be added to the sauce, but in the end I liked the finish.

Same block, but two different designs depending how you slice it. As you likely have figured out, I’ve got a thing for this yarn dyed Essex. The grey and white play so nicely together with my million other pillows.

Reality is, the more pillows you make, the more you have that go together;)

I quilted straight lines in white.

Unlike quilts, pillows require so little backing. This Alexander Henry found its home.

I finished them both with my invisible zipper tutorial.

Of course there’s still an abundance of strips left. We’ll see what recipe these unlabeled left overs cook up into at a later date. I’m sure several times over they’ll transform, it’s in the air lately.

I’ve had inquiries about online teaching for guilds and yearly events since the world has been turned upside-down. This move will happen at some point, but altering my business model is going to take some time, especially since it’s looking like schooling will be at home this fall. I’m slowly considering my angles, rewriting contracts and consulting my peers about what’s working best for them. But I’ve gotta say that virtual teaching isn’t where my heart or mind currently are. Of course I’d much rather be with you all.

After a great deal of thought I cancelled with an online teaching event announced last week. On the day classes were announced Instagram was lit up with teacher’s studios transformed into recording studios, lights and equipment galore. While I’m so excited for my peers, I’m beyond words relieved that my studio remains a sewing studio, its design walls full of the stuff that comes out of my brain and continues to transform and inspire. I don’t think I would feel the same about it had I done what is referred to now as the “pivot.”

Things have a way of working out. Just like when you think that unlabeled jar of apple cider is chicken broth and you add it to the pan. You don’t always have to follow the recipe, the pattern or the crowd.

That’s it peeps, hope you’re getting some clean out time and sewing/cooking/gardening/happy time too;)

xoxo katie

:: Throwing Stars Quilt ::

June 15, 2020 By Katie

I cracked up finding photos I have of Throwing Stars. This little quilt really gets around 🙂 There’s photos of its prestudio starts in the little sewing room in the house and Birch Bay, as a quilt top on Vashon Island, and all finished at the front and back of our house, some during a snowstorm, Whidbey Island, Quiltcon…

Lately, you’ll mostly find it keeping me company on my couch. For always thinking it was oddly sized, it’s become my go-to lounging quilt since the day I laid it upon my lap to bind it.

One place it hasn’t been in all this time is here. Time to share.

I love scrap quilts. Scraps are an opportunity to play with ideas. They’re almost magical in the way that they bring back memories of past projects, people and special or not so special times. I even love watching people dig through the studio’s scrap bins to see the look of joy it brings to their faces. I feel the same. Sometimes they’ve found just the right scrap for their master plan, or a bit of a fabric they’ve always admired.

Those are the kind of scraps that made it into the improv triangles in this quilt along with a couple colors of yarn dyed Essex linen as background. The Essex, or something similar like a Carolina Chambray with all that soft texture really allows scraps to show their true character, giving them all a place to shine.

I sorta merged the block size system from my Magic Numbers Workshop (online tutorial here) with the pieced improv triangle (you can find the triangle technique in Quilting Modern).

I placed my blocks into the throwing stars shape as a layout example. I think I had to stop at about 12 block examples for the workshop, but I certainly could have continued as the layout ideas just wouldn’t stop.

Above are just a few block layouts repeated in the Layout app. The designs a few of my friends and I came up with during a little workshop run through were, like I said, endless. Repeating the block designs certainly isn’t necessarily and could create an improvisational design.

Of course, playing with color can only add another layer.

I debated going with swirls on this one with the quilting, but didn’t diverge from my straight lines. Initially I was a little unhappy with some of the quilting creating puffiness possibly due to poor basting, but as they say, it all came out in the wash.

I pulled from the stash for a backing. That might never end.

I’m guessing this won’t be the last example you’ll see from me merging these two techniques and you’ll for sure be seeing this class on-line in the next year, so hope to ‘meet you’ there;)

:: Brighter Skies Quilt ::

May 24, 2020 By Katie

I know, this photo has nothing to do with quilting and I’m not even wrapped in a quilt, but truth be told, there has been very little sewing. During all of this crazy Seattle has been delivered a gift of mild weather. I’ve taken advantage of it by spending the majority of my time outside.

sew Katie did | Seattle Modern Quilting & Sewing Studio | Brighter Skies Quilt

Any studio time has been purely spent in mask making production mode with the exception of a two week binge in the beginning of shelter in place. I shared my Coin Quilt probably a month ago now and Brighter Skies I finished right after.

Elizabeth Hartman’s Sparkle Punch caught my attention several years ago, and like most new starts I got a wild hair one day and just started pulling from stash for each star as I went along.

The improv stitch and flip triangle technique is one Jacquie and I covered in our Quilting Modern book and I’ve applied it to all sorts of designs over the years.

It didn’t need anything special with the quilting and I have a box of Metler spools in white so that was its finish. Of course I picked a fabric that I had very little left of for the binding AND I wanted the stripes to be adjacent to the edge, so there’s probably way too much piecing involved, but I love it.

A few stars that didn’t fit in the front of the quilt created their own constellation at the back. What a great go-to baby quilt design.

If you’re looking to start something from stash this would be a great way to use up scraps and the background blocks a good exercise in practicing color value.

I’m often conflicted on a regular day of showing my personal life on social media, especially now when so many aren’t experiencing all the gardening, baking and cooking, or sitting by a fire, but these hobbies are kindred spirits to sewing for me and I’m grateful for their distractions and the happiness they bring me right now.

Though Seattle is where I’ve grown roots, my hometown in Michigan is experiencing another catastrophe on top of all this. People need help, please make sure to reach out to your friends, family and neighbors. I’ve been asking those I’ve made masks for to please donate to any food bank. We can all help in small ways and it adds up.

I’m not sure why or what all of you are doing in your spare computer time, but the bots and spammers that leave comments here seem to think quilters are super interested in Viagra, gambling and sports t-shirts, so I’ve disabled comments on my site. If you need to get ahold of me for any reason go ahead and use the contact form on my site and I’ll get back to you.

I’m hoping to make it to finishing a back for this Magic Number version of the stars tomorrow since it’s looking like rain. Crossing fingers for motivation;)

xoxo Katie

P.S. and please please please wear your mask.

:: Pony Up Quilt | Design Potential ::

May 3, 2020 By Katie

In our current state it’s rather dreamy to think about packing up and going on a sewing retreat, but that’s where this quilt started and where my mind was as I finished it here one sunny morning.

This will be the first year in many my little tribe won’t go sew, eat, drink and walk the beach so it seemed the most appropriate pull from the growing pile of UFOs.

Because I sew faster in my head than in real life, I tend to have an unrealistic vision of what I can complete in four days + days of retreat, same goes for the cooking.

A no boundaries approach would lead to the entire studio being loaded, so I tend to look for something double or triple duty in tools and material. Under those guidelines there’s no technique full of more potential than improvisational strip piecing. Half hatched ideas using that technique made the cut this past trip.

I enjoy teaching what I call an Improv Coin Quilt as my beginning improv class and wanted to take my teaching samples to make another example quilt for layout options.

In my workshops there always tends to be student or two that have taken a beginning quilting class with a more traditional scope. All those important skills like precise cutting and matching points have been covered, but what I love the most is how they just light up when they come to discover that quilting doesn’t always have to be that way.

You’d never guess from it’s simplicity how much I messed with the layout.

As far as the quilting I went with straight lines which is a divergence from the quilting design I used on my first quilt sample for this class back in 2011.

I’m a lazy quilter and like to run off the edge of my quilts. My process wasn’t any different for this one, starting with quilting a quarter inch from the seams to tack them down and working in lines here and there until it seemed visually pleasing;).

I tease at my trunk shows that I bought all of the Anna Maria Horner flannel out there so no one else can have it and I’m still using it for my quilt backs. I love the weight and drape.

I went with faced binding, a first for me. The jury is still out on whether I like it or not. I can see its appeal on an art quilt or wall hanging, but I make utilitarian quilts and I think the cuteness factor of a baby quilt would have held better had it had a binding.

You’ll be seeing more of this fabric combo and improv strip piecing in the two other quilt tops I finished at the retreat last May. They all match my box pouch. I love the color way and the pony fabric.

I’m calling Pony Up my second quilt finish of 2020.

I haven’t been in the studio much since the initial order to physically distance ourselves with the exceptions of finishing these two quilts and have just let that be. Jefe has etched out a corner of the studio for an office and our dining room table is now a school.

For me, gardening and cooking are sewing’s kindred spirits and with the weather playing so nicely my garden has been where my head space seems best. I got back to my running routine this past week after more than a few weeks of pure laziness. I’m amazed not only with how quickly things grow and bloom this time of year in Seattle, but also how quickly the muscles atrophy;)

We have rain this weekend so a little studio clean up happened yesterday with hopes of making it in there today.

Hope you are all well. xoxo

xoxo

|| Heart Shaped ||

February 10, 2020 By Katie

When I look at all the things I’ve created, it’s pretty obvious I like heart shaped blocks mixed with a little improvisational technique.

I’ve been putting my heart shaped projects up on Instagram, but thought it might be fun to share here too.

sew katie did | Seattle Modern Quilting & Sewing Studio | BIG Tossed Hearts Quilt

The Crusted Heart pillow and the BIG Tossed Hearts quilt above are two of my favorites. These crazy pieced blocks are a little addictive to make. I combine them with half square triangles and an improv triangle to come up with their shape.

I know most of you are probably running out of fabric, but if you aren’t cut a square from all your yardage and make a Value Quilt. I’ve got a new layout in my head for my Value Quilt workshop that creates light and dark hearts. That will have to wait until retreat, but I’ve got my squares all cut.

I think it’s safe to say that strip piecing is my go-to technique. My friend Sandie at Sleepy Owl Studio and I put together the tutorial for the Heart Strings quilt a few years ago.

I’ve made this Fractured Heart quilt twice over now, and of course matching pillows. They’re all made with blocks created in the workshop Double-Trouble. I’ve gotten way more comfortable teaching the heart shape thanks to students requesting it as a specific workshop.

sew katie did | Seattle Modern Quilting & Sewing Studio | Splintered Hearts

sew katie did | Seattle Modern Quilting & Sewing Studio | Have a Heart Quilt

The colors in these pillows work so awesome with some of my other non heart ones. That could be a whole blog post in itself.

This one’s a work in progress. I’ve taken it apart twice and am still not thrilled so it’s marinating somewhere.

I know the heart shape isn’t for everyone, so we can dream up other designs in Crushed It and Double Trouble. Both workshops are on the studio’s March schedule along with a couple Modern Quilting 101 workshops. My Coin Quilt workshop teaches beginner improv piecing and design, while Improvisational Triangles angles a bit more towards building technical skills like cutting and precise piecing with an improv technique thrown in. I can’t help myself that way;)

As always, if you see something on the workshops page that you’d like to schedule just contact me and we’ll schedule.

Since it’s entirely possible I might now make it here until April I thought I’d share what 2020-21 is shaping up to look like. Maybe you’ll be in the neighborhood;)

xoxo

:: Upcoming Events for 2020 ::

February 20-23rd 2020| Austin, TX | Quiltcon

February 25th 2020 | Puyallup, WA | Comforter Quilt Guild | Lecture

April 9th, 10th and 11th 2020 | Vancouver, WA | Clark County Quilt Guild | Featured Artist, Quilt Walks and Workshops

May 11th 2020 | Northwest Quilters | Portland, OR | Lecture and Workshops

June 2nd 2020 | Omaha, Nebraska | Omaha Modern Quilt Guild | Workshop and Lecture

:: Upcoming Events for 2021 ::

January 13th-17th | Craft Napa | More information to come

June 4th and 5th | Soldotna, AK | Kenai Peninsula Quilting Guild | Lecture and Workshops

August 12th-14th 2021 | Mission Viejo, CA |Beach Cities Quilters Guild | Lecture and Workshops

xoxo

:: Finishing It Up ::

January 20, 2020 By Katie

sew katie did | Seattle Modern Quilting and Sewing Studio | Psychedelic Baby Quilt Block — Yes, as you can see, I like a straight line.

After finishing my king size Value Heart Quilt with straight lines, I said I’d never do it again, but I’m thinking my newest sample quilt for my Magic Numbers workshop is going to get the same treatment. I just loved the look so much. Never say never eh?

It was suppose to be a reasonable size for fitting in a suitcase for travel teaching, but I just couldn’t stop, and face it, if you have a Valentine’s Day quilt, then you obviously need a Christmas quilt;)

Other people are thinking of finishing quilts up for the new year, so I’ve added 3 dates for my Straight Line Quilting Workshop, Walk the Line. All have one slot left.

sew katie did | seattle modern quilting and sewing studio | straight line quilting workshop — When I was developing this workshop I didn’t want everyone to just walk away with a bunch of practice panels, but to also learn some additional sewing techniques and feel the joy of making something utilitarian. My friend Christina has this great nesting bucket pattern that makes a perfect canvas for our stitches.

On another note, travel has started for the year with a great kick off at Craft Napa. I feel like I don’t need to eat for a few weeks since I grazed my way through the region. A student in one of my workshops stated that if you’re eating bad food in Napa you’re doing something wrong and she certainly was right. I’ll be returning next year.

Besides workshops in my Seattle studio, here’s the line up so far for 2020. You can see into 2021 here.

February 20-23rd 2020| Austin, TX | Quiltcon
February 25th 2020 | Puyallup, WA | Comforter Quilt Guild | Lecture
April 9th, 10th and 11th 2020 | Vancouver, WA | Clark County Quilt Guild | Featured Artist, Quilt Walks and Workshops
May 11th 2020 | Northwest Quilters | Portland, OR | Lecture and Workshops
June 2nd 2020 | Omaha, Nebraska | Omaha Modern Quilt Guild | Workshop and Lecture

Hope your new year has had a great kick off. I’m intending to make it to this little space more often;)

Droppin’ the ball, but it keeps rollin’

October 9, 2019 By Katie

I know I’ve dropped the ball on my blog posting lately and there’s a long list of excuses that I’d rather not bore you with, but I do want to share where I’ll be teaching nationally in the upcoming year.

:: Upcoming Events for 2019 ::

October 15th | Mukitleo, WA | Mukilteo Lighthouse Quilters | Lecture

October 27th- 29th 2019: Chicago, IL | Prairie Star Quilters Guild | Lectures and Workshop

:: Upcoming Events for 2020 ::

January 16th-17th 2020 | Craft Napa | More information to come

February 20-23rd 2020| Austin, TX | Quiltcon

February 25th 2020 | Puyallup, WA | Comforter Quilt Guild | Lecture

April 9th, 10th and 11th 2020 | Vancouver, WA | Clark County Quilt Guild | Featured Artist, Quilt Walks and Workshops

May 11th 2020 | Northwest Quilters | Portland, OR | Lecture and Workshops

June 2nd 2020 | Omaha, Nebraska | Omaha Modern Quilt Guild | Workshop and Lecture

:: Upcoming Events for 2021 ::

June 4th and 5th | Soldotna, AK | Kenai Peninsula Quilting Guild | Lecture and Workshops

August 12th-14th 2021 | Mission Viejo, CA |Beach Cities Quilters Guild | Lecture and Workshops

I launched a new quilting workshop called Modern Quilting 101, but have some of the standards listed before the holiday. If you’re thinking of jump starting on your gifts, now’s the time for classes and open studios. Open studios are a good time for napkins, bags and invisible zipper pillows or to finish up projects in a social atmosphere. I’ll help ya;)

I’ve got the zip pouches, box pouches and straight line quilting workshops up. I find the buckets we make with our straight line quilting samples perfect for hostess gifts like napkins or cookies.

Well hopefully that isn’t it for blogging for me this year. Talk soon Peeps;)

:: Side Hustle Quilt ::

April 5, 2019 By Katie

I really wanted to call this quilt Avocado Kitchen.

There’s something about these colors together that I love, but I get the feeling 20 years from now the combo might be like an avocado colored kitchen appliance.

I thought while making the blocks that I would repeat either this or this layout, but came up with a new design by folding and playing with them on the design wall before slicing. I’ve got my sights set on another layout in a binary color scheme now.

This one just needed straight lines.

I’m still using up stash for backs. It’s interesting to look at them all finished and reflect on what I like or what I would have done differently.

I feel like I really haven’t been doing that much sewing lately and I’m not quite sure what happened to March. Looking at the calendar April is going to blow by too. The good news about this is I get to go on retreat with my girlfriends in May.

I’m already sorting though possible projects to take. I’m thinking of pulling the cast off blocks from this quilt from the design wall and taking them with me.

I’ve got two more samples in mind to make for this workshop and then I’m ready to move onto some new workshop development. I’ve so enjoyed making and teaching this block. I can credit all of the block layouts and quilt designs to my inability to make the same quilt twice.

I haven’t listed a date for this workshop, so if you’d ever like to take it you can email me, more information here.

Happy Making Peeps.

The Bainbridge MQG workshop on Double-Trouble is full, but there are still slots at the Everett Quilt Show on April 27th. I’ll be presenting my quilts in a lecture at night on Friday, April 26th.

BIG Tossed Hearts Quilt

March 27, 2019 By Katie

Seattle continuously delivers a good snow day per year. I enjoy it as a legit excuse to spend the time at home, watch the kids be kids and be generally lazy.

Plus those kids are useful to hold quilts;)

I’ve taught the Crushed It workshop around Puget Sound and the studio a bit this month, and I have three favorite parts of this workshop.

First is the excitement from students about how easily the blocks come together and the fun shapes they create.
Second, seeing what background fabrics make the piecing pop.
Students telling me they went home and couldn’t stop making them;)

I’ve got a little of it brewing up on my own design wall lately too.

My background audition started with a flax that quickly was restashed. The crimson dead on. I built the hearts into squarish blocks with the crimson and decided on this tumbling layout with the hearts.

From there I began paneling out the quilt top’s construction. When I ran out of that specific crimson I went to stash for more…and more…and more. The end result is a richly textured background and in my opinion way more interesting than had I stuck with one solid. Shot cottons, Kona, Cotton Couture, plus some others all live harmoniously together.

The binding spoke that it needed that color too, so it got an all most solid print, I didn’t want to distract from the hearts. I flanged this one too for a little frame. Backing is an old Erin McMorris from her first line Slope Park. I finished it off with vertical straight lines in lavender (some straighter than other ;).

Love this technique and quilt. I’ve got the workshop on the studio schedule for Wednesday April 10th and Saturday April 13th. Sign up here.

FYI- I’ll also be at:

The Everett Quilt Show| Lecture Friday, April 26th 7pm and Double-Trouble Triangle Workshop Saturday, April 27th 9am.

Bainbridge MQG | Double-Trouble Triangles Workshop Saturday, May 4th 10am.

Gig Harbor, Mukiteo, Chicago, Omaha and Napa details soon.

:: Going Circular Quilt ::

February 11, 2019 By Katie

It’s still snowing in Seattle which makes for small helpers around and good light. Two futsal games and Super Bowl in a single day gave me some time to finish up the binding on a few quilts including this Free-Wheeling Girl.

I purchased the templates and pattern from Next Stitch.

The pattern I cast aside and went improv on creating the rings. I traced the inner ring template onto paper so that I could foundation piece the bits.

I mixed old and new for fabrics into a combo that started with my box pouch pattern and stuck. Playing with the same fabrics surrounded in different background colors on the design wall creates a dramatically different feel.

Sandie and I loaded it on her long arm and went straight line. I told her I was going to do horizontal lines at which she laughed when we took it off as it is square;)

It’s perfect.

This IKEA fabric I used for the backing has made its way into a few projects including a cover for my pressing station (tutorial here) and some sewing machine covers that I’ll show you soon along with a very easy pattern I’ve created.

A print made into flange finished the binding along with the Essex I used as the background. It was kind of random that I saw the purple on the stash shelf and thought to add it as a flange as there’s none of it in the quilt, but it works.

I realized only after I was done that I’d made the purple too wide and had to redo the whole thing. I cut mine at 7/8″ and I’m glad I redid. I use this easy technique all the time and Jaybird Quilts has a great tutorial.

I’ve added this workshop to the calendar so I can teach all the tricks and tips I learned improvisationally creating the rings and piecing the curves. Any curved ringed template or pattern will do, but I’ll have the curved templates available in the studio too for you to experiment.

My student Maureen has been working on similar in the studio but with the Single Girl Pattern and the templates I made for it years ago. I have to admit I’m a bit more in love with the larger rings, so I’ll be playing with some piecing and making the paper rings for the class and my next sample, be it most likely a pillow;) But you know how I love pillows.

Happy Snow Day from Seattle Peeps!

« Previous Page

:: Run-In Quilt ::

:: Leftovers ::

:: Deep Freeze Pillows ::

:: Throwing Stars Quilt ::

:: Brighter Skies Quilt ::

:: Pony Up Quilt | Design Potential ::

|| Heart Shaped ||

:: Finishing It Up ::

Droppin’ the ball, but it keeps rollin’

:: Side Hustle Quilt ::

BIG Tossed Hearts Quilt

:: Going Circular Quilt ::

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