modern quilt

::Happy Additions::

November 11, 2013 By Katie

I spent Sunday at Island Quilter teaching some gift classes. I started dreaming up new quilts with the happy colored fabrics that had come in since my last visit. All the pastels and the bright oranges were talking to me.

I didn’t even notice it until it was all washed and folded, but the cheerful Kaffe Fasset button fabric even has smiley faces on it:). How cute is that? I added in some of the Briar Rose by Heather Ross (they have the full line), a little Anna Maria Horner and some Lizzy House Pearl Bracelet. I’ll be stashing some more of the strawberries and adding the other Kaffe Fasset buttons when I have an excuse.

I’ve been dying to make a Sparkle Punch forever and my additional purchase of Essex in flax sealed the deal for the starts of that quilt. I figured while I was cutting I should just make a new Magic Number Quilt sample for my workshop Sunday. Stay tuned on that one, I plan on piecing my design tomorrow.

Freddy Moran’s quilts are up throughout the month of November. Freddy’s amazing. She believes red is a neutral. If you’ve only ever seen her quilts in books now’s your chance to see how fun and amazing they are.

We’ll be running an open studio Saturday, November 30th from 11am-9pm at Island Quilter if you need to step away from the leftovers and spend a day on sewing gifts. Follow the link to sign-up and I’ll say it again, “Step away from the turkey.”

::Mod TV Remake::

October 28, 2013 By Katie

I had thought I shot myself in the foot when I originally scheduled a Log Cabin Block class.

Regardless of all the variations we put in the Log Cabin Makeover chapter in Quilting Modern, it just seemed impossible as I was putting together my handouts to make a log cabin workshop fun. How after instructing the simple construction of the logs was I going to keep my students and myself inspired for 6 hours?

Sometimes things just exceed your expectations and students guide the class with their creativity and charisma. I’ve begun distributing inspiration prior to classes to get those a little tentative about a new technique thinking. I covered the basics, showed a million log cabin examples from my own collection and then we started with a fun warm up activity to get the juices flowing that everyone said they very much enjoyed.

Plus, who says a log cabin has to be just a log cabin? These blocks are really an opportunity to combine techniques and play with fabrics we love. Strip piecing, crazy piecing, double gauze addition? Anything goes really. Simple or detailed, they are only limited by imagination.

What was missing from my samples was a minimalist log cabin sample. Mod TV is the perfect beginner quilt for jumping into improvisational modern quilt design. I pieced this together in an afternoon, great for a class, but everyone can come up with their own thing.

A dose of leftovers made it into the back and this incredible Sketch flannel frames them in.

Krista held my hand while I used her long-arm to create the ‘static’ quilting, but this could easily be executed on a domestic machine.

I’m pretty excited to be running the Log Cabin Quilt workshop again at The Quilting Loft on Saturday, November 9th if you weren’t able to get into the last class. Should be a day of fun! Here’s some more log cabin inspiration.

::Going Crazy In Portland::

October 10, 2013 By Katie

During Quilt Market, I attended a Modern Quilt Guild-hosted happy hour event sponsored at and by Portland’s Modern Domestic. We’re pretty spoiled here in Seattle with our fabric boutique/sewing studio gem, Drygoods Design and Portland looks to be lucky as well.

Modern Domestic’s selection of fabrics, as well as their workspace are impressive. Together we set up a modern Crazy Piecing workshop for Friday, October 18th and now that date is just around the corner!

I’m looking forward to seeing new faces as well as a few people I can now call friends.

Of course I needed a new workshop sample.

For how simple the design of this quilt bloody turned out to be you would never have guessed how much I hemmed and hawed about it’s design (unless you follow me on Instagram, in which case you might already have seen enough of this quilt;). It kept seeming like I needed a fabric I just didn’t have, which is totally ridiculous.

The geese ‘blocks’ existed for a few weeks before I went back to my original plan of placing them in the Osnaburgh utility cloth. I also had the best intensions of quilting this one with a concentric circle pattern starting in the corner like a sun behind the geese, but time got the best of me AND I have a friend who awesomely quilts (and IS awesome, but that’s a different story).

I delivered it to Krista and she did her quilting magic. She even placed the ‘ghost geese’ that I wanted,

including the one diving of the edge.

I hugged this quilt when I pulled it from the dryer. I love this quilt!

Krista and I kid around about the traditional flange we like to add to quilts like this. But all this negative space bound in the same cloth just needs that extra framing to define the edge and bring it all together. I used Jaybird Quilt’s tutorial for this, but I go 7/8.” I think the citron Heath fabric lends a little brightness.

I think the beauty of the improvisational Crazy Piecing technique is how versatile it is for placing into all sorts of shapes and projects. In Quilting Modern Jacquie and I stuck to mostly rectangles and wedges, but I’ve seen Chandra’s letter ‘H’ take shape, Krista’s triangles make it into quilts and many bits thrown into small projects like potholders, pillows and pouches.

I love teaching this workshop. I am excited to see where people will go with their crazy-pieced blocks and to share and absorb inspiration from some new people keen on quilting too.

I’ll also be talking about my quilting at the Portland Modern Quilt Guild‘s October meeting. This kind of thing makes me pretty happy, these get togethers with people who enjoy quilting makes it all sorts of fun.

::Get Your Cute Out::

September 11, 2013 By Katie

I like sweet novelty fabric and judging from the amount of pink prints in my stash, I apparently like pink too, a lot.

I thought Alexander Henry’s Once Upon a Time line fit the bill to converge with some large hexagons for my Hexagons by Machine workshop at Drygoods AND get my cute quilt out. It’s kind of like getting your rainbow quilt out I guess.

I like to make an initial stack of fabrics when I combine all prints and then I just have to cut and see how things work together on the design wall, as usual this results in enough precuts for another quilt. The good thing is I’m certainly not running out of fabric, so all is ok.

I’ve got quite a combo of fabric types going on in this quilt. Besides the Alexander Henry Princesses, there’s some Heather Ross double gauze, old Amy Butler flannel, the first run on Mirror Ball in pink, Lizzy House and Erin McMorris’ first line Park Slope thrown in and so on. For the backing I used Sock Monkey Textured Flannel in Pink. It’s been a hold out in my stash for ages and this quilt finally called for it.

Archetextures bound it.

The awesome bubble quilting I can take zero credit for. My friend Sandie quilted it on her long arm for me. The wool batting was a stellar choice on her part, it just makes it pop. Thanks Sandie!

I love this quilt! So sweet, or cute I guess.

Next is something a little sharper, but still novelty print based. I’ll cut and square out the sides, but just one would make a cute pillow or placemat for sure…now there’s a project idea.

I wanted to mention how much I appreciate all who comment and encourage me on this blog. I’m not the best responder, but you make my day. It’s important for me to just shut down the computer and give creative ventures and family attention. You can have emails delivered to your inbox when I post via the link in the right sidebar. Thanks to you!

Tomorrow’s my Open Studio at Drygoods if you have some spare time during the day to sew. Hope to see you there or that you have time to get your sew on!

::Benefits of Procrastination::

August 31, 2013 By Katie

I read an article once in the Wall Street Journal about being a better procrastinator. Apparently creative types often fall into this category, but you might be getting more done than you think. Go have a read.

I’m a procrastinator, but a very productive one. While I’m avoiding those deadlines I’m generally producing something new.

This cycle isn’t bad, it works for me. As I complete those new projects I have a feeling that I’ve accomplished something, even tidying up after steps me ahead, energizing me to tackle something small on that procrastinated abandoned project.

Sound familiar?

Of course when I procrastinate I spend some time daydreaming about new projects, being inspired by color and pattern around me,

and make new piles that I have no business making.

But even those baby steps help move me along. Think small steps, two quilt backs made, two quilts quilted, but then I stall and the squaring and binding will have to wait because I really need to make some fabric buckets right? There is probably some fabric I need to shop for too, because I might run out.

Oh, and not unlike the others I hang out with, I like to stare at fabric and move it around, so the cycle actually does come full circle, because I’ve been procrastinating these two quilts forever and they need to be done before I go to Portland in October to visit their Modern Quilt Guild and teach a workshop. I’m actually a little happy to see them up there and since I have two other things I should be doing first they might actually get some action.

So there, I finally got out the blog post that I’ve been procrastinating by procrastinating those bindings I need to do.

So who’s a productive procrastinator too?

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I’ve been holding onto one set of 6″ charm squares left from my blue destash for myself, but it’s time to destash it too! I had over 70 blue prints that I cut, many are out of print. If you are looking to add some blue to your fabric buffet I’m destashing these at $48 each, plus US flat rate shipping. Just shoot me an email at sewkatiedid@gmail.com. If you follow on Instagram that’s usually where my destashes are. Boys prints and greens are next and then black and whites.

::Scrappalicious Double-Trouble::

August 7, 2013 By Katie

Summer is serious this year in Seattle, finally!

The Northern Irish side of the family have come and gone already.

We took in a Sounders game in Vancouver and a load of swimming where ever we could.

These are the kind of summers that initially made me love Seattle when I was dating Jefe and would come visit. I’ve neglected my sewing machine and have been on a bit of a destash frenzy to cover the expense of our fun. Luckily winter gave me plenty of finished quilts to show off.

Thanks to Sandie my Scrappalicious Double-Trouble is quilted!

I showed design possibilities for this block here earlier and I’ll be running a Double-Trouble block workshop on Sunday, September 22nd at Drygoods if you want to come play.

We’ll cover the construction and design possibilities of the block, but since we will be playing with half-square triangles we’ll have one for ourselves and one to trade.

I’m in love with this small flower fabric that has disappeared from the face of the earth, and not because I bought it all, because I would have. It makes the sweetest binding.

I added some blocks to the back that have been hiding out in the unfinished project tote for awhile now.

It didn’t make a noticeable dent in that tote, but nice to see them somewhere. The rest of the back is flannel, it truly is lovely to the touch.

I’ll also be bringing all my scraps to add to the opposing corners of the block for the workshop. It’s fun to use up those small goodies. I’m hoping the weather will hold and we can open the french doors of the studio and shop the market for some autumn bounty to boot!

The couch received its summer pillows too.

I’ve got (4) sets of 6″ charm squares left from my blue destash. I had over 70 blue prints that I cut, many are out of print. If you are looking to add some blue to your fabric diet I’m destashing these at $48 each, plus US flat rate shipping. Just shoot me an email at sewkatiedid@gmail.com. Green is coming next. If you follow on Instagram that’s usually where my destashes are. Green is next and then black and whites.

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Thinking ahead to fall classes!

Need help with a quilting project? Open studio dates:

Daytime Open Studios: Wednesday, and August 14th and 28th from 11-3pm at Make*Do*Mend (sign-up required)

Night Open Studios: Wednesdays, August 21st from 5-9pm at Drygoods in Ballard.

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::Modern Log Cabin Pillow Class::

$85/Sunday, August 25th from 10am-4pm at Drygoods in Ballard

It’s hard to resist a new skill when it can be so pretty! Using a variation on a log cabin quilt block technique from Quilting Modern, Katie will lead you through piecing your pillow front, possible quilting ideas and then show you her foolproof pillow technique using an invisible zipper!

::Free-Motion Quilting Open Studio Sessions::

Tuesdays, September 17th and 24th 6 to 9:00 p.m. /$70 for two sessions, includes materials

Consider it risk-free motion! This will be the perfect opportunity to learn and/or refine free-motion quilting skills. Free-motion quilting takes time and practice, and this is a great way to get started with the help of Katie Pedersen. Take in organic and geometric free-motion quilting and design inspiration while practicing on quality machines. Muslin and batting provided.

Experience level: sewing experience suggested and beginners welcome.

::Double-Trouble Sunday Workshop::

$60/ Sunday, September 22 from 10am-4pm at Drygood Designs

Ready to create a simple modern quilt? Double-Trouble is a fun interactive technique and design workshop that merges a traditional triangular block with an improvisational triangle block technique. We will create two of the same triangular blocks, one for ourselves and one for trade. The Double-Trouble block itself has unlimited design possibilities that we will explore to create unique quilt designs.

::Modern Improvisational Coin Quilt::

$85/Thursday, September 26th and October 3rd from 6-9pm at The Quilting Loft in Ballard

Interested in creating a modern quilt with improvisational techniques, but don’t know where to start? Then this is the class for your first modern quilt! Learn improvisational techniques like angle and strip piecing while creating a modern coin quilt loosely based on a tradition Chinese Coin Quilt Design. A great quilt to feature your favorite prints. No two will be the same. All levels of sewists welcome.

::Whole Cloth Finishing Class::

$85/Tuesdays, October 1st and 8th from 6-9pm at The Quilting Loft in Ballard

Quilt top, batting, and a backing…baste, quilt, and bind! Learn the essential basics of finishing a quilt without piecing a thing. Create a simple crisp modern baby quilt while learning the process. Quilting designs with a walking foot will be a covered. Walking foot required.

::Modern Crazy Piecing::

July 5, 2013 By Katie

Of all the workshops Jacquie and I taught together in April my favorite was the one that covered modern crazy piecing.

Prior to the workshop I made a new sample to use for it and for an upcoming Crazy Piecing workshop at Drygoods. I’m pretty smitten with it.

At first I scratched all the crazy piecing thinking it was too similar in value and just too soft, but I couldn’t stop messing with it and eventually I cut and added the darker valued purple ‘splinters.’ It clicked.

I used a mix of solids for sure. Purple shot cotton, Michael Miller cotton couture, Kona, linen and Osnaburgh for most of the background.

However, now the background seemed flat, so I started brainstorming on how to give it some dimension. I have a 5 gallon tote full of neutral scraps that I dug through, combining everything under the sun to create some ‘ghost’ crazy piecing into the background. It popped it out.

The all over quilted squares and rectangles were somewhat of a nightmare due to the thickness of the quilt with all the seams and different fabrics. It turned out ok, but in retrospect I would have liked the splinters to have some straight lines to help them stand on their own. Practice is the best teacher eh?

I self bound the quilt, but wanted some of the splinters to appear to run off the edge. I’ve done this on several quilts now and really like the effect it creates.

I’ve got a boatload of left over crazy piecing and still would love to make a quilt like Blue Ice in the book before we run the workshop.

This improv technique and its few tricks are really fun.

Hope you all had a great fourth. I probably didn’t need that margarita on top of the beers I had during our fourth celebration so today I’m keeping life simple.

With the Northern Irish side of the family here we’re loading up tomorrow and heading out of town for the Sounders/Whitecaps game in Vancouver. Have a great weekend!

::Barn Star Quilt::

June 24, 2013 By Katie

When Keli at Drygoods asked me to teach a beginner quilting class called “Welcome to Quilting,” I knew exactly what I was making for a sample.

Inspiration for this quilt has been pulled from a variety of sources over the past year.

The seed was first planted last summer when my folks brought me home a folder of collected information on the barn quilts they had passed during their road trip west.

I thought these traditional quilt block designs were perfect with their simplistic design and that their large scale gave them a modern look. My favorites were the stars of course, but I have a whole series bookmarked.

For more inspiration I spent some time with my copy of 5,500 Quilt Block Designs to find the star I wanted to make. This book is chock full of traditional blocks just itching for some big block fun or an improvisational twist. The book is a great resource for understanding color values impact on block design and how secondary design comes into play when combining blocks.

Katie’s Super Star Quilt, in the May/June Quilty issue was the final inspiration. I was smitten with her color combo from first sight, so my original color way with the citron migrated to the back.

I quilted it in the same pattern I did for my Psychedelic Baby quilt. It’s time consuming, but clean and simple. I like unfussy quilting that runs off the edge. I’d made the binding before picking out the backing and had to switch gears when the dark grey wasn’t right. I’m always glad when I make the extra effort even when I just want to be done.

Then again, lesson learned. I like the quilt back, but if I had only taken a moment to step back and look at the quilt’s back on the design wall I would have added a vertical citron column to the top and bottom of the star block too. Practice truly is the best teacher.

This class has shaped up nicely. I love the sample and it really is perfect to drive home all the principles of quilting I want to cover in a beginner class. There’s even room built in for those that aren’t beginners, but just really want to set aside time to make a beautiful quilt.

I’ve got a load of classes on the schedule and a line up of finished quilts to show, just need some time to photograph them all.

I think there’s one spot in the zip pouch class Wednesday and a few in Split Decision Saturday if you’re looking for a new project. My friend Melinda stopped by with her Split Decision quilt top last night.

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::Zip Pouches::

$45/Wednesday, June 26th from 6-9pm at the Quilting Loft in Ballard.

Come learn the ins and outs of constructing a zip pouch. Once you know the ropes you’ll be a production machine. These are great for gifts and perfect for all levels of sewists.

::Split Decision Quilt Workshop::

$85/Saturday, June 29th from 10am-4pm at the Quilting Loft in Ballard.

Join author Katie Pedersen to play with the slice and insert technique from the book Quilting Modern. Combine simple sewing with a new skill and create your own linear design featuring snippets of your favorite fabrics. This is a great class for all levels of sewists that want to explore a new improvisational technique and play with design.

::Nine-Boxed Quilt::

May 15, 2013 By Katie

Some quilts take time to finish. Mostly because those other quilt ideas get in the way. Sometimes even those quilts take awhile too. I’m pretty sure I have a box of those “ideas.”

When I looked at the November date on this photo and the rainy blustery day I was thankful that it looked like this today.

Nine-Boxed’s original story and making details are here, but as I said it sat for awhile and on a quilting exhibition to Sandie’s for another quilt I thought why not just quilt it too. She happen to have this design board already loaded so we went with it.

I’ll admit this quilt has grown on me a bit. I wasn’t so sure I liked it at first and am now kinda wishing as I look at the photo that maybe I could have at the very least thrown it in the dryer for a bit to decrease it, poor thing has been rolled up in the closet for a month or longer.

In person it is really the Carolina Chambray that makes all those bits shine. The blocks consist of a simple nine-patch made improvisationally. Links to a few tutorials on the technique are also available on the original post about this quilt.

My twist was adding in a block when creating the nine-patch block that was entirely made of strip-piecing. I’ve got a whole tote that contains scraps that are strips and they were calling me. There are some goodies in there.

I also added a block of background fabric into the nine-patch construction here and there. I always like that “floating” look.

Backing I bought ages ago on sale when Drygoods first opened and for the binding I revisited that scrap strip tote for scraps of binding left over from other quilts.

It has no home yet.

I’m off to market tomorrow and then teaching workshops with Jacquie on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. Come join us if you can!

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::Binding Line-Up::

May 11, 2013 By Katie

Ok, I’m going to go finish sewing the binding down on this quilt,

so I can start sewing the binding down on this one. I’ve certainly had my fair share of quilt tops in need of quilting, but this is a first when it comes to a line up for binding!

::Modern Crazy Piecing Play::

May 3, 2013 By Katie

I’ve had two quilts in process for Jacquie’s and my crazy piecing class on May 22nd at Island Quilter.

I almost scratched this one, thinking it didn’t have enough dark values, but you know what? No dark values=softer mellow feel and for a baby quilt that’s just perfect. Everyone loves a mellow baby.

I had to confine myself with some masking tape on my wall to keep my size down. My tendency is to get larger and larger.

With the floor freshly mopped I basted it this morning and didn’t even have to move the table out because of its wee size.

I have a HUGE tote full of neutral scraps and I crazy pieced a load of those into the background as well. It just needed something in those zones.

I’m thinking sky blue vertical lines for quilting. I want it to retain it’s soft drape and I only have cotton batting, so I’ll have to refrain from getting them too close together.

Then I couldn’t resist putting this up on the blank design wall. All of it except the four rows that won’t fit. Triangles are Saturdays class. Large it will be. My original plan was a lap quilt, but dreamt of it on our bed…then I thought, what the hell, what man wouldn’t want to sleep under mermaids with sea stars as pasties?

It needs some rearranging and those extra four rows, but I like it, all scrappy and such.

Roan’s been on the couch for three days with a virus, so my sewing time and catching up with him on Dr. Who has been steady. If you’re an Instagrammer then I have also been destashing. I’m here.

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The Flip Triangle is a day-long workshop where we’ll get you off to a great start in creating a modern quilt with sharp points and design. Choosing fabrics for high impact, proper technique for cutting and successful piecing of triangle blocks will be covered. Great class for beginners, but all levels of sewists welcome.

Experience: all levels welcome; great for beginners

Date: Saturday, May 4th 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Drygoods Designs in Ballard

::Scattered Quilt::

April 15, 2013 By Katie

Scattered has been finished for a bit, but the Seattle spring weather is rather temperamental, so photos haven’t really been an option. The times between the hail, rain and sunshine I’ve snapped some photos, but they’ve provided this quilt no justice when it comes to showcasing its true colors. The yarn dyed denim in person makes the crimson bits appear extremely saturated.

Nice of them to build that blue building in front of my view of downtown Seattle eh?

Yarn dyed Essex linen eats thread, and by that I mean you really can’t see it, but creates the best quilted texture! I started with an off-centered rectangle in lavender thread and went round and round.

As I got further from the center the rectangle naturally became more curved. I love the effect. I got the idea from this amazing quilt by Karen. I gravitate towards any quilting design that is continuous or runs off the edge, I’m not a stay-stitch or burying threads kinda quilter.

I’ve certainly dug through the stash on this one. Really old Amy Butler, Anna Maria Horner, Erin McMorris Park Slope (one of my favorite lines ever), Echino, and Denyse Schmidt.

I self bound it in the same linen. I thought an addition of bits into the binding would have been a great effect, but got lazy. Backing by Echino polishes off this quilt nicely. The drape is amazing combined with the linen.

And it matches my lilacs.

Scattered is a remake of my Split Decision quilt that I use as a class sample for teaching Slice and Insert. I wanted to create another layout using the slice and insert technique to showcase the design potential of this technique. Jacquie and I will be teaching Slice and Insert on Monday, May 20th at Island Quilter and I will hold another workshop on Saturday, June 29th at the Quilting Loft under the name Split Decision.

Happy Monday and first day of Spring Break for use public school people in Seattle.

« Previous Page

::Happy Additions::

::Mod TV Remake::

::Going Crazy In Portland::

::Get Your Cute Out::

::Benefits of Procrastination::

::Scrappalicious Double-Trouble::

::Modern Crazy Piecing::

::Barn Star Quilt::

::Nine-Boxed Quilt::

::Binding Line-Up::

::Modern Crazy Piecing Play::

::Scattered Quilt::

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