Modern Quilting Classes

:: Split Crumbs Quilt Top ::

October 4, 2017 By Katie

Loving this finish.

This Split Personality crazy piecing technique that I’ve been teaching is so fast and satisfying. I can’t stop making the blocks in all my favorite color ways.

I’ve made several sets and they’re waiting for their own quilt designs to come to me. I’ve also had a little personal challenge going on to make quilt tops come together with fabric I already have, a task that takes a little more design time.

I used traditional block techniques like half squares and quarter squares and randomly placed them up on the design wall filling in here and there with solid fabrics. For the quilting I off set it a bit, diagonally coming together somewhat in the center. It was enough without distracting.

Alexander Henry from stash for the back.

I love this Notorious line by Cotton and Steel for the binding.

This turned out to be an easy baby quilt and I love the heart pillows I made with the left over blocks even more.

I wish I could have both of these in two places at once so that I could show them at my lectures in Ashland next week and at the Seattle Modern Quilt Guild as samples for the November 4th workshop.

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:: Fractured Hearts Pillows ::

September 19, 2017 By Katie

I don’t know what it is about these crazy pieced blocks I call Split Personality, but I’ve got to say they’re nothing short of addictive. In talking with a few students in Saturday’s workshop, I’ve realized I’m not alone in this addiction. After learning the technique they’ve created more than a few sets and let them marinate on their design walls until the perfect quilt design idea came to them for their placement.

I had some left over blocks from my Split Crumbs Quilt top, so I placed them into one of my favorite shapes, the heart. I used the improvisational stitch and flip triangle technique we teach in Quilting Modern for the tops of the heart, and a good ole half square triangle for the bottom.

I’ve been wanting to play with a binding/sashing for pillows, but will have to start teaching myself another zipper or closing technique besides an invisible zip.

The variegated thread stitched up a lovely line. I was thinking a grid, but it didn’t need it.

In the Studio’s evening Open Studio for September and October we’ll focus on installing an invisible zipper into a pillow. I know it sounds complicated and scary, but I actually know 12- year olds that do it without calling their mommy and trust me, making pillows is addictive in a good way. You are welcome to bring any project though.

Of course if you don’t need the hand holding, but just a good tutorial for installing your own at home you can check my invisible zipper pillow tutorial out here.

The Seattle Modern Quilt Guild will be hosting me to teach the Split Personality Quilt Block November 4th. They’ll open up the workshop here soon, so save the date! Not sure but there might be some spots left at Quiltcon too.

Happy Week Peeps:)

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:: Spilt Crumbs Quilt Top ::

June 12, 2017 By Katie

Anyone that knows me well, knows that I take organization to a serious level. So I was teased for showing up to retreat with two cart loads and no real project plan. Clothes are easy to pack for this type of vacation, but my time management for planning projects just didn’t exist.

SEW KATIE DID | Seattle Modern Quilting & Sewing Studio | No Foul Quilt

Along with a lot of other random stuff, into the car went some blocks a few of my lovely students and I created last month. They helped me test drive a crazy piecing technique I call Split Personality as a three hour workshop at Quiltcon. It’s an easy technique that creates multiple blocks with ‘crumbs’ of each fabric in all sorts of fun linear shapes.

I’ll be teaching this block as a full day workshop in the studio this month.

sew katie did | Seattle Modern Quilting Studio

I started with the blocks we had made in colors I honestly didn’t like much together. I figured I didn’t have anything to lose by cutting them up. If I didn’t like what was happening I’d trash them and move onto the next set.

SEW KATIE DID | Seattle Modern Quilting & Sewing Studio | Crumb Quilt

I loved what happened.

I aimed for an easy design. Nearly everyone with some quilting experience has trimmed many a half square triangle, so merging one with the crazy piecing seemed ideal as a sample. Some time with the design wall led to this layout.

I love to have loads of examples of how to use a technique and/or block and students appreciate the inspiration, so I played with one of my favorite shapes that utilizes half square triangles AND improv stitch and flip triangles with the Split Personality blocks with my leftovers.

SEW KATIE DID | Seattle Modern Quilting & Sewing Studio

I think these will be pillows, just have to decide whether they need sashing, piping or another colorful background. Stay tuned, I have 3 more sets of these blocks in a range of color ways left.

SEW KATIE DID | Weekend Retreat

sew katie did | Seattle Modern Quilting Studio

As far as sewing at retreat, here’s what I walked away with. I find with the studio I don’t have as much time to sew and even though I needed to stick with making samples, I was also much more relaxed and organized on my walk out;) It might have been the inspiration, awesome company, good sleep or the margaritas…really doesn’t matter.

I highly recommend retreats.

SEW KATIE DID | Seattle Modern Quilting & Sewing Studio

I’m pretty much smitten with this block. I love that you could fit it into just about any improv or traditional quilt design as a ‘made’ fabric. It just seems now that I find inspirational quilt designs I want to put it into everywhere.

I’ve got a weekend and weekday workshop on the studio schedule for this block.

sew katie did | Seattle Modern Quilting Studio

And Seattle’s got nothing but clouds in our future this week, so I’ve picked out a backing and am ready for some quality quilting time if I pay my time management cards right;)

SEW KATIE DID | Seattle Modern Quilting & Sewing Studio And of course there’s Quiltcon. I’ve never been to Pasadena, so if anyone has some hot tips they’re willing to share about eating & where the best margarita is I’m all ears.

Happy making Peeps;)

Check out other quilts made with the Split Personality block:

Walk the Line | Straight-Line Quilting Workshop

January 28, 2017 By Katie

I still quilt, I swear.

The New Year brings out the clean, organize and purge in me. So on the 1st I jumped into The January Cure, a scheduled out month of house chores. Even with a few missed days to teach in Jackson Hole, the momentum to finish is still present.

I’ve also made my yearly mental checklist of unfinished tops or other projects that could use some quilting.

Maybe some of you are making these lists, and organizing for the year as well. I thought you might even welcome the opportunity to refine your straight line quilting skills in a workshop before you tackle all those unfinished quilt tops on your own home machine.

I’d certainly like to share all the know-how of straight line quilting I’ve accumulated and I happen to have a closet, a very clean closet 😉 full of quilts to show you as examples. Each of them have their own straight line quilting story.

To practice these geometric, curvy and geometric designs I thought we’d go with the New Year’s theme of ‘organize’. Nesting buckets seemed appropriate, made with either whole cloth (we won’t count that as a new project;) or orphaned blocks (you can see that look here).

We’ll learn the tips and tricks of using a walking foot, marking, turning and burying knots as you master modern straight line quilting designs on the studio’s Bernina machines. The bucket’s panels make perfect practice palettes and you can pull from your stash to make them happen.

Take a closer look at my finished quilts and smaller projects with straight line quilting, or SIGN-UP to develop this skill for yourself.

Hope the New Year has been rich in craftiness Peeps.

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I’ll be showing my quilts and speaking at the Seattle Modern Quilt Guild’s Wednesday, February 8th meeting from 7pm-9pm. You don’t have to be a member to attend, so this is a great opportunity to check out what they have planned for lectures and workshops this year. I promise to entertain;)

::A Summer Workshop::

June 15, 2015 By Katie

Thanks to all of you that have kept in touch about my workshops and teaching! I had the opportunity to make it to Circa 15 Fabric Studio in Kirkland a few weeks ago to talk with my friend and the owner Kristen.

Finally, all you East Siders that have continually come this direction don’t have to drive, it’s my turn to come to you;)

Kristen and I decided on a paper piecing class. I really enjoyed teaching this workshop last round and once you can repeat the little mantra that I teach, paper piecing will become second nature. Looks like we’ll do some other favorite small project classes in the fall, like quilted zip pouches and invisible zipper pillows.

::The Foundations of Paper Piecing::

Sunday, July 19th from 10:30am-4:30pm at Circa 15 Fabric Studio in Kirkland. Call (425) 309-9553 to register.

The traditional technique of piecing quilt blocks on paper is well known for its precise results. Sharp triangles and sleek curves are easily a stitch line away. Learn and practice the fundamentals of basic paper piecing while creating all types of star blocks.

This is a great workshop to refine skills in choosing fabric and where to place it in a quilt pattern, we’ll cover how color, value and prints work and drive design in quilts as we create our own unique blocks.

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As always, let me know if you have any questions or wish to be added to my newsletter;)

Happy week peeps!

Mod Pinwheel Quilt

May 4, 2015 By Katie

I’m continuing my documentation of projects that haven’t yet made it to my Quilts Page for one reason or another.

Mod Pinwheel is another quilt pattern Jacquie and I created for Quilting Modern that didn’t make the cut, but is available as a free e-book.

The adjective Mod is a little off for this quilt in my opinion, but we named it years ago. When I look at it now it speaks to the traditional side of quilting that I love, with a taste of something a little different.

It’s these ‘eyes’ that are the twist, removing it one step from a traditional straight set layout.

Hanging this quilt up gave me a new appreciation for it.

As always, I have a love/hate relationship going on with this quilt. A little more thought with the value and color placement might have elevated the design, but truly I think this is a pattern that speaks to going scrappy, something we stayed away from in the book, but where my heart really is in quilting.

I see myself playing with this foundation pieced block again with a bin of scraps to see if my vision is true. What a great baby quilt it would make.

Teal dot for the binding and a delicious red dot flannel for the back.

If I had to pull one component that I love most in this quilt it would be the quilting by Angela Walters combined with the flannel backing. Oh wait, that’s two.

I pulled out some sample blocks to dream up something new with, but ‘been there done that’ set in and cutting seemed necessary.

You can make your own Mod Pinwheel with the instructions posted here.

I went ahead and ordered the flooring on the right for the studio. We’ll hopefully install it and paint in the next few weeks. Three Berninas have arrived for student use and tool kits are collected.

Things are coming together;)

Have a great week peeps!

Blueberry Stains and All Quilt

March 23, 2015 By Katie

(Thanks Bell and Allison for holding my quilt and attending my workshop;)

In a world where it seems everything has to be labelled ‘Modern’ or ‘Layered Preppie Bohemian’ (I actually read that this morning;), I bring you an ‘As Traditional As It Gets’ quilt.

It is one of the first quilts I ever made.

It’s prints are collected fat quarters, fabric from clothing I made Roan, or cut from my mom’s endless supply of receiving blankets. All just seemed silly to tuck away in a box for years.

But finished it had issues, the crappy sewing machine with no pressure foot tension type of issues. The quilting was tucked and awful.

Then two people in two days told me about The Quick Ripper and within minutes of having it in my hands those nasty stitches and tucks were buzz cut and eliminated, leaving me with a clean palette.

After over thinking how I should quilt it on my home machine for a couple years I came back to my senses and made a long arm date with Sandie.

This type of simple quilt is really perfectly suited for an all over quilting pattern. I’m sorry to those of you that were curious about the pattern’s name, anyone know?

It worked wonderfully.

I backed it with some older Amy Butler flannel and an out of print Alexander Henry that reminds me of Speed Racer.

Before requilting I had to enlarge the back. Had we tried we couldn’t have gotten the seam from the added piecing onto the edge, but of course we did. This made it extra fun to apply the binding to one side.

Roan chose the red Kai dot, which might be one I need to replace in the stash.

I was able to sit right in front on the ferry on my way from Victoria and sew it down.

I really enjoyed pulling this one from the dryer. It’s so crinkled and lovely. It also made me appreciate where my art has gone and where it started. I still embrace that diagonal line that a half square triangle has.

So there it is, blueberry stains already there and all. Roan’s particularly attached to the quilt his Great Grandmother Evelyn made, so this one might end up on the couch.

That’s 5 quilt tops from my pile done! Only a few more to go.

Happy Week Peeps!

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Full! ~~One spot left in Stripped Improv Workshop Tuesday night.~~

Full! ~~and two in Thursday afternoon’s Medallioned Magic Numbers Social. We’ll start our first technique that makes all sorts of angular shapes.~~

Sunday is Open Quilting Studio at Island Quilter. This will be our last one until Island Quilter is in their new space.

On-Target Quilt

March 2, 2015 By Katie

Remember this quilt?

I showed and sold Psychedelic Baby at Quiltcon 2013. It is still one of my favorite quilts and block workshops to teach. I love blocks that provide so much design potential.

I instantly wanted to recreate Psychedelic Baby a little differently, so I upcycled the leftover bits into a new quilt with a little different take.

I’ll call it On Target.

Just as with any quilting I learned some things.

The amount of linen and shot cotton meant some stretching would occur and my choice of quilting didn’t help. As I reached the smaller outer edge with my “V” things started puckering. If I was to do it all over again I would stitch in the ditch between the blocks that create the “V” shape and then go back in between with the fill lines on the blocks. This likely would have stabilized it a bit more. I was also lazy on switching directions when quilting the same side and this certainly didn’t help.

But let’s not take things too seriously, it’s just a quilt.

On the back I showcased an Alexander Henry print that I love. This was all I had of it and I’m continuing on my path of using what I have to create quilt backs.

The binding I made twice. I wanted to reproduce the feel of the original quilt and selected the light blue with out auditioning it. Poor choice. This quilt needed the drama of the dark purple.

(Thanks Rachel of Wooden Spoon for the photo;)

I finished it up just in time for Anja and Paul of Island Quilter to take it with them to Quiltcon for their booth.

This year was Quiltnon for me, but three of my quilts made it;)

AND I have another layout in process to add to my Psychedelic Baby Quilt Block workshop samples.

I’d think it might never end, but I’m officially D-O-N-E with this color way.

Happy Week Peeps!

(p.s. thanks to my friend Krista for being my quilt holder;)

Starry Owl Quilt

February 23, 2015 By Katie

Happy Monday Peeps and greetings from Palm Springs:)

It so turns out that I managed with some help to have a finished quilt to show you along with my obligatory palm tree photo. I’m happy I did because I haven’t been able to talk quilt all week with anyone;)

I can’t even tell you when I made it. I guess it’s what you would call an ‘Oldie but Goodie’ in the UFO pile.

It’s been folded, refolded and moved.

It must have come about around the time I made HST LOVE and Pantone Pop. Both very traditional quilts in block style, but I had fun mixing up the fabrics, picking the color way and giving them some random placement. It all breaths some fresh air into those simple half-square triangle blocks that you can do so much with.

I’ve got a huge bucket list of ideas built off knowing this block and how you can twist it or add to it.

Well anyway, babies need quilts and this quilt needed a baby.

It also needed a star center, because of course I wasn’t thrilled with what I originally picked AFTER I had sewn the whole thing together. With my friend Sandie’s help we decided to fill it in with a corduroy print.

Sandie quilted it up with the maze pattern and finished it with this lovely binding. The binding and the star points in the Alexander Henry Heath add some texture without too much print distraction.

I never alone would have thought to go with the maze she picked and we both were so happy with how it turned out. Collaborating on quilts for babies is so fun.

The color way was inspired by my suitcase.

The back turned out amazing. I’m still up for my challenge to myself of using fabric from my stash and left overs from the front.

It’s made up almost entirely of a fine wale corduroy and a few left over half square triangles. I’ve now made four backs with this goal and have loved them all.

Quilt is now with happy baby. So fun to gift.

The pile of finished quilt tops is getting smaller! I believe I have three complete quilt tops left to quilt and certainly a lot in pieces;)

Have a fun week.

::Working the Pile/2::

February 23, 2015 By Katie

Happy Monday Peeps and greetings from Palm Springs:)

I can’t even tell you when I made it. I guess it’s what you would call an ‘Oldie but Goodie’ in the UFO pile.

It’s been folded, refolded and moved.

I’ve got a huge bucket list of ideas built off knowing this block and how you can twist it or add to it.

Well anyway, babies need quilts and this quilt needed a baby.

Sandie quilted it up with the maze pattern and finished it with this lovely binding. The binding and the star points in the Alexander Henry Heath add some texture without too much print distraction.

I never alone would have thought to go with the maze she picked and we both were so happy with how it turned out. Collaborating on quilts for babies is so fun.

The color way was inspired by my suitcase.

The back turned out amazing. I’m still up for my challenge to myself of using fabric from my stash and left overs from the front.

It’s made up almost entirely of a fine wale corduroy and a few left over half square triangles. I’ve now made four backs with this goal and have loved them all.

Quilt is now with happy baby. So fun to gift.

The pile of finished quilt tops is getting smaller! I believe I have three complete quilt tops left to quilt and certainly a lot in pieces;)

Have a fun week.

::Somewhat Circular Hex::

January 15, 2015 By Katie

Regardless of my best intentions posting anything here gets pushed to the back.

I have a new season of lectures and workshops coming up and am always hoping to finish up at least one more sample for design options. I love this practice as it allows me to reacquaint myself with a technique. Often I’ll gain perspective to share with my students that I didn’t originally think of. Design wall time is invaluable to my process and a main focus of my workshops. Leftovers from the original project are generally my go to, but more often than not, one project’s scraps merge into another project.

But it’s that desire for a finish that keeps me from here. What I need to get over is always wishing to post that finished project. Especially since I sew way faster in my head than real life.

So I think my intention for blogging this year is to focus on process AND post about it.

Marketing workshops is at the forefront of posting too and I wanna say I’m lucky that my classes fill as if late, but I also have to give myself credit that I’ve been working hard to figure out what people are inspired by, it’s not an accident.

But if there’s a spot I like to make sure that I’m working on a sample. And that’s just what happened with this hex quilt.

There’s some quilting that needs to come out here and there, but I’m pretty happy with it. The trend and my love for dense quilting however isn’t fitting for the utilitarian use of baby quilts in my opinion, cardboard comes to mind, but we’ll see how it washes out. I probably could have helped it out by selecting a type of batting that would be more supple instead of just grabbing a scrap that fit.

My To the Point workshop is full, but I’m working on a sample from the hex scraps for it. They’re wee and currently being quilted. Hoping for that finish today along with hanging sleeves/labels for Quiltcon quilts and squaring or at least picking out binding for the hex.

Thanks for reading, I’ve obviously got things to do;)

Improv Patchwork Pillow Series

December 16, 2014 By Katie

sewkatiedid/modern patchwork workshop series II

sewkatiedid/modern patchwork block workshops series II

The first group that joined me in my modern patchwork series made it so fun and I enjoyed making the samples so much that I’ve decided to run it again in the new year AND I’ve added a second part to the series.The color combo is so wacked and I’m 100% smitten with it.

Each of these pillows I’ve made with techniques I love to use and teach. One of the things so enjoyable about quilting is figuring out new ways to do things and I’ve certainly learned some good tips to pass along with these.

Here goes (and if you were wait listed or unable to do all of the first session than you can also sign up via The Quilting Loft).

-Exploring Inside a Box-

Modern Patchwork Series II

Please sign up via The Quilting Loft’s site.

Take one session, or the whole series, to explore the merging of traditional and improvisational patchwork techniques, one block at a time. Katie Pedersen, author of Quilting Modern: Techniques and Projects for Improvisational Quilts will guide you through the techniques and skills needed for each block, variations in block design, and the secondary designs multiple blocks create. While we’re at it, we’ll get friendly with our design wall, touch on color and value theory, and cover the advantages of constructing a block that is either precise in piecing, or more willy-nilly.

*Even if you are a seasoned quilter you can up your patchwork game by adding improvisational techniques to your knowledge base.

*Session I- To the Point Triangle Workshop- Thursday, January 22nd from 6-9pm Learn the proper techniques for cutting and piecing equilateral triangles to create sharp points and a design with the most impact. How design is affected by color value, scale of fabric and placement will be covered in this skill building workshop. All levels of sewists welcome. *Session II- Psychedelic Baby Block- Thursday, February 26th from 6-9pm This modern block workshop combines improvisational strip piecing and a traditional foundation paper piecing technique to create unique string blocks that are both chaotic and controlled. Once we’ve constructed some blocks we’ll cover color and value placement so that we can play with the block’s unlimited quilt/pillow design potential. *Session III- Improv Curves- Thursday, March 19th from 6-9pm Fear the curve no more with this no pinning, no templates and no stress approach to the curve. This session gives you the class time to master improvisational gradual curves to be later built into curved emeba blocks (See Emeba Workshop below). Free-handing improvisational curves are manageable even for beginners. *Session IV- Tipsy Amebas Block- Thursday, April 23rd from 6-9pm (An Improvisational curves workshop must be taken to sign up for Amebas (March 19th or April 21st to sign up for this workshop) Now that you’ve mastered improvisationally pieced curves without pinning a thing it’s time to move on to creating organic shapes. Watch your ameba multiply as we cover a chain piecing technique to make more than one at a time and follow up by learning how to bring your blocks together on the design wall without noticeable block construction. Hope to see you there!

:: Split Crumbs Quilt Top ::

:: Fractured Hearts Pillows ::

:: Spilt Crumbs Quilt Top ::

Walk the Line | Straight-Line Quilting Workshop

::A Summer Workshop::

Mod Pinwheel Quilt

Blueberry Stains and All Quilt

On-Target Quilt

Starry Owl Quilt

::Working the Pile/2::

::Somewhat Circular Hex::

Improv Patchwork Pillow Series

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