Modern Quilting

::Block Up-cycle::

November 19, 2013 By Katie

During one of my clear outs (this is an ongoing project for sure) I found some quilt blocks I first made but never used in the back of this quilt. The blocks got quilted and almost repurposed into pillow tops for Roan’s room. I then scratched the project and shoved them away again.

They have finally resurfaced AND repurposed!

Third time’s the charm, and to think I almost just threw them out.

I got the idea when I started playing with the samples for my free-motion quilting nested basket class coming up.

I figure it’s time to start thinking about gifts. That’s 6 down and a little more space for those other unfinished projects that need some time to percolate. I’m thinking they are a perfect gift for teachers.

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p.s. one spot left in Thursday’s Hexagons by Machine class.

::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.”

::FMQ Workshops::

November 6, 2013 By Katie

Have you made the plunge into Free-Motion Quilting yet? I was years into quilting before I did. Once you do you’ll wonder why you waited. Though I love the look of straight lines there is something very meditative about finding your ‘zone’ and making all these fun shapes.

(photo by my friend Allison Parrott Thompson)

I think for most of us it’s etching out the time to learn something new. For some it might be an equipment and/or space barrier, or maybe the desire for a little hand holding.

The classes I’ve taken myself on FMQ were very fun, but prescribed. I found they provided a nice launch pad for learning the basics, but lacked the practice time needed to explore my own spin-offs of the shapes I was most drawn to.

There’s no denying it, practice really is the best teacher when it comes to free-motion quilting.

Hmmmm, so how do you combine all these needs?

How about an Open Free-Motion Quilting Studio or a Free-Motion Quilted Nested Basket Workshop on quality Bernina machines at Drygoods Design to give you wings? It’s not too early to think about some gifts either.

Get your free-motion on with the studio’s Berninas, risk-free! Wine optional, but it might help!

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::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.

::Snowballed Wonky Stars::

September 23, 2013 By Katie

These stars are all I want to make right now.

Most of their little sparkling centers were cast offs when Quilting Modern was in process. I eventually developed the Supernova quilt like the crimson blocks below and pushed these aside. I wanted another Stitch and Flip Triangle workshop sample for last weeks workshop with the Eastside Quilters Guild and the Snowballed Wonky Stars came back out to see the light.

I had to place them aside, for my Modern Crazy Pieced geese and they’ve been driving me crazy. I can’t find a background color I’m happy with.

The geese are side by side with this started improv Coin Quilt.

The Improv Coin Quilt is my favorite class to teach.

I would like to have another sample by Thursday’s class, but unfortunately all I want to do is make Snowballed Wonky Stars for the back of the unfinished front.

I better go, I apparently have a lot to do.

What’s on your design wall?

::Double-Trouble Workshop::

September 20, 2013 By Katie

TGIF! What a whirl-wind week! A few guild lectures, a few workshops and snap, it’s gone!

Fit a game in too last Friday. The boys always go and Sandie and I were planning a night of sewing and drinking beer when Jefe surprised us with suite tickets. Hard to say no to that.

I think I quite possibly took my last sunshine run this afternoon. The forecast is crummy for the next four days, so I do believe it is time to think about a new project, hint hint. There’s still space in my Double-Trouble Workshop Sunday at Drygoods.

Last time I taught this workshop the designs were A-M-A-Z-I-N-G!

Go scrappy,

or go bold with solids. I’ll be bringing in the scrap bins for playful fun (because I know you’re almost out of scraps;).

I’m a little thrilled that the weather is changing. I love staying at home on a Saturday to sew.

I did manage last Friday before the game to get some sashing onto my crazy pieced flying geese and they’ve been waiting patiently all week. My game plan is to finish them tomorrow into some sort of quilt top. As usual, I kind of have a plan.

Is sewing or a workshop in your weekend plans too?

::Favorite Colors to Stash::

September 16, 2013 By Katie

Finally made it over to Vashon Island to sew at Island Quilter with some students last Sunday. There’s always so much new fabric to see with each visit and everyone enjoys the bright large sewing space.

I was delighted to see Violet Craft’s new line Waterfront Park in the colorways that I’m so drawn to lately. I would have loved to buy the full line, but I’ve been adding the crimsons and yellows to my stash for these mini Supernovas.

These have been a work in progress, put up and then away multiple times. At some point something will come that will transform them into a quilt, but nothing original has come yet. Might be time to just make more blocks with all this fabric?

Since I had already pieced this block and decided that I needed to rip it apart to add some extra points, I added in some of Violet’s new line. I used most of my Mendocino up in the original Supernova for the book and a triangle quilt I still need to show you all, so mixing in some new prints is essential.

Cute as going big I think.

I’m teaching a Stitch and Flip Triangle workshop to the Eastside Guild Thursday and these beauties, though unfinished will hopefully offer some variety for inspiration.

And if anyone has any of this swim sister in the plum (not crimson) I’d be delighted to trade for just about anything.

Happy Monday! Go sew.

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::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.

::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.

::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.

::Stash Archive Value Quilt::

June 16, 2013 By Katie

I’ve been busy cutting and trading charm squares. The Seattle Modern Quilt Guild conducted a charm square exchange and then I’ve been exchanging with friends to add some print variety to my charm collection for an upcoming Value Quilt Workshop.

We’ve been pulling a single color and cutting 6″ squares for the trade. Red, pink, orange, yellow and purple have been covered. Grey tomorrow. I’ve been destashing some extra sets here and there on my Instagram if you are looking to bulk up on some extra of a certain color.

Some of those charms have made their way into this stash quilt. How delightful to see all the fabrics from my stash and others in a single quilt, no control on color, just value.

Now that I have a few of these value quilts, it’s nice to gaze at them and see the fabrics that have disappeared from my stash. A Value Quilt is really a great tool to archive a fabric stash.

Since it kept growing and growing, finally finishing off queen size I decided that an all over quilt design was the way to go and made a date with Sandie to use her long arm. I’m not even sure what this design is called, but it seemed so fitting.

This was my first foray with wool batting. I like it’s loft. It has little grip on the quilt top like cotton, so it will take some practice like all new things.

I considered serging the edge before applying the binding to help with the shifting, but ended up just going the regular route with little trouble. This Aneela Hoey print was stuck in my head as the binding.

This Alexander Henry Smitten Kitten print has been hiding out in the stash for ages. I picked it up for $6 yard on Ebay ages ago. I’m still stashing the blue color way for another back.

It’s actually a print that I would have happily used solo if the yardage was ample, but it needed some width, so I added the blocks.

With the nights in Seattle still being comfortably cool we’ve already gotten some use out of this quilt.

Happy Father’s Day everyone! I’m going back to bed, because I got up way too early.

« Previous Page

::Block Up-cycle::

::Happy Additions::

::FMQ Workshops::

::Mod TV Remake::

::Going Crazy In Portland::

::Snowballed Wonky Stars::

::Double-Trouble Workshop::

::Favorite Colors to Stash::

::Get Your Cute Out::

::Benefits of Procrastination::

::Barn Star Quilt::

::Stash Archive Value Quilt::

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