SewKatieDid

Because thread is the best glue

Seattle Modern Quilting Guild

::West Seattle Stitch and Sew Studio Opening::

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The Seattle Modern Quilt Guild was lucky enough to test drive the newest sewing studio in town last weekend.  I think I walked around with my jaw dropped.  The space is positively perfect.  It even has a huge couch in the back to hand-stitch hours away!

Monica Skov, who also owns the West Seattle Fabric Company will host an open house at the new space this weekend.

The studio location is at 5910 California SW, 98136, about a mile or so south of the shop.

Doors are open on Saturday the 13th from 11-4pm and Sunday the 14th from noon to 3pm.

Rumor has it there will be prizes, one of which will be a pass to take my Whole Cloth Quilt Class.

In preparation for the class, I swung by the shop today to pick up some fabrics for two new samples.  Cute as heck prints, paired with cozy flannels, my favorite.  I love that Monica carries solid flannels.

And while I was at it, I picked up some other fabrics I’ve been craving.  I seem to be in the mood for blues and purples, eh?!

I look forward to cozying up in this fab space and teaching some classes.  There’s a Modern Charm Quilt on the books too.

Have a great weekend, hope you can make it!

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::Whole Cloth Quilt Finishing Class:: $85 Thursdays, October 18th and the 25th from 6-9 at the West Seattle Fabric Company.

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.

::Half-Square Triangle Class:: $85/Saturday October 27th from 10am to 4pm at the West Seattle Stitch and Sew Studio.

This versatile quilt block lends itself to endless designs. We’ll cover quilting basics such as picking fabrics, matching seams and create perfect points.  We’ll play with a layout that suites your style and you’ll walk away with ideas for a multitude of quilts. All level of sewists welcome.

::Modern Charm Quilt:: $85/Thursday November 1st and 8th from 6-9pm at the West Seattle Stitch and Sew Studio. Proper technique is the foundation of any quilt.  Come learn how to pick and properly cut fabric, match seams and rows and come up with a square quilt in the end.  A great class for all levels of sewists looking to improve technique.

::Seattle Lone Star Quilt Finish::

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What happens when you start piecing stitch and flip triangles and squares into a 16-patch?

Well, a star is born!  In Seattle it is not uncommon to see just a lone star or two in the sky.

The squares in this quilt are scrappy and a bunch are leftovers from the Blind Copilot Quilt in our book Quilting Modern (which is available again btw)!

I love that you can use up the smallest bits of fabric and that I have another sample for my Stitch and Flip Triangle Workshop in November.  You can see a few other great examples of this block in the Quilting Modern Flickr Group.

Krista Wither’s did the quilting.  We collaborated on the design.  I wanted something that would help define the large triangles that formed the star since they were a little off-set.

The background quilting needed to be a bit denser to advance the star and we went with this shape.  It worked out fabulously in my opinion!

Now I can stare at all those little scraps when we read at night.  I’m not much of a wall hanging gal, but if Roan had a larger room this might be up.

I love this Lizzy House print on the back.

After messing around as usual with the back, I went with one lone wonky star and showcased some favorite fabrics in the points.

This quilt will be on display as part on Krista’s exhibit at Island Quilter that opens on Friday night.  Hope to see you there!

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::Improvisational Elongated Triangle Blocks:: $45 Thursday October 4th from 6-9pm at the Quilting Loft in Ballard.

Create an edgy block of triangles with this simple improvisational technique. Follow up with an invisible zipper class or create your own quilt. All levels of sewists welcome.

 

::Invisible Zipper Class:: $45/ Thursday, October 11th from 6-9pm at the Quilting Loft in Ballard.

Installing invisible zippers if easier than you think. Come learn how to make professional looking pillows, you’ll be hooked! All levels of sewists welcome.

::Opposing Triangles Remake Quilt Top::

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Time for a remake of Opposing Triangles for Krista.  I couldn’t procrastinate it any longer with her exhibit at Island Quilter right around the corner.

We collaborated on the fabric and I went with cutting a bit differently, but overall, the design remained the same.

Oh, and it took a load of pins to get the white outlines to align, plus some quality time with the seam ripper.

All of this was good practice for my improvisational elongated triangle class.  I learned a ton and have a few other designs in the works.  I don’t think I’m going to make it to that new coin quilt or magic number quilt before those classes start.  Hope some of you will want to join me regardless.

There’s something about these triangles that I just love.

The colors are very similar to the first Opposing Triangles, so of course I love it.

I dropped it off on our way out of town to Portland.  I hung out with Jefe for our anniversary.

We did what every happily married couple does for their anniversary, we went to see a soccer game.  Last year Vancouver, and this year Portland.

The in-laws all came, because that’s how it works.  My sister-in-law and I sat snuggly in a suite and the boys with the Sounders crowd.  It’s fun to hear the stories of the former teams from my father-in-law and apparently in 1975 in a playoff between the Sounders and the Timbers there were people in the trees outside the stadium trying to catch a glimpse.

Then we ate and drank ourselves through Portland.  The weather was *%#!ing brilliant to boot!

I have three full days of work and then a load of quilts to bind.

Seattle Star is almost there, it was my road trip project.

Sunspots.

Point A to Point B.

Hopefully, I will be displaying some of them here soon.

Have a great week.

xo

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I got three two spots left in my Improvisational Coin Quilt Class!

::Improvisational Coin Quilt:: $85 Thursdays, September 20th and 27th from 6-9pm at the Quilting Loft in Ballard.

No two will be the same. Learn improvisational techniques like angle piecing 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. All levels of sewists welcome.

::Magic Number Quilt:: $85 Saturday, September 22nd from 10am to 4pm at theQuilting Loft in Ballard. Pick your favorite fabrics and learn this system of using block sizes that fit together automatically for flexibility in quilt design.

::Seeing Value Workshop:: $85 Sunday, September 23rd from 10am-4pm at Island Quilter on Vashon Island.

Learn how color value can transform your quilt making design process.  Create multiple designs with your newfound knowledge of value and simple half square triangles.  All levels of sewists welcome.

::Point A to Point B Quilt Top::

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I’m calling it Point A to Point B quilt top, not only because of the obvious, but changing directions is my usual mode of operation (or mode of procrastination).

I won’t even bother to show you were I started, but will say it stunk and I had to move forward or backward depending on how you look at it.  Some triangles were saved and others scrapped.  The verb “scrapped’ may be my new favorite.

My next point is I have a new class sample for my Improvisational Elongated Triangle Block Class.

This is good news, except I was really needing to get to work on this Magic Number quilt displayed with sleepy Jefe and TV transfixed small child as a sample for my Magic Number workshop that is offered first (a new coin quilt class sample wouldn’t hurt either).  As I’ve said, I sew much faster in my head than in real life.  There is still time I hope.  For now envision it all pieced and surrounded by that lipstick solid fabric.

Now hold that vision, because I need to get this pieced for Krista into some Osnaburg fabric background by Friday.  This quilt was the original reason for the making of the first quilt and procrastinating the second quilt and so on.  Thank goodness for procrastination or all that collaborating about fabric, quilting other quilts, drinking beer and laughing with Krista might never have happened.

Oh, and look what she sent me yesterday.  Drool.

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::Improvisational Coin Quilt:: $85 Thursdays, September 20th and 27th from 6-9pm at the Quilting Loft in Ballard.

No two will be the same. Learn improvisational techniques like angle piecing 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. All levels of sewists welcome.

::Sunday Stash::

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It’s been a long time since I’ve done a Sunday Stash, but yesterday I taught an Improvisational Strip Piecing Workshop at Island Quilter on Vashon and they were having a sale!

So I rounded out my Erin McMorris Park Slope collection.  I don’t know what it is about this line or what the hell I’m going to make with it, but I love it.

My friend/student Suzie juiced up her Martha Negley collection.  I had to resist the feathers.

Their Kaffe Fasset collection and Kaffe Club are massive and I’ve been using a load of the shot cottons they have in stock.

It’s fun to see the full range of the colorways all together, and it keeps going around the corner.  If you are around in October, Kaffe Fasset will be at Island Quilter for a workshop and lecture.

The space is so light and bright and they are so accommodating and hospitable that it is a joy to teach and sew there.

We had fun strip piecing.

We’ve got a Value Class scheduled there next, but I’m also super excited about the Stitch and Flip Triangle Workshop and mostly because of this beauty.

I passed through West Seattle on my way home from the ferry and picked up my Seattle Star from my long arm quilter friend Krista.  Can’t wait to get this bound and some photos up!

Off to work, happy Sunday!

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::Improvisational Coin Quilt:: $85 Thursdays, September 20th and 27th from 6-9pm at the Quilting Loft in Ballard.

No two will be the same. Learn improvisational techniques like angle piecing 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. All levels of sewists welcome.

::Good Stuff::

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Besides time with my family, I can’t think of time better spent than being with friends, eating good food, quilting, buying fabric and doing good.  For the Pacific Northwest Modern Quilt Guild Meet-up we did all that.  The Seattle, Portland and Vancouver Modern Quilt Guilds all meet for a weekend here in Seattle.  My Saturday was packed full of fun at Island Quilter who graciously hosted our charity sew-in with style.  Thanks Anja and Paul!

For more photos or to add your own we’ve created a PNW MQG Flickr group here.

(Photo by Holly)

The idea behind the sew-in was conceived in a car.  Yes, it’s true.  Sandie and I were driving along trying to figure out how the travelers could leave their machines at home and how we could all mingle with ease while doing what we love.

Bernina NW came through with machines, I collected supplies via the sponsors below and we created stations for the production of the quilts.  We all switched places as we wished and created some great quilts using Susan Beal’s modern log cabin cross quilt pattern from her book and the stitch and flip triangle technique from Quilting Modern.

I love all the color.

You’ll be seeing these quilts again finished.  We each took home some finished tops to quilt and donate where we saw fit as individual guilds.

I finished up two quilt tops on Monday that others had worked away at.

I should say the sew-in would not be possible with out donations from our gracious sponsors.  Please support these fabulous companies as they supported us.

::Easing Into a Quilt Back::

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Quilt backs sometimes need to germinate.  Ideas come and go, some work, some don’t.

Roan’s quilt top has been done for a few weeks now, but the back has really become quite the process.

I had this idea the back had to have something added  to make it special, but those ideas just didn’t jive with the flannel I had bought for the soul purpose of being the backing.

I loved the Denyse Schmidt inspired star I originally made as its backing, but the blues didn’t work and when I put up the flannel with it, everything became mush.  I hate mushy quilts.

No waste however, this will be a great baby quilt.

So I moved on.  My next idea was to make blocks in the technique and style that  we have in the Stepping Stone quilt in the book.

I like them, but they weren’t cutting the cake either.  Ignore the triangles, they are just leftovers from trimming the quilt top.

So by the end of the week, I potentially have two new quilt tops started and what did I decide for the backing?…  Just the flannel and nothing but.  It’s pieced and tomorrow the floor will get a cleaning and this quilt will get a basting.

I think the simplicity and clean lines of the front match the back.

I guess you never know where the improvisational road will take you until you are there, eh?

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Thanks for such a great Value Quilt Class on Saturday students!  I had a blast.

Next up:

Whole Cloth Quilt Class

:: Seam Ripper IPA Quilt ::

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I hauled booty to get Grape Crush finished for the Seattle Modern Quilting Guild’s July Exhibit at Island Quilter.

The top came together rather quickly. Selecting the fabric for the back and finding the time for a marathon quilting session with Sandie was a different story. End of the school year activities and a 40-hour work week are cutting into my sewing time.

Sleep and a clean house are obviously over-rated.

I know you will all be in shock to know I picked an Alexander Henry fabric for the backing.

The crew at Pink Chalk Fabrics continue their legacy of superior customer service! They sent me swatches of each colorway of the Virgencitas so I could color match them to the front.

I went with natural. The four large blocks on the front are brought to size with Alexander Henry Heath in Lavender. Heath has certainly become my go-to ‘almost solid.’  I love the texture it adds.

To be honest, I wasn’t sure I liked the quilting. It’s hard to see on the long arm how things are progressing. On my home machine I often will hang the quilt to see if I’m liking what’s happening. With it loaded on the long arm you can’t get that distance… you just have to go with it.

Out of the wash it came and I can’t admire its crinkly goodness enough!

Grape Crush has already had some couch time, and I couldn’t help but smile this morning when I picked it up off the livudio floor. Quilts are meant to be used and loved.

Finished just in time to get on our bikes to go watch Eurocup and drink beer on a sunny afternoon on my day off. Yeah!

If you wanted to make your own version follow the directions in Quilting Modern for modern crazy piecing and insert the crazy pieced blocks into the design of the Tunnel Vision Quilt which is in the Log Cabin chapter.  Go square or rectangular.

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Wanna come learn about the use of value in your quilts next Saturday? I’ve got a class on the books.

::A Finish::

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I hauled booty to get Grape Crush finished for the Seattle Modern Quilting Guild’s July Exhibit at Island Quilter.

The top came together rather quickly. Selecting the fabric for the back and finding the time for a marathon quilting session with Sandie was a different story. End of the school year activities and a 40-hour work week are cutting into my sewing time.

Sleep and a clean house are obviously over-rated.

I know you will all be in shock to know I picked an Alexander Henry fabric for the backing.

The crew at Pink Chalk Fabrics continue their legacy of superior customer service! They sent me swatches of each colorway of the Virgencitas so I could color match them to the front.

I went with natural. The four large blocks on the front are brought to size with Alexander Henry Heath in Lavender. Heath has certainly become my go-to ‘almost solid.’  I love the texture it adds.

To be honest, I wasn’t sure I liked the quilting. It’s hard to see on the long arm how things are progressing. On my home machine I often will hang the quilt to see if I’m liking what’s happening. With it loaded on the long arm you can’t get that distance… you just have to go with it.

Out of the wash it came and I can’t admire its crinkly goodness enough!

Grape Crush has already had some couch time, and I couldn’t help but smile this morning when I picked it up off the livudio floor. Quilts are meant to be used and loved.

Finished just in time to get on our bikes to go watch Eurocup and drink beer on a sunny afternoon on my day off. Yeah!

If you wanted to make your own version follow the directions in Quilting Modern for modern crazy piecing and insert the crazy pieced blocks into the design of the Tunnel Vision Quilt which is in the Log Cabin chapter.  Go square or rectangular.

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Wanna come learn about the use of value in your quilts next Saturday? I’ve got a class on the books.

::Grape Crush::

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I’m still playing with scraps from Pantone Pop and Psychedelic Baby.  It seems I may have inadvertently created my first quilt series all based on use of the same fabrics.

From the scraps, I messed around with the Crazy Piecing technique detailed in Quilting Modern.  I had no initial plan, but ended up with four pieced squares.

As I browsed the book for inspiration I thought of setting them in a design like the Tunnel Vision quilt from the chapter ‘Log Cabin Makeover.’

Getting the values right was the hard bit and I worried I would run out of lilac Heath fabric that seems to have vanished from the face of the earth.  It took some innovative piecing, but I had enough.

The Seattle Modern Quilt Guild is exhibiting at Island Quilter in July.  This will be my entry.

I’ve got some other projects that I have to get rolling on, like Roan’s birthday quilt and a quilt for Island Quilter’s June exhibit.  This will give me a little time to think about the quilting on this one.

::Island Quilter Exhibit::

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The reception for my exhibit at Island Quilter was lovely!  I was a little worried, as the squalls of rain kept coming.

The rain didn’t seem to faze this group of Northwesterners.

It was first Friday Art-Walk, so there were many islanders hopping about and my support team of friends and family.  That’s my wonderful friend Meaghan there.

There was certainly some fabric shopping happening.  Those rows behind Meaghan and I are only the start of a labyrinth of fabric.

Krista, my friend and long-arm quilter was with me and got loads of compliments on her quilting of Shattered Remake behind us and Opposing Triangles.

I was so busy planning I forgot to take a picture of Psychedelic Baby finished.

Guess that’s what happens when you stay up till 1am to finish.

Today is mine all mine!  I have a basket full of left-overs from the book and am going to play with small creations.

It’s been a long time since I’ve made anything little.

This will be fun too!  Jacquie and I will be on Mark Lipinski’s Creative Mojo radio show tomorrow, May 9th at 4pm eastern.  Tune in or podcast it for a listen.

Hope your day is happy!

::Island Quilter Exhibit Reception::

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Please join me tomorrow, Friday, May 4th from 6-9pm for a reception to celebrate the opening of my exhibit at Island Quilter on Vashon Island.

AND do some fabric shopping while you are there!

This shop is amazing and full of color.

Yesterday I loaded up the car and jumped the ferry.

I tried to talk people into playing hooky with me, but no go.

Anja and I started by laying the quilts out.

Then we grouped them so they had some flow for hanging.

 Made me wish I had sleeves for them all.

Anja joked about painting all the clips to match the quilts.

I had to leave before they were all up, but I’ll have pictures for sure tomorrow!

Hope you come!