modern quilt

Intersected Quilt

August 8, 2018 By Katie Leave a Comment

I’ve had my sights set on running a Part II Psychedelic Baby workshop. We create secondary or cast off blocks in the Psychedelic Baby workshop that can be simply used on the back, but why not make another quilt?

I’ve been focusing my studio time on finishing up a variety of samples for this new workshop and now have enough to start rolling them out here. I’ve popped some sessions of Part II on the calendar for those of you that have already taken the first session or are signed up.

Here’s the quilt I made using the secondary blocks. I’ll call Intersected.

Here’s the Cross-Roads Quilt I shared last week with blocks from the first session workshop. You can read more about it here. I’ve added one more session since the two I had up filled last week.

My past samples using the secondary blocks have been more improvisational in design, so I was aiming for a ‘traditional’ layout with Intersected. We’ll cover how to size our blocks into geometric shapes, study the construction of several more traditional designs and learn how to build out improvisational designs like I did here and here.

I’d like students to also bring with them several inspirational quilt designs from books, patterns or photos so we can talk about their potential construction using the blocks as a group.

A few details about this quilt… I’ve straight line quilted vertical random lines at different widths in white thread. The binding could really have been any of the fabrics in the quilt, but I went with the neutral Essex to have more flexibility in picking the backing fabric from stash.

The backing is a fabric that you’ve seen before if you follow the blog. I have a 70s love for this Smitten Kitten.

As always, if you’re looking for a specific workshop to fit your schedule let me know;)

Back in the 90s here in Seattle, but looking at a cooler weekend for our workshop. Enjoy Peeps!

P.S. Big thanks to Curated Quilts for featuring my quilt in their triangle issue.

Side-Lined Quilt

February 8, 2017 By Katie 5 Comments

I told you I still quilt:)

I completed this lovely ages ago and have just needed a brighter Seattle day to photograph it.

I thought it time to share it with you.

| Inspiration |

The Land of Nod spring catalog supplied an inspirational color way and it just so happens I didn’t have to buy any fabric to create it. Truly unbelievable.

There are a mix of Konas, Cotton Couture, some of my go-to shot cotton orange, and a flannel. The whites are quite a cocktail including some flannel. Amazing how different whites can be.

One thing about teaching workshops is you always need blocks in all stages to demo a technique. Before I know it I have enough blocks to finish them up into a baby/lap quilt which is a more manageable size to travel with, and yes, I do pack one King for lectures.

Can you guess the other thing not so easy to travel with? Books😉

I’d go mad if I have to remake the same quilt, so my inspiration was another variation of what I call the Psychedelic Baby Block for my improvisational strip piecing workshop. Teaching a technique over a pattern has its benefits for the short attention spanned like me. It gives me the flexibility to design something new.

At 15″ square, using the technique I teach, these blocks come together fast.

| Quilting |

Straight lined and Grid Grid Grid went the quilting. I started with light blue thread, but ripped it out after a few lines and replaced it with white. I have to say I was not liking the line quilting design at all, but kept adding and adding until it came together. Enough quilting to please the eye and little enough to still have a soft drape. It has a great texture.

| Binding and Backing |

I really wanted to purchase some flannel that I’d fallen’ in love with, but I poked around my stash and as usual was glad I did. These older Heather Ross prints and flannel came together into a lovely minimal back. My leftovers from the top were grey or white. White as a binding sounds like it would become a Swifter, so I went with the grey and it frames it nicely.

I love the controlled chaos happening in it. I’m going to make a larger one for our bed once I finalize the color way. Decisions decisions. I am slow moving, but am working on a pattern for this quilt.

Thanks for stopping by, hope you get in some crafty time Peeps;)

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P.S. If you’re in the mood to hear about my quilts I’ll be doing a lecture tonight at the Seattle MQG and this Friday with the Frasier Valley Modern Quilt Guild (workshop sold out).

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I guess my call to finish up those quilt tops was needed and the classes filled! I’ve added two new sessions (evening and next Wednesday) to the straight line quilting workshop if anyone wants to come learn the tips and tricks that work for me. We’ll be making our practice pieces into useful nesting baskets.

Half-Square-Triangle LOVE pillows

December 15, 2016 By Katie 18 Comments

Well the half-square-triangle left-overs from the patchwork box pouches I made a few weeks ago just kept getting moved around the studio, so I decided to take them with me to my monthly Seattle Quiltie Beeings get together so that I could get some pillow tops together for my step outs in December’s invisible zipper workshops.

Years ago they started out in this lovely layout (other color ways here). Sometimes random is the right answer to getting something done. So into a bag they went and I started drawing them out and piecing them into pairs as I did when I made the first HST LOVE quilt.

Finished off with invisible zippers. Tutorial for invisible zippers here.

I just love the mix of colors and textures. To finish it didn’t need anything beyond a grid of straight line quilting. I had a problem with skipped stitches that was so frustrating and something I haven’t dealt with before. I tried everything to eliminate the issue, but it remained unresolved. Considering the use these would get on the couch I spent a lot of time with my seam ripper.

There is no lack of soft couch lounging happening lately, so the addition is welcomed.

I’m doing my usual end of the year round up and can’t wrap my brain around how many unfinished projects are laying around here, so I’ve decided to dedicate making them all into some small projects for refining new skills. I’m sure there will be some quilts too.

I think I’ll say that this is the last post of the 2016 year:) Our family has a daily practice communicating what we are thankful for and of course this time of year it takes on even more meaning.

The other night I was beyond grateful to have a pile of warm quilts to stack on top of my family when our heating oil ran out. Considering some of the extremely disturbing humanitarian issues our world is facing I feel so lucky to live a life where heat is a a pile of quilts and a phone call away.

The privilege of being able to teach and share a utilitarian skill that involves artistic creation is honestly something I truly treasure.

Thanks for sharing that journey with me this year Peeps.

I wish you all peace, kindness, love AND craftiness in the new year.

Skewed Symmetry Quilt

November 23, 2016 By Katie 14 Comments

| Inspiration |

I’m not quite sure where the inspirational starting point was for the Skewed Symmetry quilt. The blocks originally seemed destined to become matching pillows, but from the moment I stacked the blocks it just kind of developed on the design wall organically.

The mitered log cabin blocks were the cast-offs from making the Alignment Optional Pillows with my Psychedelic Baby Block technique. The color-way seemed best left alone and I liked the idea of the minimalist blocks partially floating depending on the background. I actually ran out of black fabric, so the planned symmetry of halfing the background eye-catchingly fell into the rule of 3rds instead.

Essex yarn dyed linen combined with Cotton Couture’s split personality of a dull and shiny side, offered multiple layers of texture.

Improvisationally pieced and designed. I love that.

| Quilting |

I went vertical with the quilting in a Metler black thread, subdividing the quilt with 1″ lines and then went back in for the fill. I didn’t really worry that they were evenly spaced, just eyed it up on the design wall here and there with distance as my assistant. Some are 1/4″ apart and others a little bit more or less.

Unfortunately, I tugged out the top corner of the quilt when I hung it to photograph, but this is truly one of the squarest quilts to date with no waving at the edges. No blocking, so satisfying.

| Binding and Backing |

The binding switches out in value/fabric to oppose what’s in the quilt at the top and bottom vertical strips. Not only do I like the design interest it adds, but I was able to scab together enough scraps of black to make it happen.

After talking about white batting bearding in my Alignment Optional Pillows post, I actually did have the foresight to order some black batting. All said, done and basted I realized my backing fabric had white in it. I was a little concerned the opposite effect of black batting bearding through would happen, but all went well.

This quilt will be a great workshop sample to explain how I improvisationally panel out a quilt on the design wall.

I’ll be the visiting artist at the Arts Center of Jackson Hole teaching a two day Psychedelic Baby Block | Improv Strip Piecing Workshop January 21st and 22nd. I’m pretty excited to have two whole days in Jackson Hole to hang out with students and play with both of the blocks this technique creates!

I should mention that I’ll also be in B.C. Canada in February and a bunch of locations in Washington come winter-spring. All my locations are up on the Events page.

Happy be grateful weekend Peeps!

Alignment Optional Pillows

November 6, 2016 By Katie 5 Comments

I’m still rolling with concept inspiration from my psychedelic baby block workshop and ended up with these fabulous pillows made with a block I’m calling Alignment Optional.

Back in September I thought I’d revisit a color way we used in Quilting Modern for the Shattered Quilt, replacing the Carolina Chambray with yarn dyed Essex as my light and Michael Miller Cotton Couture for the black.

I made some blocks, and well…they just didn’t look good. I packed them into a zip-lock and added them to the bureau in the basement where I collect marinating ideas. This approach is making the drawers a bit harder to open, but we all know the importance of play when it comes to creativity, which sometimes just means yielding your rotary cutter and making the cut. So that’s exactly what I did.

Though it was fun to try two different straight-line quilting styles, when it comes to a pair so similar in design I’d like the quilting to be identical. Problem is I’m not sure which design I like best.

These are only the second project I’ve personally quilted with a lot of solid black fabric. When I did my first quilt with black I didn’t know about black batting and small fibers of the white batting became visible on the quilt top. The term in quilting for this is ‘bearding’ and I won’t go into all the reasons it can happen, but the right color batting and a new sharp needle can generally prevent this issue. Too bad I didn’t remember black batting for these pillows;)

Here’s an Instagram photo showing my starts of the Alignment Optional pillows at the top. Sharing this hopefully gives you an idea of the secondary design multiple blocks would create, very similar to the Psychedelic Baby Block. Though I was planning on making a coordinating pillow with the blocks at the bottom, they actually became a quilt. I’m hoping to get some photos of it today. And this time I used black batting;)

All finished off with my invisible zipper tutorial and this awesome Alexander Henry Ghastlies Clover.

Interested in creating some pillow tops yourself? I have three dates listed for the Alignment Optional Pillows AND since I taught myself how to create coupon codes let’s celebrate with $10 off classes (sorry, not open studios) until the 24th with the code ‘meagain.’

I’m already envisioning my next pillows being fabulous in red and white for the season.

Happy Week Peeps;)

Double-Trouble Restitch Quilt

October 4, 2016 By Katie 20 Comments

So I kind of reincarnated this quilt. It really is the original Scrappalicious Double-Trouble quilt I finished up in 2013. I provided a blog post around the same time featuring only a few of the wonderful design layouts you can create with this improvisational quilt block. I am always amazed when I look around at the design walls in this workshop and see the amazing designs people create with such a simple block.

To remake this quilt I took out all the quilting, removed three seams, switched around some rows, and sewed it back together. I know, a little crazy. Some things take more then one try to deliver favorable results. It’s a little wonky around the edges and one row too long, but better in my opinion.

It just kept telling me it needed simple straight lines, but I guess almost all my quilts do now a days.

The thing about quilting or practicing any art is sometimes the finish is so satisfying, and sometimes…well, it’s just kind of ‘meh.’ But all these finishes lead to the next great idea. Besides discovering that I should never remove quilting ever ever ever again, I learned a couple of new things. One, I don’t think the imprint from the long arm quilting will ever really dissipate, and two, any quilting that has sharp points to it creates really tiny stitches at the turn that are strong and difficult to remove, even with my Quick Seam Ripper.

What I do know is that I still love myself a scrap quilt. Every little bitty one;) You can see more of this block if you want, I’ve collected some of those images here.

Happy week Peeps!

:: Blogger’s Quilt Festival 2016 ::

September 23, 2016 By Katie 12 Comments

Popping in for a minute in support of The Blogger’s Quilt Festival. This visual gallery of quilts is the brainchild of Amy Ellis. Amy and I both started blogging around the same time and like other quilters that have continued to share their work online, our blogs have served as a wonderful journal documenting our artistic growth and evolution.

This virtual festival celebrates and spreads our love of ALL quilting. You chose which category to place your quilt submission into. ‘Modern,’ ‘traditional,’ and everything in between are defined by the artists themselves.

It was a tie for me this year between BIG Tossed Hearts and my No/Know Twin Quilts. I couldn’t single down the No/Know Quilts to one, so I went with BIG Tossed Hearts.

I’ll place this quilt under original design, though I certainly think it could go under modern or scrappy quilts.

I have a whole write up about this lovely quilt here if you want to know more about its improvisational conception.

If this crazy piecing technique appeals to you then I’ve got another quilt created using it here. As you can see some other layouts I’ve managed to get somewhat out of my head and into fabric. It really never ends.

I hope that you take part in the festival either voting or entering. Regardless let’s spread the love of this art. I always find some new blogs to follow and hope you do too:)

Happy day Peeps.

Improv Patchwork Pillows

June 16, 2016 By Katie 1 Comment

Since my trip to Georgia all the pillow forms in the house have been naked, just waiting for their clothes to be put back on. It seemed like a good opportunity to change them into something ‘new’ until I create the inspiration in my head to match my new rug.

The triangle pillow I made in 2011. Grey goes with everything.

When we were writing Quilting Modern I was always on the lookout for inspirational shapes not generally produced in quilting at the time. In a design magazine was a photo that had a pillow tucked oh so small in the background. I could barely make out what it looked like beyond the elongated triangles, but I stole what I could of the idea to make it my own.

The log cabin pillow was born improvisationally on the design wall. I like how it pairs with the triangle one so I often showcase them together.

I taped up the size of the pillow form’s perimeter (Euro size) and started filling it in, piecing the cabins together in columns mostly and connecting the columns with some gentle improvisational curves.

The color way was 100% driven by this fabric I put on the back and of course I finished it with my invisible zipper tutorial.

I’m normally driven mad by matchstick quilting, but it is perfect for pillows. Its density helps with giving the down pillow form some more structure. They never look this good after use, but fluff up nice.

I went with a light aqua thread on both.

I get all fired up about old unfinished projects when I see the techniques in use, so put this one briefly back up on the wall for a little work. It even matches the pillows.

Hope all is well in your corner.

Happy week!

Split Personality Christmas Quilt

December 7, 2015 By Katie 25 Comments

This quilt is a long time coming, as in years…

Alexander Henry’s Merry Moderns fabric was THE Christmas quilt fabric for me. I just fell hard for it the minute I saw it.

The fabric seemed a perfect merge for an improvisational technique I’d been brainstorming about. A block that was a faster way to produce ‘crazy pieced’ looking fabric. So I started playing with the block construction concept that became what I now call the Split Personality Quilt Block. The method quickly produces multiple blocks allowing you instant playtime with it in endless design concepts.

Fabrics from the stash that would coordinate with a Christmas theme were pulled, auditioned and sewn. Some favorites were eaten up in the process.

And so, all these happy fabrics have been living together as blocks for a few years, waiting for the perfect pattern to show itself.

My friend Laurel showed up at an open studio to finish up an Arkansas Crossroads quilt. I instantly envisioned my blocks in that design and the production began…last year;)

The essex linen in a cross weave black stabilized the scrappiness.

Merging traditional quilt designs with improvisational techniques has really become where my process leads me. I love the secondary designs traditional set blocks create.

When it came to quilting I lived and breathed this quilt for days. For once I didn’t overthink it and went with straight lines that ran off the edge and echoed the ‘Xs’ the secondary design created.

I dreaded the thought that I’d have to add another horizontal and vertical line because my body was done with quilting, but in the end I dismissed the addition. It has the perfect drape and isn’t over quilted into the luscious feel of cardboard.

Here’s a peek at the back. Leftovers and flannel of course.

The binding is the small scale print in the Merry Moderns line. It worked out that some faces landed on the front and back of the quilt’s edge.

You can see more designs and concepts with this block in my Instagram feed and I’ve added this block onto my January calendar as a daytime, nighttime and weekend workshop.

Valentine’s Day is just around the corner and then of course there is spring!

Happy Happy Peeps;)

Boxed-In Quilt

May 11, 2015 By Katie 6 Comments

I swear no quilt in history has been put up and taken down from the design wall more.

I kept recycling the left over blocks that I call Psychedelic Baby Block into new design/layout ideas and now have an ample supply of samples for teaching the workshop.

I was in high gear to finish it for submission to the MQG’s Texas Museum Exhibit, but I realized that with the minimal quilting it would start to sag if hung for long. Like how I’ve already envisioned it as accepted for exhibit?

The softness is amazing. I don’t think I’ve even made a softer quilt.

Not only did I mix in leftover blocks, but my neutral scrap bin got dug into. Though no dent was made in that bin, texture was added through a mix of linens, flannels, and Osnaburg fabrics. Shockingly even with the shot cotton it quilted up lovely.

It was difficult to not throw in a print or two. It is one of the reasons I feel in love with quilting.

Here’s a little peek of the dot I added too.

Eleven year old boys are worthless at quilt holding for long, but good for showing scale.

I did it again and used a fabric from stash for the back. Twice I ran out of thread when quilting and of course both times I was smack dab in the middle of that red strip where it would show the most. I left it.

It’s a favorite Alexander Henry.

The binding I actually cut for my On Target Quilt before I changed my mind to something darker. I held onto it thinking it would work here.

It’s all perfect, just perfect;)

For Mother’s Day Jefe installed my flooring, cooked every meal and did the dishes while I went shopping.

I’m so thrilled with what I picked. That goes for guy and floor.

Happy Week Peeps!

Mod Pinwheel Quilt

May 4, 2015 By Katie 19 Comments

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!

::Design Wall 101::

April 13, 2015 By Katie 12 Comments

Hopefully in the next month I’ll be updating my design walls for the studio so that I can expose the electrical sockets and make them floor to ceiling.

I’ll make sure to document the process to be included in the tutorial.

I use two types of design walls. The grey one above is insulation board wrapped in flannel (tutorial here).

I’m sure none of you have more than one project you work on at a time, but if you do the other is a layered system (tutorial here) that allows you to roll things up and keep them in place so that you can work on what’s underneath or take it for travel. This system is also perfect for those of you in small spaces since it can be rolled up and stashed somewhere like under a bed.

Design walls aren’t an essential tool in everyone’s creative process, but I do talk with my students about it being number one for mine. I like to step back and see how things are getting along. I encourage students to take photos of their project’s progression and even when they think they’ve got it perfect to take everything down and rearrange it. This is how new ideas might develop. In Quilting Modern we talked about not being ‘married’ to what’s on on your design wall, and in a workshop Jacquie and I taught together one of our students joked, “You’re just sleeping together.” That quote has stuck.

I’ve developed some tricks along the way when it comes to using the design wall and the one I utilize the most is not sewing things together, but rather use bits of scraps pinned up to audition color or placement.

I now have a bowl of various 90 degree triangles for this task. Like so.

I have the same with strips. This system does add to the amount of scraps, but I’m good with that. I can’t tell you the number of times something has been all sewn together for me to realize I should have changed out something dead center of the quilt.

Happy Monday Peeps.

Hope you and your design wall are finding some time to sleep together:)

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modern quilt

Intersected Quilt

Side-Lined Quilt

Half-Square-Triangle LOVE pillows

Skewed Symmetry Quilt

Alignment Optional Pillows

Double-Trouble Restitch Quilt

:: Blogger’s Quilt Festival 2016 ::

Improv Patchwork Pillows

Split Personality Christmas Quilt

Boxed-In Quilt

Mod Pinwheel Quilt

::Design Wall 101::

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