modern quilting

:: ‘Cue It Up Quilt ::

December 29, 2018 By Katie

This quilt came together with blocks Sandie made while she was helping me test out my improv strip piecing workshop.

I’m always a fan of Sandie’s color ways, and the fabrics she picked from her stash were perfect. We’re kindred spirits when it comes to purging, so I was only too happy to accept her starts on her last round of clear outs. I only had to add a few blocks to finished it up.

The Navy Essex and the Kaffe print really pop the rest of the colors. ‘Cue It Up offers another example of how the layout of the blocks can change the quilt’s design.

I was saving this apple print for some grocery bags, but they were perfect for the back.

A grid of straight line quilting as well as a simple binding finished it off.

I think it turned out to be a very sweet baby quilt. I’ll be teaching this technique at Quilting Mayhem Saturday January 19th if you’re thinking of learning a new skill for the new year.

It’s been a good holiday and I’ve added a few Saturday Open Studios to the schedule. We’ll be making simple zip pouches, grocery bags, invisible zipper pillows or working on individual projects.

In honor of Valentine’s Day I’ve switched up some classes. I’ll be offering two classes that make heart shaped blocks, if that’s not your cuppa tea we’ll also be exploring other geometric block shapes.

Crushed It | Improv Crazy Piecing (photo above) and Quilting with Color Value Workshop (photo below) will be the studio’s January workshops. We’ll cover zippers with some cute Zip Pouches and practice some new skills in Free Motion Quilting, each have one space left.

February’s studio workshops are Splintered Hearts and Quilt Binding.

I’m looking forward to the new year, and as always hope to make it to this space a bit more. I’ve got more finished quilts to show once I get some better light here in Seattle to photograph them. I’m still dwelling on what I might do as my little resolution.

Happy Merry Peeps.

Hearts Value Quilt

June 19, 2017 By Katie 10 Comments

I took my finished Heart Value quilt along on retreat. I like to have a quilt with me as a little reminder of home and knew I would have some helpers for photos. I think it was the only time I ventured outside and away from my sewing machine.

This is definitely the largest quilt I’ve ever quilted on the studio’s Berninas. It’s a little shy in width to a King. One of my Facebook readers asked when quilting if I go north to south, and then turn to go south to north? This quilt was too large to continually turn, so I just worked my way out from the middle. I started with a vertical quilting line ½” from the seams and then went back to fill in. It was the first time I’ve used the stitch in the ditch foot that came with my Bernina’s walking foot to tack down the seams. It turned out perfectly.

Oh, all that lovely color.

I combed through my stash to find just the right fabrics for each heart. Again a perfect sample of archiving all your lovely fabrics in one quilt. No matchy-matchy required.

I lack in low volumes except for an insane amount of light pink.

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.

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.

:: Psychedelic Baby Quilt Top | Improv Strip Piecing ::

September 13, 2016 By Katie 8 Comments

Regardless of the pile of quilts in need of quilting, I’ve got a finished quilt top to show you! Another using what I call the Psychedelic Baby Quilt Block. It has just the right amount of improvisational technique mixed with a traditional on-point layout. I can’t seem to get enough of this string block, so after teaching this workshop for a bit now I’m trying to wrap my head around fabric amounts to make a quilt pattern.

Where I get my color way inspiration for my quilts is a common question. Since I’ve had a languishing half-written post about the various avenues I take for gathering it, I’ll just share a bit here and there as quilts come together. Like my last quilts of this nature, this color way was out of my comfort zone (step away from the purple Katie;).

For this version I found inspiration in a Land of Nod catalog. I often go this route because it gives me an opportunity to work with color combos that are trending or not on my radar. I’d recommend subscribing to catalogs that lean towards modern design (or traditional for that matter) and just like the endless bucket list of quilt ideas, you’ll never lack for a mixology of color. I generally rip out what catches my eye and pin it to either my quilt design wall or my Color Way Pinboard stocked with art, quilts and randomness, all inspiring.

Once I’ve got a color way solidified I try to shop from my fabric stash as much as possible and fill in the holes from there. I try to think of it as a good challenge when I run out of fabric and mix something I have in (even a shade or tint lighter or darker). Though not as drastic as some, this quilt had that going on when it came to the white. I supplemented some white flannel and off-white adding some texture and depth.

These blocks are BIG (15″ x 15″), and come together so quickly. The fun really is in seeing this block represented in each student’s fabrics and how excited they get about what’s happening on the design wall as the blocks are created.

This month I’ve got out of town students coming to take the workshop while on vacation in Seattle. Because I needed new step-outs to teach, them coming provided me with the perfect excuse to play with another color way. This time around the colors actually work with something in my home. I tease I get my color out when it comes to making things. You’ll be seeing this block here soon with a little twist and a binary scheme.

Because of the method in the workshop we actually can create two quilts (like my No/Know Quilts) at once. These blocks are great for teaching paneling and free-piecing. I hope to show you them soon as a finished quilt.

You can see more of the Psychedelic Baby block in use here, here, here and here😉 and I’ve added one more Saturday workshop to the website.

Happy week peeps!

Tricked Out with Spiderweb Quilt Blocks

August 29, 2016 By Katie 12 Comments

Up until this weekend we were creating by bright light in the studio, diffusing it with random yardage. It’s been quite a comfortable and enjoyable atmosphere for being with students and working out fall’s workshops. This morning we have a maritime layer of fog, and since all weather is apparently good quilting weather than it’s not so hard to talk about fall here in Seattle or even the end of summer. Plus we’ll get to wear boots.

So I have a fun pillow to share with you as my fall quilt block class sample, a very L-A-R-G-E pillow, made with very large blocks;)

I needed to just step away from the design wall and get to listing September and October’s Spiderweb Quilt Block Workshop. I allowed myself some play time this month and it led into one of those really nice work flows, so of course the new ideas for fall classes and pillows kept multiplying. Don’t think you’ve seen the last of Halloween from me.

I enjoy the learning and ideas that emerge when playing with a new geometric shape, and this traditional quilt block has been on my bucket list. I also had zombie fabric. I’m pretty sure Spiderweb quilt blocks and zombie fabric are like peas and carrots.

The block’s tight finished construction combined with the freedom of improvisationally cutting and piecing the strings made for a good technique mix. I’ll be exploring the shape of this block more in the future for sure.

I super-sized these blocks to a finished 36″ x 36″ pillow top. I don’t know why but all along I envisioned floor pillows to celebrate lounging, movies and popcorn that come with the season.

One pillow form would make a perfect dog or cat bed, but I overstuffed it with two of these huge pillow forms and it certainly is quite tuffet-like.

Straight-line grid quilting worked easy enough. I polished it off with an invisible zipper. Don’t be scared, this is a skill you can teach yourself with my invisible zipper tutorial or swing by an open studio to learn how with all the tools including a serger for a nice professional look inside and out.

And when you have extra blocks you make a lumbar pillow.

It never hurts to coordinate.

These were ridiculously fun to make since I have such a love for Halloween decor.

You can see all the Halloween pillows I’ve made and how I tricked out the house last year here.

Wishing you a happy, not haunting week Peeps;) Hope you get your creativity on.

| Spiderweb Quilt Block Workshop |

| Paper Piecing Workshop |

| Open Studios |

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;)

::Playing with Hearts::

November 10, 2015 By Katie 7 Comments

I’m still quilting my Christmas quilt made with blocks that I call ‘Split Personality.” Both the vertical and horizontal quilting lines were finished over the weekend and I’ll move onto the diagonal lines once the week’s open studios and workshop are done.

I try to give my body a break from quilting every hour or so and since staring at my design wall is a favorite activity I’ve dedicated my move around time to these solid fabric versions. Last season I was rather smitten with all the heart designs I’d been seeing and decided I’d really like to play with an improvisational variation of this shape.

The block’s effect is similar to what the crazy piecing technique in Quilting Modern produces, but this new technique is rather quick and without fuss.

These Split Personality blocks have evolved into the “what” with their heart shaped design element, but they have yet to find the “how” of their final composition. I’ve been inspired by so many traditional quilts layouts where I could place this block, but am really trying to stay improvisational with this one.

I have plans at the end of the week to play with some I made that I’m not as happy about and see where an elongated heart shape might land me. Pays to not always throw away the ‘not so goods’ eh? Maybe in the end I’ll have some great trivets for Christmas presents at the least:)

Happy midweek Peeps!

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I’ve got new Open Studio dates up and a few spaces in my design wall/improv workshop left. Thanks to everyone’s feedback and response to my newsletter. I’ll be working on an evening Open Studio and a Sunday monthly in the new year. Hope to see you soon;)

modern quilting

:: ‘Cue It Up Quilt ::

Hearts Value Quilt

Side-Lined Quilt

Half-Square-Triangle LOVE pillows

Alignment Optional Pillows

Double-Trouble Restitch Quilt

:: Blogger’s Quilt Festival 2016 ::

:: Psychedelic Baby Quilt Top | Improv Strip Piecing ::

Tricked Out with Spiderweb Quilt Blocks

Improv Patchwork Pillows

Split Personality Christmas Quilt

::Playing with Hearts::

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