SewKatieDid

Because thread is the best glue

sewing classes

Mod Pinwheel Quilt

By

SEW KATIE DID:MOD Pinwheel side

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.

SEW KATIE DID:MOD Pinwheel 3

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.

SEW KATIE DID:MOD Pinwheel Quilt Detail

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

SEW KATIE DID:MOD Pinwheel Full

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.

SEW KATIE DID:MOD Pinwheel EYE

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.

SEW KATIE DID:MOD Pinwheel Binding

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

SEW KATIE DID:MOD Pinwheel Detail

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.

SEW KATIE DID:REMIX

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.

SEW KATIE DID:Flooring

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::

By

SEW KATIE DID/Design Wall Tutorial

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.

SEW KATIE DID/Quilt Design Wall Tutorial

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).

SEW KATIE DID/Layered Design Wall

 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.

SEW KATIE DID:Psychedelic Baby Block

SEW KATIE DID:Psychedelic Baby Blocks Square

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.

SEW KATIE DID:Triangles

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.

SEW KATIE DID:Triangles Add

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

photo-3

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:)

———————————————————————————

::Reinvent, Recreate::

By

Have you ever made something that you just LOVE, but you gave it away?

I’ve been thinking about this zip pouch I made for Grandma Goobin to carry her Ciggies.  Maybe it’s just the fabrics.  These prints were made to cozy up with linen I swear.

I recently recreated with thrilling results a quilt that I had gifted…but I don’t know if I could pull this one off differently and like it as much.

Right down to its triple stitched strap I want to duplicate it.

Is it me or do you make things improvisationally and wonder…now how in the…am I going to recreate THAT?

—————————————-

*Half Square Triangle Class

*September Improvisational Workshop/Strip Piecing

*Improvisational String Blocks Workshop

*Value Class

::Improvisational Wonky Star::

By

My improvisational technique class at Fabric Crush this Tuesday the 24th (5:45-7:45) is the Wonky Star.  I had a chance to teach this technique at a Spring Seattle Modern Quilting Guild meeting and wanted to do it again.   We collectively made our friend Season a beautiful quilt that Sandie put together and quilted.

(Photo and Quilt Top by Sandie of Sleepy Owl Studio)

Wonky Stars are so adaptable to pillows or a quilt top.  I’ll be bringing in my scrap bins full of Out of Print goodies for use in your stars!

Come learn a new skill.

P.S.  Check out home town girl Boo Davis in the NYTs!