Modern Block Monday - Triangles

Happy Monday, all! I got to check out Quilt Canada 2016 in Toronto on Friday, which was awesome, but I'll tell you more about that in a future post. Today, I want to play a little catch up on my Bee Sewcial blocks. For April's Bee Sewcial theme, Marci (@marci_girl) from Marci Girl Designs picked repeating triangles in blues. Mmm!

Block 1 that I made for her:

Check out that improv Y-seam. Bam!

Block 2 for Marci:

She seemed to really like them so Phew! :)

To see the blocks my beemates did (very much worth doing!), check out #BeeSewcial on Instagram. If you'd like to follow along with this bee, tag your blocks to #inspiredbybeesewcial. The more, the merrier!

TGIFF! - Separation of Church and State

Woo hoo! It's TGIFF! time again. I've got a bit of a weird naming story for the quilt I'm sharing this week.

This quilt started with the need to use up some scraps from an overflowing scrap bin. I wanted to try to use more tones and colours that aren't my favourites.

When I shared the finished top for Separation of Church and State a few weeks ago, I didn't share why it was called that because I didn't know. This was not intended to be some deep philosophical or political statement piece.

As I was playing with the layout, the expression Separation of Church and State just popped into my mind. There hadn't been a discussion with anyone or something on the news. I hadn't even gotten to the word play stage I usually try to come up with a name.

I just looked up at it and it was Separation of Church and State. It was weird. Then I looked at the top again and thought "well, maybe it looks a little like a stained glass window or some of the triangle points look like church steeples." But even I'll admit that it was a stretch.

I did add the line of Essex linen to help make the name work, but that was about it in terms of intentional design in the top to match the name.

The quilting was done with my favourite Aurifil thread (a beige colour #2847), using that great walking foot technique I learned from Healther Lair.

Here are a few close-ups:

Coming back to the story of the name. When I was burying the threads and finishing up the quilt, I was trying to help my son work on his poetry assignment from school, which was to make up three new stanzas for a poem. The poem was actually a prayer and he was losing his mind over it. As I was trying to be patient with him and his over-the-top reaction, I was secretly wishing for a little more separation between church and state.

Sometimes it just takes a while for the reason behind the name to make itself clear, I guess. ;)

Here's a view of the back where you can really see the quilting pattern.

Size: 25" by 30"

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Modern Block Monday - BeeSewcial - Let's Get Comfortable

While January's Linear theme for BeeSewcial was a good challenge, February's theme was a stretch to say the least. Actually, that was the theme -- Stretch! Karen (@capitolaquilter on Instragram) had us design and make blocks in 'denim' colours with neutrals using the Stretch theme. So interesting and so challenging. After the initial relief of realizing that we weren't working in actual denim, I will admit thinking, "What did I get myself into?!" No, I can do this! I think.

Her inspirational photos and instructions were very helpful. I took the organic roots photo as inspiration for my blocks. I started building out one block of organic curving lines. Once it got to about 14" square, I cut it into 2 to make the foundation of both blocks. I added an inset 'jean hole' to break up the negative space on one of the blocks. The blocks didn't turn out like the inspirational photo I started with, but I'm happy with where they went.

One beemate thought they looked like ligaments. Huh. Hadn't even thought of that, but it's true!

To see more of what this bee is up to, check out #beesewcial on Instagram and if you'd like to play along, you can post your blocks to #inspiredbybeesewcial. Come play!

Separation of Church and State - A Work in Progress

The improv bug has definitely hit. That paired with overflowing scrap bins made doing some improv piecing a good idea this week. I separated my scraps into two piles -- brights and tones. This is what I did with some of the tones.

It's a puzzle:

Added a grey stripe and the improv pieces felt done:

Then I had a thought to add a border to showcase the quilting I had in mind. Also the border would help contain the busyness of the improv piecing.

Trying out some greys:

And then some Essex linen:

In the end, I switched out the grey for natural Essex linen and there it was -- Separation of Church and State.

I'll let you decide which section is which. Any guesses? ;)

Hope you are having a wonderful weekend!

Improv with Gwen Marston

Gwen Marston was the deciding factor for me attending QuiltCon this year. I've read her books for years and love her work. I decided that if I got into her class, I would go. And I did. Well, my husband is the real hero of this story.

See, I had a meeting at the time that registration for workshops opened for QuiltCon last year so I wasn't going to be able to register myself. My husband was going to be home that day though so I sat him down the night before, made him watch the "How to register for QuiltCon" video that the Modern Quilt Guild released and gave him my wish list of classes. We went over what order to try registering. Yes, I even had plan B and Cs for him, but I threw out plans D, E and F (you're welcome, honey). My top choices were classes with Gwen Marston and Melissa Averinos. He was such a good sport about it; mostly he found it so bizarre and amusing. I think.

The next morning as I left for work, I told him, "there's no pressure and I'll be happy with whatever options you can get for me." I don't think he really believed me. At 10:07, he sent me a text that I got my top choices. Eeeek! It took all of my self-control not to jump up and down at work when I got that  text, but there may have been an impassioned "yes" accompanied by a fist pump. I am a professional, you know. ;)

So now I was going to QuiltCon and I was going to take classes with Gwen and Melissa. Woo hoo!

I'll do another post for the class with Melissa, but today, I'll share some photos about the class with Gwen Marston. It did not disappoint!

Gwen's small studies:

One of my favourites of Gwen's small studies:

Another favourite:

Gwen demonstrating some of the techniques she taught us: 

Trying to get out of my comfort zone with this colour palette:

A little better:

Some progress on the different units:

Cute, eh?

Playing with placement:

Starting to come together:

Gwen and me! Eeek!

Some of my classmates work -- I can't remember who did what, but aren't they fabulous? Loved seeing the variety of work.

If you ever get a chance to take a class with Gwen Marston, take it. You will not regret it!

Modern Block Monday - BeeSewcial - Let's Get Linear

Hi all, this is my first bee block for a new bee I joined this year. I'm pretty psyched to be joining the talented women of BeeSewcial. Solid, improv designs according to a theme. Just the creative challenge I am up for! And a six week window for completion is the cherry on top!

Stephanie (@SpontaneousThreads on Instragram) was our Queen Bee for January. She requested deep yellows and neutrals with a pop of hot colour using Let's Get Linear (Line) as the inspiration. Check out her blog post for more information about the direction. Very cool!

We could do two blocks of around 12.5" by 12.5" or one block of 12.5" by 24.5". I thought I'd try the one larger block.

To see more of what this bee is up to, check out #beesewcial on Instagram and if you'd like to play along, you can post your blocks to #inspiredbybeesewcial. Come play!

If A Tree Falls - A Work in Progress

Happy Saturday all! For my Canadian peeps, Sew Sisters Quilt Shop is having a Free Shipping event this weekend. They have such great goodies in stock too. Woo hoo!

***

For my month of the Canadians Quilt bee back in 2014, I asked for modern Christmas trees a.k.a. triangles in red, aqua or grey on a solid white background. They could be improv, pieced or paper pieced.

Here are a couple of test ones that I made. I made these with a paper-pieced pattern I designed. If you'd like to do one too, use this PDF Pattern for Modern Christmas Tree Block 1. It makes an 8.5" unfinished block. I then added 4.5" strips on two sides, making it 12.5" unfinished.

This is another paper-pieced block. PDF Pattern for Modern Christmas Tree Block 2 also has 4.5" strips added to two sides, making a 12.5" unfinished block.

Back in February, I shared the blocks I'd received from my bee mates all up on the design wall. Aren't they great?

I played around with the layout a bit and thought I'd add one fallen one. And then the weather became beautiful outside. 

And really, who's thinking snow in April? We want to be done with snow around here in April. So these blocks got packed up for a bit. 

But then Christmas came and there was no snow here. And it was 17 C. My kids were wearing shorts. On Christmas. 

It was such a mellow Christmas that I pulled out those blocks, did some rearranging, replaced the fallen block with a less prominent fallen tree, and finished my winter landscape top.

I used different white solids and a white on white chevron print for the background with an aqua, red and white stripe that will also be the binding. 

Can you spot my fallen tree now?

The outside looks a little more like my winter landscape now. Now to mull over the quilting. Ideas always welcome!

TGIFF! - A Case for the Precious

Hello darlings and welcome to TGIFF! The place where every finish deserves a party! I have to say that it was looking dodgy about whether I'd have a finish to share (again) this month. I have several projects on the go, but nothing close enough to being finished.

Until yesterday.

I got a tablet at work yesterday -- 21st century baby! Since I take my computer to a lot of meetings and bring it home most nights, my new tablet needed some special and, dare I say it, fabulous protection from the elements (a.k.a. me). Something bright and fun.

I pulled out some improv blocks I've been making over the last couple of months and put them together.

I made the case using the laptop case tutorial I made for the Sew Sisters Kona Club Challenge a couple of years ago, with a few modifications.

Modifications included adding two layers of batting for more cushion and making the flap asymmetrical.

The quilting is improv too and done with a dark grey Aurifil #2630. It's a little dodgy (clearly the word of the day) in spots, but this case is going to get used and abused so I'm not fussed about it.

And inside...a perfect reminder to keep things in perspective...and to daydream about quilting. :)

Definitely a TGIFF!

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