Inspiring Improv 🐠 Shoal
For some people the idea of improvised piecing is scary. The thought of stitching bits of fabric together with no pattern or precise measurements can be overwhelming. Others find it liberating and exciting. Honestly I probably find myself somewhere in the middle. Improv quilts look really cool but how do you do it?! No measuring, no rulers, no real idea of how it will turn out? That might feel unnerving but it's also a LOT of fun. Letting go of expectations a bit, relaxing the rules and creating something completely unique. Truthfully in a world where there is a lot of pressure, where social media presents ideals and things can sometimes become a little samey; improv is like a breath of fresh air.
A while ago I might have said it's not really for me, I've had a go and enjoyed it but it didn't click. Until now. Having seen Nicholas Ball's trunk show at the Sewcial Retreat I knew a bit about his techniques and was really inspired by his quilts. When he invited me to join his Inspiring Improv Book Tour I was delighted, intrigued to discover more about his process and learn. Nicholas' new book is full of the techniques he uses presented in a way that's fun to read. It's like he's talking to you as he shares the inspiration and stories behind the amazing quilts and has great tips that teach you how to create your own improv versions of his designs.
I chose to follow the Shoal pattern and make some fish. Above you can see Nicholas' quilt and how beautiful the photography is in the book.
My make is not a quilt but a cushion cover. As it's going to live with us I had to steer away from using blue because it wouldn't fit our decor (though fish mad Joan will probably steal it away to her room anyway!). I picked out background fabric while at Patchfinders recently, I could not resist the shot cotton. It's a mix of purple and mint, photos can not do it justice sadly. Because I can never restrain myself I also got the stripe, text and watercolour pink fabric too. I added another pop of bright colour with the yellow woven, Chartreuse Mariner Cloth by Alison Glass.
Once the fabric pull was made cutting could begin!
Sewing ✖ Orange Peel
This is the stack of quilts I took to Leicestershire and Rutland Guild, where I was invited to give a talk and teach a workshop. It's always exciting and slightly nerve wracking for me to visit somewhere new. All the ladies that weekend were so welcoming and it was great to arrive on their Area Day at the end of last month. It began with everyone working on their own projects and there was a wonderful show and tell. I really enjoy seeing peoples creations and hearing stories of how it was made. Sadly I didn't take pictures but it was a lovely mix of quilts, bags and more. All quite different and all beautiful! Later I did manage to snap this gorgeous pincushion, I would like to try the technique used on the top here as it's so pretty (sorry the lady's name who made this escapes me, please leave a comment if you know or if it was you and I will add credit).
There was a delicious shared lunch and in the afternoon I gave a talk about my journey and experience as a quilter. I have had nice feedback, it was fun for me looking back over some early makes!
On the Sunday it was time to teach my Crossed Orange Peel pattern and it was so awesome to see everyone creating beautiful blocks sewn by hand. It's lovely to teach a class where people can sit and chat without noise from the machines, there's a certain calm that washes over as people hand stitch.
It's hard not to admire all the fab notions, storage and bits that everyone has with them, not to mention the fabric! I like seeing what things people find useful and the handmade items they use while sewing. this clever thumb pincushion is one, with the bonus of a bobbin of thread and a cutter!
There was never going to be a complete quilt in a day, though the progress was really impressive and all the blocks looked fabulous and very neat. Classic William Morris, Japanese woven fabric and an array of modern prints, they are all unique and wonderful.
You can really get a sense of how fabric placement can change the design. Fussy cuts work beautifully and using bright, dark or tonal shades can easily make different parts of the block stand out.
Imagine these blocks repeated, mixed with similar variations or contrasting joining blocks to make the quilt pattern. Beautiful!
If you'd like to make your own Crossed Orange Peel blocks or quilt, you can find the pattern - with a free hand piecing guide - HERE.
It was a scorching hot weekend (similar to the current heatwave) so thank you to everyone that attended! Thank you all for being so welcoming, I thoroughly enjoyed the whole weekend. Special thanks to Sarah for organising my visit and for being such fun company.
a day (off) in the life...
This is one of those random posts about good stuff and things I like. A little bit of what's been going on and sharing a day off + day out I had with my husband recently.
Still busy and still teaching! This beautiful vintage Jones, zig zag machine was brought to class and while we did have a bit of trouble because of the position of the needle and feed for a 1/4" seam, it did power through some piecing. A lovely machine, just look at that wooden base unit.
Also a fine vintage, my Nan turned 101 last month. Here she is with her youngest great-grandson. She was in good form, singing Happy Birthday to ME when we all sang to her. She ate some cake and fussed over the kids. Possibly because my Grandad had a lovely head, I don't know, but she always comments on Fred's head - she says he has a good shaped head! We all had a nice time celebrating a special day.
With three rapidly growing children, work, general household chores and all the sewing, it is rare for me to have a day off. My husband and I decided to spend a day off together while the kids were at school, something we will definitely do again. We dropped them off at school and then decided to walk into Manchester city centre, grabbing a coffee on the way. Even on our first date we ended up walking and talking, it's one of my favourite things. So we strolled along and found our way to Whitworth Park, it was just before the art gallery opened so we hung out spotting the parakeets.
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