I tend to want to use ALL THE COLORS in my projects, so I try to challenge myself to focus now and then. Basically, this project was an example of my trying to show some restraint... In addition to keeping the color palate tight, I also used this project to experiment as I got back into quilting after a long hiatus, so there are a lot of experimental panels and piecing. It's a mixture of cotton prints, batiks and dyed prints, and keeps me warm every day. (October 2014)
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Life is full of surprises, and this quilt is the product of one that I really cherish. This quilt is made with large 12x12 pinwheel squares that I was gifted in May 2015 by a random stranger at the Great Glebe garage sale in Ottawa. I was looking around for sheets for quilt backs and other piecing bits, and happened upon one table with some fabric for sale. I got to chatting with the homeowner, and mentioned I was a quilter. With that, he held up his finger for me to wait and ran over the porch to grab a plastic bag. As he passed it to me, he explained that his grandmother was also a quilter and had recently passed away. She left behind a few unfinished quilting projects, including a large set of pinwheel squares. She had sewed them by hand and were meticulously and skillfully put together. He said I could have them and put them to good use. So that is what I am doing! So honored to weave the work of this woman into some of my projects. This is the first of several to come: Quilt made for Karen Br. from the Netherlands on the occasion of her wedding, in June 2015. Sometimes you are inspired by the person who will be receiving your creation. In the case of this baby quilt, I was inspired by his mother... and hoped that the baby would be as creative, colorful and energetic as his momma! Baby quilt for colleague Michele B. in June 2015 to congratulate her on the soon-to-be addition to her growing family (Welcome to the world Zack!). This is one of my favorite recent projects. I love sewing endeavours where I can use some of the wonderful bits and scraps I have collected over the years. To make this quilt, I sewed hodge-podge fabric panels together out of some of my favourite collected scraps, and then cut even squares out of those random panels, wrapping them in some peaceful neutrals to contain the chaos. I thought this would be a nice concept to wrap oneself in, as an attempt to contain the mental storm that is law school.... This is study quilt made for Jolene H. in June 2015 as a congratulations as she started law school. Another relatively tight palate, using some of the warm summer colors my aunt loves. Quick runner made for Aunt Karen in June 2015 (picture shows unfinished front panel). Overlapped the technique and some of the material from the runner I made for Aunt Francie earlier in 2015 One of the fun things about travelling are the small reminders you bring back home with you. I travelled on the trans-siberian railway in 2012, and spent about a week in Mongolia during that trip. I loved the country and my time there, and wanted to bring back some fabric from the country. After much searching and a lot of awkward hand gestures and smiles, I picked up a small assortment of fabric from a woman at a local market. It has been waiting to be used, and I decided to just go for it! So I did up a few very simple but colorful runners in October 2014. To be honest, the fabric was hard to work with-- very plastic and it pulled apart easily. So I didn't attempt anything more elaborate than stripes. A version of this runner was given to Anders (friend), Anne Marie (friend), Taryn (colleague) and Leah (sister), as well as keeping one myself as a reminder of my Mongolian adventure. Some people love color, and some people love a color. My sister falls into the latter category #allaboutthatblue Inspired by the seaside, with fabric in a random pattern (that actually took more time than expected to plan out-- sometimes in quilting a look of randomness is more orchestrated than chaotic). So, here is a runner for my blue-loving sister Leah, made in March 2015 My favourite project is one where you are inspired by a person, a moment, a concept, a color or even a fabric, and then riff off of that to create a final product. In this case, I wanted to make something for my aunt, inspired by her lush and lovingly-tended gardens. In terms of sewing technique, this was a first experiment making angled stripes. You can buy rolls of angled stripe fabric, but I wanted to try making my own instead. In short, it involves sewing together strips of fabric into panels, and then cutting the panels into strips again at an angle. I am happy with the outcome as a first attempt. The outcome, as shown, is a runner for Aunt Francie made in March 2015, inspired by her garden, with lots of mossy, organic green prints, bookended with a bright poppy fabric. |
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