Juicy Bits

238: a booth for Cascade

I did it!  I sucessfully designed and constructed a gorgeous booth for Quilt Market.  And what do I have to say about that?  Phew!

I knew if I was going to do a booth, I was going to do it "right".  So hard walls were a given.  Figuring out how to make them = not so easy.

In the end they are hinged 4'x4' panels of thin hardboard with a frame of 1"x2"s on the back.  They were then bolted together on site.  If I had it to do again I would probably use actual 1/4" plywood because the hardboard really isn't meant to be finished and it chipped a lot.  And I'd probably use 2"x3"s for the frame. 

But they arrived in tact, so there really are miracles.

The centerpiece of my booth was the waterfall.  Yes I built it.  It had just the right simple, modern, calm feel to draw people in to the booth and to show off the quilts.  Honestly I knew from the start of designing the collection that it would be called Cascade and that if I had a booth it would have a working waterfall of some kind.

The ladder of quilts was screwed to the walls and I can't really see it standing like that at home, but it has definitely made me determined to built a few quilt ladders so I can get some of mine out storage and on display.

I'm so pleased with the overall look of the booth.  In fact, I kinda want to set it up in a corner of my house so I can step into it whenever I want.

  

I can't thank all the people that helped me make samples enough.  It was just bursting with creative goodness.  And I had such a blast being booth neighbors with Heather and her Succulents line.

 

Since I was mostly standing in my booth, I didn't really see much of market this time.  So sadly, I can give you much of a report, but I can tell you that good times were had.  :) 

Now that some time has passed and I've recovered, maybe I'll even be able to do a halloween post before Xmas gets here...

JT

237: Cascade blog tour

Today we kick of the blog tour for my fabric collection, Cascade.  It's going to be 8 days full of inspiring projects with a giveaway at every stop! If you haven't already looked, check out the Look Book to see most of the great projects.

I'm starting it here with three amazing quilts that I'm excited to share.

The first is called Zen Bubble.  I designed and made this quilt.  It's mostly hand applique, which you might know is generally not my thing.  I'm all about machine sewing.  But this design just needed to be done by hand. There is something about the softness of handwork that I felt was needed to compliment the simple design.

The design comes straight from one of the fabric prints, Bubble.  This will be the free pattern offered with the collection and will be available here around the time the fabric hits stores (February).

I quilted this on my longarm.  The background is randomly spaced straight lines with a top and bottom border.  Since the background fabric of the bubble is raindrops, I thought little rainbows was an appropriate fill. :)

Next up is Somewhere Under.  It's one of my patterns with Empty Bobbin Sewing Studio, done in Cascade fabrics.  My friend Neva from the Central Jersey MQG made and quilted this one. 

I love how pretty the colors all look together.  And I'm so happy I got to choose 4 solids to coordinate with the collection.  This light grey is going to get plenty of use in my quilting.

And look at the amazing raindrop quilting that Neva did...

And finally, my friend Robin (also from CJMQG) made a version of the Diamond Strands quilt from my book in the Glacier colorway.  The soft icy blues and greys look just as I pictured when I first imagined the collection.  And I think this pattern has a "cascade-y" feel (yes, I'm aware that's not a word) that goes perfect with the collection.

Robin did such a great job piecing it that the whole thing is crisp and pure.

I also quilted this one on my long arm.  It was fun to use the fabric as inspiration.  And in the solid diamonds I did a deco styled motif.

These three gorgeous quilts are just the tip of the iceberg.  Check out the following blogs to see what others have made and stop back here to see what else I share.

Monday October 13th - Jessica Levitt - Juicy Bits / Windham Fabrics

Tuesday October 14th - Julie Herman - Jaybird Quilts / Jenn Nevitt -knit ’n lit

Wednesday October 15th - Amanda Kattner - What the Bobbin / Andy Knowlton - a bright corner

Thursday October 16th - Marci Debataz - Marci Girl Designs / Jennifer Auh Chon - Sunny in Cal

Friday October 17th - Angela Walters - Quilting is my Therapy / Rachel Gander - Imagine Gnats

Saturday October 18th - Elizabeth Timmons - and pins / Andrea Taddicken - knitty bitties

Sunday October 19th - Erin Erickson - Dog Under my Desk / Jessica Skultety - Quilty Habit

 

Monday October 20th  - Caroline Press - Trillium Design / Karin Jordan - Leigh Laurel Studios

 

At each stop Windham has graciously agreed to give away a fat quarter bundle of Cascade fabrics, so don't miss your chance to win.

 

To enter in my giveaway please follow me on instagram (@jtlevitt) AND leave a comment here.  You can either tell me something you'd make with the prize or something you love about water (i.e. you love the sound of rolling waves, or the heavy feeling of morning mist in the air, or catching snowflakes or your tongue, or whatever...)

 

I will leave the contest open until 11:59 pm EST Oct. 22.

 

JT 

236: introducing Cascade!

Hey there!  Guess what?  I can finally reveal my latest fabric collection for Windham Fabrics, Cascade.

I'm so excited about how this line came out.  I've already been sewing with it and had lots of awesome sewists making projects and I'm thrilled with the results.  You can check out the projects in the Look Book and I'll be sharing more with you in the next week.

Cascade is inspired by the many colors and forms of water all around us.  It’s a graphic snapshot of just a few of things that water does.  It drips down a window pane or cascades down a waterfall.  It glistens as morning dew or floats flowers and leaves on it’s surface.  It splashes in a puddle or bubbles into the air.  I was influenced by Art Nouveau style and saw patterns everywhere, from an elevator door, to the weave of a sweater.  

 

The Glacier color way uses icy blues and greys with just hint of pink to create calm, pretty mood.  

 

The Pond color way has the more earthy feel of all the many green, lush layers of that environment.  

 

 

After an invigorating hike, I love breathing in the pure, crisp energy in the air from the mist at the bottom of a cascade.  I hope this collection captures at least a little of that beauty and clarity.

 

 

This is all 23 designs, including the 4 coordinating solids:

 

The whole collection can also be seen on Windham's site.

 

Stay tuned for a the Blog Hop Tour coming this Monday.  Eight days of awesome projects, complete with fabric giveaways!  AND I have my own booth at Quilt Market this month.  It's been an insane process of building and designing and I can't wait to share it with you all. 

 

JT

235: that time we had a quilt exhibit

A while back, my guild (Central Jersey Modern Quilt Guild) had an exhibit at a large quilt show called NJ Quilt Fest.  It was our chance to show off the modern quilting style to other quilters that might not be familiar with it. 

So we asked our members to submit quilts that reflected the modern aesthetic and I think we pulled together a pretty sweet little exhibit.  I apologize for the quality of the photos...

 The feedback we got was positive and I think we peaked a few quilters' interest.

 There were 21 quilts total in the exhibit. And they included our guild "banner" which is really just a large quilt.  This banner was a group effort with lots of members contributing blocks and a few piecing it together.  I sewed one block, the lettering part, and quilted the banner on my longarm and I love how it came out.  We now like to hang it at retreats etc to show our guild pride. :)

 

These are the rest of the quilts in the show:

 Trio - made and quilted by Jessica Levitt

 Set in Stone - made and quilted by Krishma Patel

 Jessica's Quilt - made and quilted by Robin Buscemi

 Modern Trees - made and quilted by Neva Asinari

 50 Central -made and quilted by Elaine Hagaman

 Sisket - made and quilted by Lori Saporito

 

 Retro Rubies - made an quilted by Neva Asinari-Post

 Arbutus Menziesii (Madrona Tree) - made and quilted by Robin Buscemi

 Windows to Madrona - made and quilted by Jessica Levitt

 Birds of a Feather - made and quilted by Jessica Skultety

 Cantilevers - made and quilted by Jessica Levitt

 URBAN - made and quilted by Tatiana Kennedy

 Slice and Dice - made and quilted by Neva Asinari-Post

 Plus 5 - made and quilted by Elain Hagaman

 Broken Logs - made and quilted by Krishma Patel

 Pumpkin Spice Latee (back) - made and quilted by Jessica Skultety

 Improv Pods - made by members of the CJMQG, quilted by Jessica Levitt

Swirling Medallion - made and quilted by Neva Asinari-Post

A Sunny Day in Portland, Oregon - made and quilted by Robin Buscemi

Pebble Road - made by Jessica Levitt, quilted by Angela Walters

 

A few of our members at the show...

And what was super-fun for me was that my sassy kiddos got to see my work hanging in a show.  

JT 

 

234: belated quilt market wrap-up

I'm not THAT far behind.  It's been less than 2 months since Quilt Market.

Spring Market was in Pittsburg this year.  It was a bit nostalgic for me since 5 years ago I went to Quilt Market for the first time in Pittsburg.  You can read about it here.

This time was a totally different experience.  A lot less stress and a lot more fun. :)  I didn't have many specific responsibilites this time so I got to walk the floor and socialize.

As always, it was a visual feast.  I can't possibly do it justice in my pictures mostly because I missed a lot.  

Cotton and Steel's release of their first collections was the big talk of the show.  No doubt about: those ladies have got some style.

 The radiant Carrie Bloomston and I with her new collection Paint for Windham Fabrics.

 Alison Glass and all that lucious color.

Angela Walters' new collection Athena for Art Gallery Fabrics.  Look at that insane quilting on the quilted dress.

Angela is my Market roomie and BFF.  I love her to death!

Geometric Bliss by Jeni Baker

Julie Herman who makde some goodies for Sara Lawson with her collection Urban Jungle.

Indelible by Katarina Roccella

Heather Jones sharing one of her quilts made with American Made Brand.

Carolyn Friedlander's booth won best single booth.  She is as sweet as she is talented.

I had the chance to hang out with Valori Wells this market and she is tons of fun.  And I love that she painted her booth walls freehand when she set up. I could never do that.

 Color:Full by Jennifer Sampou

 Jen Fox has a collection coming out with P&B Textiles.

 Cristy from Sew Much Like Mom and Purple Daisies.

Zen Chic's new collection: Numbers.  LOVE.

Anna Maria Horner didn't have a full booth, but still some beautiful goods on display.

I really loved Trisch Price's quilting.  It is modern with just a touch of quirky.  Really resonates with me.  I'll be picking up her book for sure, even though it's about using negative space and not quilting.

Emily Herrick matches the vibrant color of her booth.

I love how the lighting casts an ethereal glow on Violet Craft's booth.

 Just like my first time in Pittsburg, I had the chance to hang out in the lobby bar of the Omni with some pretty amazing folks.  Not to name drop or anything, but that's: Violet, Deborah, Kristen, Scott, Monica, Patty, and Carolyn.  I sometimes wish Quilt Market came around more than twice a year so I could hang with people like these (and many more that were either not there or are just missing from the picture) more often.

JT

233: progressive quilts

I'm back from Quilt Market in Pittsburgh.  I'll do a recap with a giveaway soon, but first I wanted to tell you about the progressive quilts we made at MidAtlantic MOD.

This was my idea because I’ve watched some cool traveling quilts and really liked the idea, but wanted to do it in a more compressed time frame.  Basically they’re similar to a traveling quilt or round robin, except that each was put together during the weekend.  Those that signed up had some fabric sent to them with the “theme” and then had to make a block, section, or several blocks at home.  Then at the retreat it was passed around and each participant worked on adding their block and possibly more for at least an hour.  At the end of the weekend one participant would win it at random.  I worked on all three.

The first theme was Low Volume/Little Bits.  Low volume fabrics were sent (provided by Pennington Quiltworks) and the instructions were to add little pops of color in any design desired.  It was interesting to see how it transformed throughout the weekend.  

I LOVED the end quilt.  My contributions were the words and the asterisk blocks and some layout of course.  

Next we had the theme of Triangles.  For this one a color scheme was provided.  The various off-white Kona Cotton shades were sent as well as rust orange, cerise, gray, and navy fabrics. 

This one didn’t get completed but it came a long way.  There were several points it looked a total mess.  But in the end it came out rather cool.

My main contribution was the wonky triangles in the top right, but I also did quite a bit of work on the layout including seam-ripping at the 3am to move things around.

Finally, we had a theme of Stripes.  All of the fabric was Modern Solids by Alissa Haight Carlson provided by In the Beginning Fabrics.  You were only allowed to use the fabric provided and could make anything you thought was stripes.

This was my original block:

And the final quilt is gorgeous.  And I won it!  Woo hoo! Hopefully I can get it completed in time to submit it in the group category of Quilt Con.

The whole process of making them was great fun.  Discussing and changing things.  We even ripped things apart or cut each other’s blocks.  They’re so unique and I know no one could have come up with them on their own.

Check out #progressivequilts on Instagram for more pictures.

We'll definitely do it again next year, so any ideas you have for themes would be appreciated. :)

JT

232: out of order

By “out of order” I don’t mean broken, but rather not chronological.  Although I guess you could say this blog has been kinda “broken”.  Plenty has happened I could share here but for various reasons, most of which I won’t bore you with, I’ve neglected the blog.  And it just snowballs from there.  Once I haven’t posted in a while I actually get kinda scared.  That might not be the exact word for it, but basically I feel like I’m failing and then who wants to do something they’re failing at?  Not the best logic, I’m aware.  Anywho, I’m putting that aside and getting back at it.

Oh, and also, I blame Instagram.  It’s too dang easy with instant responses and no pressure to take perfect pictures and write witty text.  So if you actually care about what’s going on currently in my life, you should follow me.  Really.  Because I’d like a lot more followers. @jtlevitt

So, to start off telling you what I’ve been up to in a very “out of order” way, I have to tell you about Mid-Atlantic MOD.  Um, well, it rocked.  Seriously.

 It was indeed a ton of work for me and my co-planners, Andrew Joselyn and Katie Blakesley, but it was a huge success.  I had so much fun and was exhausted after the weekend was over.  This is me an Andrew in our matching hoodies (sadly, Katie couldn't come). 

If you didn’t already know, Mid-Atlantic MOD was (and almost definitely will be next year) a modern quilting retreat in Lancaster, PA.  We got the idea to plan a big, fun retreat in the Mid-Atlantic region so it would drivable for those of us that can’t go to Salt Lake City or Atlanta or wherever.  The 3 of us each is a part of our local MQG (Central Jersey MQG, DC MQG, and Philly MQG) and we drew members from those, as well as lots others.  These are most of the Central Jersey MQG that were in attendance.  Check out Jess's blog for another fun recap of the retreat.

Originally we didn’t want to plan activities, but mostly just have lots of social sewing time.  There was plenty of that in a huge ballroom where everyone got an entire 6ft table to themselves.

But we did add some awesome activities.  We had a cocktail mixer on friday night with food and gift certificates sponsored by some awesome shops:

Pink Chalk Fabrics

Intrepid Thread

Fat Quarter Shop

Fabricworm

Drygoods Design

Pennington Quiltworks

1 Choice for Quilting

We had a pajama party where we sewed pillowcases for charity, with fabric provided by Windham Fabrics.

We had a tote bag swap where we each made a tote with some Essex Linen provided by Robert Kaufman.  It was total pandemonium when we swapped.  Like Christmas morning, in part because we were wearing PJs.  There were lots of squeals. 

This is the Supertote I made that Sara got in the swap.

And I got this adorable tote complete with matching zipper pouches by Natalie.

There was fabric shopping in the area.  We even found some of my fabric.

And there were giveaways and swag by many amazing sponsors.

We also offered mini-workshops on various topics.  Check out the list here.  I taught 4 of them and had a lot of fun.

But my favorite activity of all was the progressive quilts.  I'm going to dedicate an entire post to those, so look for that in a few days.  I made these collapsible design walls that we used for the progressive quilts amoungst other things.  I'll do a tutorial on how to make them.  Theyre' made with the awesome Kaffe Fasset design wall fabric.

So there you have it: Mid-atlantic MOD.  Wherever you live, if lots of sewing, making new quilty friends, collaborating and just generally having a blast sounds good to you, you should come next year!  I’ll announce registration on here but keep an eye out on the blog as well.  We’ll try to make a email list you can sign up to for updates.  

JT

230: a new year and a new "toy"

Happy New Year!

Here's hoping you are starting yours with peace and joy.

And the big news I have neglected to post here is my new machine, Lucille.  Isn't she a shiny beauty?

I've been considering purchasing a long-arm for some time now.  I had planned on buying a Gammil but at Quilt Market I fell in the love with the APQS machines.  They just glide as light as air.  And the support is awesome.  So I changed my mind abruptly, which is so unlike me.  :)

But I'm not regretting it.  Not one bit.

Hopefully you'll be seeing lots of beautifully quilted quilts from me soon.  I have plenty of tops lined up so 2014 is looking be the year of finishing.

JT

228: announcing mid-atlantic mod registration

 

Have you heard the exciting news?  Three Modern Quilt Guilds are getting together to organize an awesome quilting retreat next spring.  The Central Jersey MQG (me!) and DC MQG (Katie Blakesley) and Philadelphia MQG (Andrew Joslyn) have been cooking this up for well over a year now.

 

Here's the lowdown:

Mid-Atlantic Mod - a modern quilting retreat

April 3-6, 2014

Doubletree Resort, Lancaster, PA

www.midatlanticmod.blogspot.com

 

It's a long weekend of fun modern quilting activities including:

-plenty of social sewing time

-mini hands-on workshops

-swaps

-a fun group project

-charity sewing

-virtual and/or local shop hops

-and more 

It's going to be a great time to get together with like-minded modern quilters, get inspired, make new friends, meet some virtual friends in person, learn some new skills, and generally have a blast.  The idea behind this retreat was to make an exciting event like this available in driving distance from those of us on the East coast.  We currently working on developing lots of fun activities and getting amazing sponsors.

Registration for those outside our guild just opened up.  There is a limit of 60 attendees and it's already filling up fast.  The retreat cost is $115 for the weekend and doesn't included meals or hotel.  The hotel rate is $129/night for single or double and attendees are required to stay at the hotel or pay a surcharge.

To register fill out the form at the following link and instructions on how to pay will be sent to you:

 https://docs.google.com/forms/d/11kWcE_qjxXIr74m4kFIRSdl1abo9hdlK1CY6N6B4FGI/viewform 

Hope you can join us!  It's going to be LEGEND- wait for it -ARY.

Jess

227: pixel pop in print

Although it's not late breaking news, I need to make a hoopla nonetheless. :)

My first quilt pattern is officially in print!

I've shown you Pixel Pop before, but now you can make one for yourself.  I've partnered with Shea at Empty Bobbin Sewing Studio to bring you this and 2 other patterns coming soon.  If you've never sewn an Empty Bobbin pattern before, you really must.  Shea is an amazingly detailed and organized designer and the design and printing is beautiful and a pleasure to sew from.

 

And just look at the other samples.  I'm really excited about how different the quilts can be.  

 And it comes with a pieced backing option:

 

If you'd like to pick up a copy, I know they're available online right now at Pink Chalk Fabrics.  If you're a shop and you want to carry it, check out the Empty Bobbin website.

If you make one, please send me a picture!

JT

P.S. I posted the giveway winner on the last post.

226: set the table giveaway

Ah, summer.  My favorite season.  And it's just slipping by again. I know many of your children are already back to school but mine still have a precious 2 weeks at home. I'm torn between cramming in as much fun as humanly possible and just chillin' and enjoying the leasure before the flurry of school activities starts back up.

Of course the busy season has meant I haven't been showing you what I'm up to.

In July the book, Set the Table was realeased by Martingale and those are 2 of my projects on the cover!  It's a great compliation of table runners by some amazing designers (Angela Walters, Heather Jones, Amy Ellis, Jennifer Dick, Thomas Knauer, Natalie Barnes, Audrie Bidwell, Jose Carrier, and Candi Weinrick).  The styles are so varied that ther is something for everyone.

The first one, Slices of Sunshine, is a cheery piece of summer to enjoy all year long.  Of course it could be done in any colors you'd like...

The second, Chain Links, is really long and skinny with a fun graphic look.  I like that it can hang over the ends of a table or buffet.

Let me say, if you're a quilt maker and you haven't made a table runner in a while, do it!  It so fun to sew something that small.  Even the quilting is a breeze.  And then you have something that can be displayed daily.  I'm thinking I need to make a whole collection to swap out on whim. :)

The book is available online and at your local quilt shops. If you sew one (or a dozen!) up, please share pics.

To celebrate the release, I'm giving away a copy for a lucky reader to enjoy.  Just leave a comment here and tell me what you love about summer.  I will leave the contest open until labor day - the end of summer. :(

Enjoy the rest of your summer.

JT 

**UPDATE: I drew a name and the lucky winner was DebbyJ!**

225: happy news

So, you know how I promised you I would be coming out with a few quilt patterns?  Well, they're still coming attractions, but I can now announce that I'm partnering with the amazing Shea Henderson of Empty Bobbin Sewing Studio to do so.

Shea is a good friend and she is pretty much great at everything that I'm not (organization, marketing etc.), so it's a perfect partnership.  And, well, our styles are so similar it's eerie.  

If you've never bought one before, her patterns are top quality - full color gorgeous instructions and fully tested.  You can check out her post here about me and the other licensed designers she's bringing in.  I'm in seriously good company. ;)

You can expect the patterns very soon...

JT 

224: planned improv

Hi there.  Have you been wondering if I'm on the internet at all lately?  I know my blogging is spotty at best.  I have been around, just not on the blogs too much.  I am on Instagram most days though.  Want to follow me? jtlevitt

Anway, I wanted to share some pictures of my current favorite type of piecing - planned inprov.  Basically it means sketching out a design first and even choosing some or all of the fabrics, but not actually measuring much.

This is a quilt top I made out of 3 such blocks.  It's probably destined to reamin in my UFOs for a while.  I have this crazy notion of actually buying a long-arm.  So I no longer want to quilt anything since I'll want to practice if/when I get one. :)

A few months ago I taught a class on planned improv to the Bayside Quilters in MD.  It was great fun.  These are just a few examples of their work.  I love how different they all are. I had a blast.  I really love teaching.

 

222: Pixel Pop

Let's pretend that it hasn't been a month since QuiltCon, OK?

This quilt, called Pixel Pop, is the second quilt I had in the show.  It looks very random and it was put in the improv category, but in actuality, it was planned out.  Each rectangular block (yes, there are blocks but they may be hard to see) is unique.  

I made this pretty much in 1 week (which is super-fast for the easily distracted me).  It's a very fun way to highlight some of your favorite fabrics and uses up very little of them.

I quilted it with almost a simple straight line pattern, except I went around some random shapes about the size of the pops of color.  I felt it gives them a little bit of a falling into place feel.

The back is also pieced with some of the same fabrics in a minimaist asymmetrical design. 

And look even a a nice pieced label since it was going off to the show.

And you know what?  It didn't come back. I sold it! How fun. Though part of me wasn't expecting that so I didn't really say goodby to it.  No worries though, I have to make a very similar one because I will be doing a pattern for this also this spring. :)

I feel I should give a little low down on the QuiltCon experience.  How about just saying it was a blast all around?  I did enjoy the informative lectures and only took one 1/2 day class.  The show was inspiring to say the least.  The 80s party was epic.  Basically, if you can swing it and you're into modern quilting, go next time (2015) because it's so full of awesome people and fun energy.

JT

221: somewhere under

QuiltCon is this week.  If you don't know, it's the first quilters' conference put on by the Modern Quilt Guild.  A weekend of workshops, lectures, a juried quilt show, shopping, and partying like it's 1985.  Woo hoo!

I have two quilts in the show.  This one is titled Somewhere Under and I've been waiting to show it for a while now.  Not to be all braggy, but I'm in love with it.  :)  The combination of the slightly off-beat vivid colors and the simple, graphic design that's just a little askew for added quirkiness, really does it for me.

This is the second quilt I've done entirely of solids. (Actually I added a couple of prints to the back...shhh...)

The quilting is my graphic version of clouds.  Maybe I'll do a little tutorial on it if there's enough interest.

And it's kinda 2-sided with a large version of the block on the back.

When it came to binding I decided using anything but white would box it in too much, but I wanted some definition so I added a flange.  It's mostly green with a couple of little pieced spots.

I'm working on a pattern for this and you can expect to see something in the Spring.

JT

219: challenges

I have mixed feelings about challenges.  The type of challenge I'm refering to is the kind we issue our Modern Quilt Guild.  We try to do a challenge or a swap every month.  And really I mostly feel like "I don't have time for this crap". 

But, actually, I've found they can, as they are supposed to, get me to try something I wouldn't normally do.  And, I do finish stuff I would otherwise slack on because as a guild leader I feel I should set a good example, etc.

So, I may not do them all, but I've been participating in group stuff a lot more in the last year than ever before.

So for this month we had a challenge that was part of the larger Modern Quilt Guild as a whole.  The challenge was to use the fabric line Madrona Road by Violet Craft.  We were sent some free fabric (enough for about 5-6 fat eigths each) and we could only use fabrics from the line and solids.  There were really no other guildllines.

I, however, issued the additional direction of "details".  Whatever the members wanted to interpret that as was fine, but it must include a detail of some kind.

While pretty, I don't think I would have made a whole quilt out of the line.  I do really love the text print though.

I went for a very simple design.  My detail was the flanges that I added around each square.  

I really like the minimalist look.  But I don't quite know what to do with it.  I don't love it enought to hang it on a wall.  It's a bit small for a lap quilt.  It could almost work as a baby quilt but it's obviously boy except for the flower prints.  Hmm....

JT

214: modern quilt composition

This month at the regular Central Jersey Modern Quilt Guild meeting we discussed composition in modern quilts.  Specifically ways to use the improv blocks we made for our challenge last month.

I gave a little talk with some examples and touched on some of the major elements of composition.  It was by no means a comprehensive class, but rather meant to spark some ideas for the members on how to use their blocks and perhaps try something a little different than they're used to.  So for this month the challenge was to use the improv blocks in any modern composition.

I decided I wasn't ready to use my blocks because what I have in mind requires more blocks.  So I took a 3 of the blocks made for charity and used those to make a top to be donated.

I'm LOVING how it came out.  Some color decisions were based just on what I had available but it worked out perfectly with only a very small scrap of the background fabric left over.

I approached the design with the same planned improv method as I mentioned before - kinda like one giant block.  I didn't really measure anything but sketched a general idea and with some layout on the design wall, adapted it until I got what I wanted.  

As I mentioned I didn't make the 3 large blocks, but I made the mini blocks on the left to balance it out a bit.

I almost never repeat myself, but since I'm going to give this away, I may make another just like it for me.  It only took me 2 evenings to complete the top, so it's totally doable. :)

This week I'm off to Quilt Market!  Excited to get lots of inspiration and socialize with some really fun folks.  I will take pictures, but I promise no comprehensive blog coverage.

JT

212: Skip the Borders blog tour + giveaway

A treat for you today!  Julie Herman's book is out: Skip the Borders: Easy Patterns for Modern Quilts.

If you don't know, Julie blogs at Jaybird Quilts and she's pattern designer as well.  I'm lucky enough to call Julie a friend and I'm a big fan of her work.  So I guess you could say it was highly probable I was going to like this book.  But the thing is, I like her work for good reasons...

Right off the bat, I'll tell you the title gives it all away.  The patterns are modern, simple, and without borders.  Definitely what Julie excels at is designing cool quilts that are not ridiculously hard to achieve.  And if you've ever sewn one of her patterns, you know how precise and easy-to-follow her directions are.

And there is a ton more information in the book than just the patterns.  She gives a lot of pointers on designs and helps you understand what quilts do or don't work without borders.  And a whole chapter on binding!

(notice the Kingdom fabrics?!)

Julie came up with her own interview questions to us bloggers to answer.  She answers all of these at length in the book, but here are my short replies:

Q: All of the quilts in Skip the Borders are... borderless!  Do you skip the borders on most of your quilts?

My first thought was that, yes, I skip the borders on most of my quilts.  But it's not totally true.  Looking back I see a bunch with borders and even some more recent ones have them.  I think it's most recently that I've been using them less and less, though a few in my book had them.  I like that Julie discusses some of the purposes of borders and how some quilts really need them.  And she even gives you permission to use them on her patterns if you'd like.  I'd say I'm tending towards modern designs without them for the moment...

Q: In the intro to my book I give you permission to Break the Rules.  Do you break some quilting rules?  What is the number one rule you break and why?

What rules?  I always encourage others to "sew fearlessly" and part of that is doing whatever the heck you want.  I do think technique is important to learn.  Shoddy craftsmanship is a shame because who wants a quilt that turns out sloppy or falls apart?  But once I've learned and practiced techniques, then I do whatever I desire.  Quilting is fun-time and who wants to get caught up in a debate if raw edge applique is good enough or whatever?  I love to learn and challenge myself to try new things, but I'm certainly not going to answer to anyone's rule book.

Q: It's no secret that I love binding!  In Skip the Borders I included an entire chapter on binding.  So the million dollar question, is do you use bias or straight of grain most of the time?

Mostly bias cut for sure.  Once I learned to sew the continuous kind out of a square, it became second nature and it really doesn't take much longer.  It does take a little more yardage though.  I do have a beloved quilt that had straight grain binding and t has been used and washed so many times that there are gaping holes along the edges of the binding.  Would that have happened with bias?  Maybe.  But I'd rather be safe.  Plus, I feel I can get bias binding to lay perfectly flat a little better.  And my other secret (a rule Julie would never break!): I sew all my binding on completely by machine.  Quick, sturdy, and very clean looking.  Guess I should have put that down for a rule I break! 

As part of the blog tour, I get to give away a ebook of Skip the Borders for one lucky winner to enjoy.  You all probably have ipads or kindles, unlike me (not, bitter.....no...), so you know you want one. :) 

Just leave me a comment and tell me about quilting "rules" (I use the term loosely) you can't stand, break a lot, or maybe even would never dare break. :)  I will chose a winner randomly on Oct. 6th.

The schedule for the rest of the blog tour is below.  Check it out.  If you don't already read thses blogs you're going to want to.

Sept 10th - Generation Q magazine

Sept 12th - PS I quilt

Sept 14th - Beyond the Reef

Sept 17th - Pink Chalk Studio

Sept 19th - Fat Quarter Shop

Sept 21st - Bijou Lovely

Sept 24th - Red Pepper Quilts

Sept 26th - Swatch and Stitch

Sept. 28th - Juicy Bits (me!)

Oct 1st - V and Co

Oct 2nd - Martingale Publishling

Oct 5th - Carolina Patchworks

Oct 8th - I'm a Ginger Monkey

Oct 10th - Blue is Blue

Oct 12th - Quilting is My Therapy

Oct 15th - Quilt Dad

Oct 17th - Jaybird Quilts (Julie herself!)

Good luck!

JT 

211: stuff you don't see

I've been a bad blogger.  I'm not talking about the post-so-infrequently-that-all-my readers-have-probably-gotten-bored-and-abandoned-me kind (which, let's face it, is most likely the case).  I'm talking about the not-doing-a good-job-of-documenting-my-crafts/life kind.  And that's what's frustrating me right now.

Life has been so hectic lately (totally my own fault for doing too much and never catching up on the regular stuff) and I haven't shown you what I've been up to.  And that means I haven't been documenting it so I can look back on it.

So.... One of the events I haven't mentioned yet is that I did Denyse Schmidt's Improvisational Patchwork workshop.  The Philly Modern Quilt Guild and my guild, The Central Jersey Modern Quilt Guild, brought her to the area for a lecture (which was awesome) and workshops.

 

It's was a such a fun day and so against my over-planning nature.  Just letting loose and sewing without planning.  I had hard time playing by the rules and using whatever fabric I pulled out of the bag.  Honestly, I don't know what, if anything, I will do with my blocks.  Here are some of them:

I'm not a hug fan of the randomness and wasn't crazy about using fabrics I don't like, but as a whole, they really do have a amazing quality that couldn't be created any other way.

Then, as a spin-off, the CJMQG did an improv challenge.  We swapped scraps (in part so there would be some overlap in our stashes) and each got a fat quarter of Kona Cotton in Sage.  The challenge was to make improv blocks of any kind using scraps and the Sage fabric.  We kept some, swapped some, and donated some to be made into charity quilts.

These were some of my blocks:

I also did one not so random with a method I call "planned improv".  Love it!

In general I think I like these more than the ones from the workshop, probably because I used a lot of my own fabrics and I wasn't afraid to break the rules and make some more design decisions. :)

These were most of the guild ones:

As for other goings ons...here's a gratuitous first-day-of-school shot for the grandparents and such:

Sad that summer is over...

JT 

207: we *heart* teachers

If you have school-age children, you know that teacher appreciation week just went by.  I'm class mom for Aurora's second grade class this year and we just love her teacher.  Really we've been so lucky to have great teachers for both kids so far.  And we do truly appreciate them.  

This year Aurora's teacher is pregnant and due this summer.  When her class decided to throw a baby shower for her, I knew I wanted to make her a baby quilt.

I always think to myself how easy it will be.  I'll keep it simple.  Yeah, right.  Inevitably, I get carried away.  This is the pretty quilt I came up with:

 

Actually, it's not super-complicated or anything.  I've been doing a ton of half square triangles lately.  And all I had to go on were that she likes bright colors, her favorite color is turquoise, and she's having a girl.  But I did add some time-consuming details, that, I hope, made it really special for her.  

I had each of the kids in her class write their name.  Then I traced them and stitched them (by machine) into rectangles around the border.  I wanted their personalities to be there in some small way (without becoming too childish or overwhemling), so it's neat to have the names in their own handwriting.

I also couldn't stick to simple straight-line quilting (yes, there's a pattern developing here) so I came up with a flower motif for in each star.

As you can see, she really loved it and I know she can treasure it and know that she's made a difference to every child in her class.

JT