It all began when I was having issues with the internet one day and couldn't get online to do my usual work, I thought.... "oh well, how about pulling some fabrics from my stash instead - I want to recreate one of my Bargellos and use colors a little different from my usual." Orange and green hues were selected, and these definitely depict the essence of spring, thus it became an easy choice for which Bargello would be recreated.
You can see that I have chosen two groups of fabrics each ranging from light to dark or vice versa. The original quilt only had one group arranged from dark to light.
Here is the original Bargello in Spring quilt which I made for my Beginner's Bargello workshop back in 2003:
This bargello is the most basic of all the Bargello season quilts and a great place to start when learning Bargello basics. You learn rotary cutting skills with strip cutting, accurate seams (which don't have to be exactly 1/4" as long as you are consistent), bargello blocks and tube building, bargello strip cutting and joining, and staggered seams.
After a week or so, my new Bargello in Spring was finished and this new version was published as a pattern.
As well as all the general Bargello instructions, the pattern includes correct methods of adding borders and quilting your project. I decided to also include a bonus quilting design for those who want a little bit more of a challenge. The spring flower can be quilted by itself or included with stitch-in-the-ditch quilting.
To take it one step further and make it even more of a challenge, you could also use the quilting flower design to add applique flowers around the border or in one corner.
I think the new spring bargello looks ever springier. What do you think? I'd love to hear your comments.
Interested in this pattern? You'll find it here: Bargello in Spring Or perhaps you would like to enjoy all my Bargello Seasons quilts. You can find a bundle of them here: Bargello Seasons bundle or sign up for my online workshop Bargello Seasons for Beginners.
]]>These are more fun than you can imagine and quick too. It actually took me longer to decide which fabrics to use than it did to make them!
The frog was so cute that I had to make the fish too...
And then I couldn't stop there, I had to add my own little touch. With some bubbles for the fish and a fly for the frog.
I used fabric pens to draw in the facial features, bubbles, and fly
Since I'm not making the full quilt, I need to use for these blocks for something else.... so I got thinking. With a new grandbaby on the way, a bib jumped to mind - how cute would that be?
I changed the drawn features into stitched ones to make them stand out better and also just in case the fabric pen fades with washing.
The pattern is included in Jennifer's eBook for free or if you already have the Animal Party pattern, you can purchase my bib pattern here: Baby Bibs. Wouldn't it be delightful to make quilt and bibs to match - that has to be the most awesome gift you could make for a new born baby .... and they take no time at all.
Oh yeah, did I mention, I only made two of the 13 different animals - I'd love to make them all as they are all so cute.
Download Jennifer's "Zoo Friends" eBook and receive my bib pattern free (bib pattern also includes other appliques including 26 letters of the alphabet)
]]>For this particular project, I will work from a photo. I knew what I wanted so it was just a matter of acquiring some prompts to help me create a scene or in this case, a still life. I managed to find what I needed - a small vase and some silk roses.
With these at hand, I began thinking of how I should display them. My first thought was a single rose in the vase with a bud but unfortunately there were no buds on my bunch of flowers. I could try pulling one flower apart to form a bud but I wasn't so sure that would work successfully so put that idea aside as a backup plan. Rethinking, I felt I couldn't use any less than three roses as I know two flowers in a group doesn't look balanced and I didn't want more than three as it would be too top heavy for the vase - so three it ended up to be.
Next I needed to think about the background, an all important part of the display - a dark colored fabric perhaps...
Or another thought - let's go light.
Once I had the right setting, it was a matter of taking a photo for me to work with. I went ahead and printed the photo onto fabric. I've done this plenty of times before so not a difficult task. In fact, I have even written an e-book with lots of information about printing on fabric. (This goes into depth, explaining about the right sort of photo required for printing, how to prepare your fabric, printing pitfalls, many tips and tricks to use successfully, and gives you a fun project to try too.... and no, you don't need those expensive fabric sheets.)
With my printed fabric it was now time to select the thread colors and begin stitching. This is the fun bit - so much in fact that I forgot to take the photo prior to stitching! I pulled several yellow threads ranging from very light to dark gold, a couple of greens for the leaves, grey-greens for the vase, and lastly two more threads for the background. I picked mostly rayon threads for the foreground elements to create a shiny effect to give the impression that the light was reflecting off them.
So with my threads selected, I layered the quilt top with batting and backing and then began stitching. I started with the roses. I ended up using five threads in total for the roses starting with the darkest thread first and working through to the lightest which added the highlights.
Now onto the leaves and vase. Not too much stitching on the latter. I didn't want to lose the transparency effect of the glass vase.
And lastly the background. The wooden table was enhanced by a few wood knots and the light top was stippled quite fine.
With all the stitching complete it was time to find some fabric to border this. I couldn't believe I found the perfect fabrics in my stash without much effort. The gold/yellow was just the right color for a 1/4" border and the batik grey as outer border would finish it off nicely as it pulled the colors from the table top, the vase, and the grey stipple in the background.
I finished off by adding an almost black binding.
I made this project for a friend's birthday so it made the process even more enjoyable, but not as much as the appreciative look on his face as he opened my gift. Give someone a gift that you've made and you'll know exactly what I mean.
This technique is something I teach in my Printing on Fabric workshop - I have an entire lesson dedicated to it. I also teach a Still Life workshop that would certainly enhance your creative arrangements. If you are interested in either, follow the links to find out more information or drop me a line and I'll get back to you.
]]>Taking one block and mixing it up is a great deal of fun and rather addictive.... I do believe each design improved as I went along. The funny thing about this first block was that it became the last quilt I made for the workshop.
So once I had that first block, I began twisting it one way and then another, then I attached a border around the block to add another twist to it thus " Twisted Ribbons " was born.
Then came the third design which was another twist on Twisted Ribbons block. That became "Ribbon-fest". This one is a favorite of mine as I made it using Hoffman Fabrics and hung in their booth at the International Quilt Market.
With three different blocks made using the same technique - a twist on log cabin, my workshop "Twisted Patchwork" was born and the fun thing about this workshop is that cutting the strips does not have to be accurate nor is it necessary to sew a precise 1/4" seam, not until you square up the blocks at the end, so it really is a twist on patchwork... and what's more, you can make the blocks any size thus you can make your quilt as big or as small as you want.
While developing the workshop, I conceived a fourth design utilizing a quarter of the block. Here are the four designs that are covered in the workshop.
It's been a fun workshop to teach and students have had fun creating the various designs. Below are a few photos I've had sent to me from those who have made the designs:
"I had a great time making this quilt, it went together very easily and quickly. Watching the blocks develop with the different angles as you go round and round adding each fabric is very cool. It looks complicated from the picture but Ruth's pattern is fantastic and she walks you through all the steps with great instructions and pictures that are so easy to follow. This pattern is lots of fun to make and there are so many colour combinations that could be used - no two would ever be the same. And guess what.... I didn't have to get fussy about sewing a perfect 1/4 inch seam - no need with this block" .....Jennifer.
"I use the hand dyed fabric I had made in Elizabeth Barton’s dyeing class. I did not have a lot of cloth for lots of blocks, so wanted to make the finished block as large as possible, and only did “small” twists. Thanks for the great classes – enjoying them all." .....Susan
"It's great, I'm having a lot of fun and the instructions are easy to follow." ... Doreen
If you've made any of these patterns or attended this workshop (live or online), I'd love to see a photo of your quilt too. Please send them to me!
Reference Links:
]]>When making a quilt for others, say as a wedding gift or a baby quilt, you will get inspiration from the person who will receive it. A newly wed couple will have preference to certain colors or theme or perhaps colors are chosen from the bridal party that you will base your quilt on. For a baby quilt you'll often choose pinks or blues or the colorings of the nursery. Inspiration can come from a favorite animal theme or color for a small child’s quilt. Or an adult may have a favorite flower. I am sure you can think of many other desires to fit into this category.
This quilt was made for my best friend to match the bedroom - browns golds and a touch of green.
Purchasing a certain fabric or complimentary fabrics will inspire a quilt. A good example of this could be the use of a theme fabric (landscape, floral etc) and then matching fabrics to the colors within the theme fabric. Quilts always look great when used this way mainly because all the fabrics blend well with each other.
Scenic Paradise was inspired by a theme fabric. This quilt was created from a Hoffman fabric especially designed for the Southern California Quilt Run's 10th anniversary. I used the fabric to create a unique design pulling the colors from the theme fabric and adding appliqued poppies which was a part of the theme fabric also.
Have you ever been to a quilt show or flicked through a magazine and said "wow I love that quilt". Often seeing someone else's quilt will inspire you to make one the same or get your mind turning with ideas on how you can do something similar.
When I first started designing, I was inspired by a photo in a magazine that used windows and colored lines to come up with this quilt called "One Hid Under The Lily Pad". This quilt has 3-d elements that inspired me on to make a workshop in 3-d applique.
A competition is usually based on a theme or fabric with certain rules involved on how the quilt should be created. This could be described as guided creativity. Competitions are a great place to get inspired as some of the initial thoughts are taken care of for us. The more detailed the rules the more of a challenge it is to come up with a great quilt.
Cherry Blossoms was an entry for the Hoffman Fabric 2003 challenge. For this particular challenge we have to use a certain fabric. The challenge for this was a cherry print on black.
So you can see there is a lot of inspiration to be found through visual cues, written content, audio resources, and insights from others. Combinations from various inspiration can lead to very interesting ideas too! I'd love to hear of other ways you've gained inspiration for your quilt making.... please comment below.
]]>Audio is probably the hardest form of inspiration to transfer into a quilt but it is known to be used especially with a combination of other inspirations such as photos or nature. Listen for birds singing, a rooster crowing, or rain falling onto a tin roof for inspiration. It might not make a full quilt but often used as elements within a quilt. For example, my rooster block - you can clearly see this rooster is crowing at sunrise.
Rooster crowing - block from A Day in the Country
Music playing also inspires one often not so much in the quilt being created but rather in the creativity itself. It is known that some artists cannot work without their music playing in the background. I have a quilter friend who will only do free-motion quilting while listening to classical music and a daughter who is a graphic designer that does her best work while the sound system is blasting.
Music creates emotions which are recreated into art. Famous artists like Monet and Renoir painted their masterpiece using music as inspiration and Vincent Van Gogh heard sounds in his head that inspired him to greatness.
As a young child, I played the piano and learned to read music which was the inspiration for this small sample I created in "Getting Started in Quilt Art"
I'd would like to hear if you have been inspired by music or audio. It would be great to share your quilts and experiences with others too. Let's hear about them in the comments below.
]]>Needle felting is a fiber art technique that involves transforming wool or other natural fibers into three-dimensional objects or designs using a special barbed needle. This sharp, thin needle is repeatedly poked to entangle the fibers, causing them to mat and create a solid structure.
The process allows for a high degree of creativity, enabling artists to experiment with colors, textures, and forms. Additionally, needle felting is often used in combination with other crafting techniques, such as embroidery or quilting, to enhance and complement the final piece.
We had a lot of fun with this process and I have a mind to add this technique into some of my quilting, it would be perfect in my Picturesque 3D Scene workshop ... but that is for another day.
Back to Create a Heart Week.... where young Izzy created a felted heart, I decided I would create a kaleidoscope using one of the templates in my Kaleidoscope of Hearts eBook. This one I made for Valentines when Izzy was born....
And this one I have colored, ready to print and sew later today. I colored this one on the computer but it is more fun coloring the fabric and just printing the outline - saves on ink too.
If you want to learn more about printing on fabric, check out my eBook: Fabric Printing
Another couple of ideas for hearts is Linda's thread painted Filament Fantasy eBook - Linda used hearts, you can too or any other shape you like.
And Anita's beautiful heart quilt using her Folded Ribbon Heart block.
I made this block using her technique outlined in the pattern. The pattern includes table runners as well as the quilt pattern.
Has any of this inspired you to make a heart this week? Let me know what heart you plan to make for Valentines?
]]>With knitting at the fore last year, I began creating a journal to record all my knits. I've done this digitally and physically (on notes of paper) with my quilts for years, but not with my knitting so I bought myself a journal and began recording.
I found one major problem and that was I often forgot to include one or more of the important details like which needles I used or my stitch gauge and of course, now I look back I cannot remember those details.
So this year, I decided to try a new tactic. I designed a page that I could print out that had areas to fill in... and then I took it one step further. I figured if I printed my page on an adhesive label, I could customize my journal to suit the projects I made giving each project the amount of pages it required. These specially designed pages now offer me a unique and customizable touch to my journaling experience.
In my knitting journal, I have used double sided tape to add my swatch, and later I will take a photo or two of the finished garment.
I repeated the process with appropriate changes to accommodate a quilting journal. The project pages have more detail for this as you can imagine.
For this page, I put my fabrics on the scanner and scanned them to print. That allowed me to get a much better image. Of course, I could have also cut out snippets of fabric and added those instead.
Then, upon showing what I'd done to a friend, she gave me the idea that I should offer these to others so this is what I've done. I made a downloadable version for all my international customers and a printed version that can be shipped locally.
In the latter, I've decided to offer individual pages as well as a complete set of 16 pages plus a starter page that includes a dot journal.
Whether you're a dedicated crafter or someone exploring the world of creativity, these customizable pages are designed to enhance your storytelling. If only I had thought of this earlier in my crafting life.... if I had, I would have a library of journals as a testament to my creativity.
]]>Often a story book or written literature will inspire a quilt. Reading a description and letting your imagine flow with the thoughts. Much like “The Phantom of the Opera” inspired me so can words. Words will paint a picture in ones mind and from there we transform that picture into our artwork. In this quilt I made St George the Dragon Slayer which is based on a myth.
It is interesting when several quilters are given a description and then all head off in different directions to create their quilts. After they group back together it's amazing how different each quilt can be. This is a great way to be inspired in a group setting.
Poetry is also another form of written literature. You could try the group example above for this as well. I found this short poem written by an unknown artist that inspired me into making the following quilt.
“Music comes through the senses, it whispers emotions of the heart. As a painter feels this emotion, he expresses it through his art. Sing the phrases of the universe and command the spectrum of color. Take your music and give it life and love for the world is waiting”
When I read this poem it started to make me think. I began thinking of the elements within the poem the word “World”. My first thoughts were of circles or rounds that would be a connection to the universe with the round planets and the solar system rotating around the sun. Then “the spectrum of color” made me think of bright colors and what better way to spread them than with paint.
Painted Notes
Of course I had to bring music into it as it brings me fond memories of playing the piano as a child. So thinking of these four elements world, color, paint, and music I began to design this quilt.
I found the perfect fabric full of color and spiraling as it changed. The center of which stretched out my life span moving far in the distance thus comes the music caught in the swirl as the paintbrush added the brilliance of color. I added shadows to the notes to give a three-dimensional look which gives you the impression of the notes floating. This thought was derived from a shadow effect I saw on one of the colored swirls which I extended into the shadow of the brush. So this is my story created by a few words from our unknown artist.
Did you make a quilt inspired by some sort of written literature? Tell me about them in the comments below.
Inspiration for quilt making through sound is next: 13 ways to find Inspiration for quilt making part 3
]]>Our first category is visual inspiration. Visual inspiration is the most common form of inspiration.
This category can be broken into several subtitles.
Nature is likely the most common of all inspirations - for me any how. Look at the flowers and trees, parks, rivers, and mountains.... and don't forget animals, birds, and insects, all of which fit into this category.
After looking at my website you will know that flowers are a great inspiration for me. Many of my best patterns are appliqued flowers. Here is just one quilt "Light Upon the Earth" that was inspired by nature. I started by taking a photo to capture the moment so I could draw in the comfort of my home thus the creating began.
If you want to find out more about the process of designing this particular quilt see my blog post: Calla Lily Applique Creation - the idea >>
Photos go hand in hand with nature and all visual inspiration because it is the visual picture that we capture within the photo. Photos will grab the moment and set it ready for us to transform into a quilt. Here are a couple of examples of how I used photos to make small quilts. I printed the actual photo on fabric. In the first photo, I free-motion stitched over it to enhance the colors and add textile.... and in the second, I made a small quilt using several photos after a day at the San Diego zoo.
You can learn more about printing on fabric through my e-Book "Printing on Fabric".
Buildings can be a great source of inspiration. Architecture is an art source of its own so transferring it into patchwork can create some very interesting results. While my Bargello Blues quilt wasn't explicitly inspired by architecture, yet many of my students have made reference of it to the Great Wall of China, suggesting an unintentional connection.
Artwork such as paintings, statues, masonry, woodcarving, and the likes are another great source of inspiration. Often we will find great designs carved that we could easily transfer into quilting lines.
I'm sure you have heard of Claude Monet's famous lily paintings. Lily Pond is my interpretation of his artwork.
Movies can be another source of inspiration especially mythical scenes such as castles, serpents, and dragons or galactic scenes. If you ever watched Lord of the Rings there were some truly beautiful scenic views that could easily be used as inspiration.
"Phantom of the Opera" by Andrew Lloyd Webber inspired me to make several pieces including a quilted book. Here is one page of the book I made.
This covers the main areas of visual inspiration. You can see there are many forms of inspiration around us many of which we may not even be aware of. What inspires you visually? Let me know by leaving your comments below.
The second part of finding inspiration is coming up next: Finding inspiration for quilt making part 2
]]>Today I wanted to share some insights about my "Printing on Fabric" workshop. I first started teaching this class at Quilt University in 2009 and I still get students fascinated with the process. It's a fun class as you get to try all sorts of printing techniques such as making labels for your quilts or capturing mesmerizing scenes.
One of my class samples is made up of photos I printed of my family and then made a frame of patchwork to join them together. (one photo is me at graduation back in 2006)
There are several different projects to make in this workshop but a favorite technique of mine is machine embroidery over photo. We print the photo on fabric first and then we use our sewing machine to embroider decoratively over it. Definitely a fun technique.
Look closely, I'm sure you can see the background covered with stitches. This enhances the photo a lot.
I know you would all like to hear a little about the scene used in this embroidery project. It is Akaroa point in New Zealand near Christchurch. If you look at a map of NZ you will see an area of land the sticks out into the sea from Christchurch... Akaroa is right out on the end and this is the very tip of that. Many do not see this part of the island when they visit Akaroa but luckily my son-in-law knew of it and when we had visitors out from America in 2006 we packed a picnic and he drove us out there. Up and down steep hillsides, through farmlands, and along dirt tracks... then all of a sudden you embark on this wonderful scene. We had a beautiful day and its memories are captured in this quilt.
Here are a few photos from my students who have taken this class.
Would you love to find out more about this online workshop? Discover more about this online class here >>
I'm actually in the process of creating an in depth workshop on just the embroidery of this workshop. Let me know if you'd be interested.
]]>In 2000, I discovered Quilt University after talking to a teaching colleague. She mentioned she was teaching online and I was fascinated. After giving me the details, I contacted Carol Miller (the owner) and asked her if she would be interested in any of my designs by directing her to my website. At roughly the same time, I was publishing my first few quilt patterns. Wow, that seems so long ago now.
Carol looked at my designs and was very interested in several as they were different to anything she already had. At this time, Quilt University was relatively new itself. It had only started a few months earlier and Carol was looking to expand with unique techniques. Carol worked with me to get started and I submitted my first online workshop "Poppin Poppies" in early 2001.
"Poppin Poppies" original design (left) - new quilt made for workshop (right)
The workshop was 4 lessons long and included several options for colorful backgrounds and quilting. I was very nervous wondering how well it would be accepted. At $27 per student I thought if I had 10 students I'd be very happy. As it happened I ended up with over 20 so I was ecstatic. The workshop went very well and I promptly began writing my next quilting workshop.
As I wrote more and more, each workshop improved as I included more detail and comprehensive instructions. One of the best classes I wrote was Bargello Seasons (a beginners Bargello workshop) which is still extremely popular today. I began writing it in 2003 (a lot of writing goes into these classes and I could only describe them as to writing a book) and this workshop had 4 quilts included all with their own specific instructions.
It was first scheduled to begin on 10th March 2004. Two weeks prior to start date, Carol emailed me to say enrollment had reached the 80 student limit.... as teachers we had the option to continue gaining signups or closing registration and schedule a new session directly afterward. Because of my dedication, and financial strain at the time, I told her I can handle any amount of students.
Registration for that one session reached 103 students. It took a good part of each day, 7 days a week for the next 10 weeks to keep up with the demand of my students introducing themselves, making comments, asking questions, and sharing photos of their work.
After 12 years of teaching for Quilt University, Carol suddenly passed away and Quilt University closed down. Fortunately for me being a certified web developer, I'd recently opened my own online facility so many of the teachers came to me and asked if they could continue running their classes on my website. At that time I personally had over 20 online classes and combined with my colleagues we offered over 100 unique workshops.
Around that time I wrote "Free Software for Quilters" and that turned out to be another popular workshop. With technology at a peak, quilters were looking at various options to design their own quilts however software was expensive so I helped students learn to use Open Resource software from downloading it, to creating original quilts within it, and drawing templates.
Writing my own web programs to accommodate this sort of workshop gave me the flexibility to offer these unique classes.
Speaking of unique classes, I also designed a mystery workshop with options.... very unlike the standard mystery where every quilter makes the same design, my mystery has different results depending on which option is chosen during the course. As the students work their way through the course, they pick an option by entering a door. Each door has a different set of instructions however I do include hints to make the decision easier. Definitely a fun, yet complicated way to write a workshop but I loved the challenge.
I have since transferred some of my older workshops into downloadable eBooks so they can be enjoyed offline too. They are all registered with a ISBN number and these can be found on my website with a good number of other eBooks that some of my teachers have also transferred.
To date, I still have 23 workshops ranging from applique to patchwork, Bargello to art quilts, foundation piecing and stained glass applique. I love teaching them all and trying new techniques too. Today as my journey continues into 2024, I hope I might meet you in one of my online classes.
Happy Quilting!
]]>Jigsaw puzzles are fun and relaxing. They are something I love doing with the Grandkids too, although I do stick to the physical puzzle format for them, not so much digitalized puzzles.
In June 2022 I released my 58th BOW flower block - Gerbera..... and today I made it into a puzzle. Here's a photo of the block: (you can find the pattern here)
Here is today's Quilt Block Jigsaw Puzzle, give it a try.
If you'd like to play multiplayer, here is the link for that: Multiplayer (yes you can create and share a unique link with your friends and do it together! Click the 3 lines in the top left corner of the screen and select 'modify this puzzle', then click on the people icon in the center and follow the prompts)
..... and next week I'm taking a break from my usual weekly blog since it lands over Christmas. It's a time I love to spend with the grandkids so here I'll say I wish all my readers a very merry Christmas and I look forward to seeing you all again in the new year. Happy Quilting!
]]>This creative project not only serves as a perfect introduction to the world of online quilting but also includes a bonus tablet cover for added versatility... and instructions include the flexibility to tailor the size according to your preferences. The end result is a unique and personalized gift, showcasing the joy of quilting with a personal touch.
I've personally sewn numerous variations for friends and family, serving as thoughtful Christmas and birthday presents. Moreover, I've personally benefited from using several of them myself.... and when I wish to offer more than just a book, I enhance the design by incorporating a small pocket on the inside cover, providing a convenient space to tuck in a gift card for that extra special touch. (Instructions are also included for this)
This project is a great way to get started in online quilting and from time to time I add more applique designs for you to try so you can come back and make as many as you wish.
For this workshop, I am going to open up a messenger chat room. This is something new to encourage quilters to share their thoughts and ideas as well as photos of their projects.... let me know if you are interested in joining!
Dive into the world of online quilting with this delightful class and bring your creative visions to life! This is a fun quick and easy project to complete and it is all free so come join me. To register, simply join our VIQ club (free also) - we send news, updates, and coupons only once per week: Free online class registration
...and if you need a little more detail, check out this page on our website: Free online class information
I hope you will join me. Happy Quilting!
PS: I love carrying my book around in my purse so I have it where ever I go. I often write notes to remember, sketch ideas for quilts, or even pre-write a blog posts while waiting for appointments.... and when the book is full you can replace it with another and still keep the cover.
PSS: Here is a snippet of a few of the workshop designs included
]]>The public at art shows asks:
“What is abstract art good for? Of what use to society are pictures of nothing?”
The public at quilt shows says:
“These are not your grandmother’s quilts! Of what use to society are quilts that won’t keep you warm!”
There are so many similarities between what happens in the “fine art” world and the quilt world. Don’t worry I am not getting into an argument as to whether art quilts are art or craft. For me they are both: the concepts are orthogonal. Do not waste your time on it!
Art especially abstract art can inspire quilt design more than almost anything else. If you want to jump start if you want to move forward with your work there\'s really nothing that comes close to looking at the innovators in abstract art. And beyond the first innovators are all the subsequent developments which focused on extending the new ideas combining ideas overlaying mixing matching in very much the same way that has happened in the art quilt world. Much abstract art is not really the result of totally new discoveries or ideas but rather the result of taking ideas that were already there and adapting recycling isolating recontextualizing repositioning and recombining to form new possibilities! And this is what I hope to encourage you to do in this workshop! People discovered the African American Quilters of Oakland Gees Bend and folk like Anna Williams with their free form improvisational ways of cutting and sewing fabric and built on them. And are still building on them in very much the same way the early abstract artists took ideas from each other and built upon them.
Come and enjoy this journey into the world of abstract art...and create a multitude of new designs!
......Elizabeth Barton
Blog Site
If delving deeper into the realm of Abstract Art with Elizabeth intrigues you, consider enrolling in her virtual workshop titled "Abstract Art for Quiltmakers." This course is brimming with engaging exercises aimed at crafting various styles of abstract quilts. Additionally, it offers a captivating introduction to the often underestimated abstract paintings by female artists. By the end of the workshop, you'll have an abundance of designs, providing inspiration for a year's worth of quilt making!
Lesson One: We start with Spring which is the easiest design. This gets students started in bargello techniques. Here is a photo of Claudine's Spring Bargello. She added some 3-d applique flowers as an extra highlight.
Claudine's Spring Bargello
Susan enjoyed the process so much that she made extra strips to make a bigger quilt...
Susan's spring Bargello
Lesson Two: Summer is the next quilt and it is made a little more difficult with all the matching seams and a change in the design line. Following is a quilt made by Beate Vetter. Beate used some of the leftover Bargello strips to extend the border. The warm colors definitely give a summer feel to the quilt.
Beate's Summer Bargello
Carolyn's Summer is a different set of colors, but definitely still tending towards summer.
Carolyn's Summer Bargello
Christine's Autumn Bargello
Lesson Four: And lastly Winter Bargello. This last design is my favorite probably because it is the most complicated. For this Bargello design we repeat the design and reflect it removing some of the fabrics as we go. What fun! Here is a photo of Virginia Smith's Winter Bargello.
Jen added some extra pieced sections around the border to extend it.
Jennifer's Winter Bargello
And instead of making 4 small quilts, two students put theirs together to make a large quilt. Julie stuck with the seasonal theme whereas Patty used similar colors throughout all Bargello. Don't they look amazing!
Julie's Bargello Seasons quilt
Patty used similar colors and put the quilts together into one large quilt too
This workshop is one of my favorite. I have been running it for 20 years and students still tell me it is one of the best ways of learning the Bargello techniques with its easy and detailed instructions. If you are eager to give it a try, visit my website here for more information: Bargello for Beginners. You will definitely have fun with this.
It's a fun block to make... I was just thinking how one could simply make the pieced block separate and another for the poppy applique on a plain background - if you made enough, you would have a whole quilt!
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One of our subscribers said to me just the other day that they were excited to make this pattern and use it as a pocket on our tote bag pattern then give it to their elderly mother! A beautiful thought! Other ideas could be a cushion or the bib on an apron.
I made one with an already made tote...
But I much prefer putting it on my own tote because the handles secure the edges and corners of the pocket. Check out my favorite tote pattern that includes those handles Tote a Block (this pattern also includes instructions for a cushion).
]]>So hunting around online, I found an online tool to create my own jigsaw using one of my quilts which I've embedded below. The great thing about this tool is, you can adjust the difficulty by using more (or less) number of pieces and/or rotating the pieces. You can even invite others to join you in making it. I'll add details for that below - see multiplayer.
How to solve this puzzle: simply click each piece of puzzle and arrange it. If you have sound on, you can hear when two pieces connect. The three icons at top center are very helpful. The hand will allow you to move multiple pieces, the dotted outline will give you just the outside edge pieces, and the landscape icon shows you the photo you are making.
Oh yeah, and it also saves where you're up to if you don't have time to finish (cookies need to be active for this feature to work)
Tip: There is a help button (?) top right for further information on how to use the various options.
Multiplayer: If you want to invite others to also have fun making this jigsaw, simply share the link (URL) for this blog. If you wish to work on the same puzzle with someone else you cannot do it directly on our blog, you need to follow the link where the jigsaw is hosted. After doing so, click the 3 lines in the top left corner of the screen and select 'modify this puzzle'. The menu will appear in the center of the puzzle and you can click on the people icon. Note: you can't invite someone part way through the puzzle, it will start over. Here's the link for the hosted puzzle: https://jigex.com/MqHSJ
Of course, if you have made the jigsaw (or not), you might like to make the quilt too so here is a link to where you can find the pattern: My Empty 3D Vase
This pattern is also available in two of my online workshops:
Happy Quilting, happy puzzling!
]]>Of course I don't do anything by half. With such a short season why not extend their usefulness by creating another design or theme on the other side. Double sided place mats.... Christmas on one side and Easter or Fall or Thanksgiving or even birthday celebrations on the other! You can really do anything by just using fabrics for the occasions.
These placemats are quick and easy. I had mine made in no time at all. There is no hand stitching as I use the machine for that and my technique looks great on both sides. Actually, it is one listed in my 20 Methods to Finish Your Quilts eBook.
I added Autumn tones to make a Fall setting on one side.
With Christmas is on the other side.
Here is my Christmas place setting.
and here is how the table looks.
I'd better get to and make another couple for a six-place setting!
If you'd like to purchase this pattern it is only a few dollars as a download. Reversible Place Mats .... I'd love to see a photo of your table setting.
Since I had so much fun with these, I'm thinking about making more. Here's some fabric ideas I can try.
Valentine themed fabrics...
Halloween themed fabrics....
Birthday themed fabrics for a boy or car racing sport fan...
Remember for the binding you will need to think about a natural between the two themed sides or you can simply join two different colors together.
Which themes will you use?
]]>Here is a closer view of the flower.
When I made this block I used hand dyed fabrics for these flowers... however I was having difficulty finding just the right blue-purple shade hence I used various purple shaded batik for the petals around the edges to help create dimension.
I used stitching to highlight the lines in each of the front flowers after using my favorite soft-edge applique technique to stitch them in place.
And my finished block ended up like this.
This Agapanthus block is one of over 60 flower blocks and available as a pattern. You can download it here: Agapanthus Block Download
To see all my BOW Flower blocks visit: BOW flower blocks
If you cannot find your favorite flower, do let me know. I'm always on the hunt for some different flowers to create! Leave your comment below.
]]>Looking at my first block (being all applique), I thought I'd move to a pieced block and so I created a foundation pieced Hibiscus block which I ended up publishing as a pattern last week - I also added it in my "Creating a Foundation Block from a Photo" workshop as another example.
Instead of showing you a photo of the finished block, I put together a short slideshow to show process starting by piecing one section, then jumping on to (about 40 seconds in) having all the sections created and put together to complete the block.
This was fun to create, but as I mentioned above, I became stuck for using it in a full sized quilt other than the possibility of making repetitive blocks which simply doesn't appeal to me.... it would however, work great for a tote, or pocket, or perhaps a quilt with other foundation blocks and that's why I felt it best published as a pattern.
So where did I go from there? I took the concepts of both blocks I'd made and came up with a half pieced, half appliqued block and with a full quilt design in mind, I started creating to see where this might lead to.
I pulled out my scrap bin to piece a background... you have probably guessed by now, piecing isn't my favorite technique when it comes to quilting and I certainly don't like repetitive blocks. I lose interest in them very fast as it isn't challenging enough for me.... and although I had planned to foundation piece the background, I thought creating a background at random (something similar to what I did in my Creating Your Own Fabric blog post) would be more along the lines of what I wanted to adventure into. Then thinking about how difficult this would be to show/write if I were to repeat that block over to form a full sized quilt hence I decided to keep to the foundation piecing but with the thought of creating a crazy type of patch.... all this thought and I haven't even begun yet!
Back to my scrap bin, and from this I pulled all the light to medium greens out and a few tan colors too.
Then I jumped on the computer and drew up a block (a crazy foundation) the size I wanted while thinking I could draw half a block through the diagonal and use the reflection for the second half. It hit me about then, why not leave one half plain? So for now, I just printed one foundation.
Back at the sewing machine I began piecing my background using my scraps of fabric...
I grabbed a dark plain fabric (often a much longer task than just saying it as I had to dig through all 10 bins to find the perfect shade) to use as contrast for the second side. It was easy to add with the foundation still in place.
My mind started spinning as I thought of the hibiscus flower on top - I wanted it simple so working with my first block flower template, I simplified it to a mere petal. This I cut out of various shades of pink and added in a circle to form the flower.
It looks a bit like a five-leaf clover!
I have to admit, I'm liking where this block is taking me in this stitch along adventure and I'm eager to get back to the computer to start putting the entire idea into a virtual quilt using EQ8. Stay tuned for more to come!
]]>First for the new, this back to front applique technique.... you see, instead of fusing the back of a fabric to cut it out, I made a sandwich of backing, batting, and fusible webbing - in that order so the fusible was on top. So instead of fusing the back of each fabric, I will simply cut pieces of green fabric and lay them on top of the fusible. Make sense?
I cut wedge shapes of the fabric and positioned them in a circular position - this worked well. I used a Teflon sheet to press the fabrics in place - just in case some fusible was still uncovered.... a really important tip!
I won't do any stitching yet, but with the background built up I can audition my flower.
Looking good! However, my thoughts are to soften the background a little so I pulled out a couple of sheer fabrics to see how that effect may look - this technique of adding sheer fabrics I've been doing for many years. In fact, it reminds me of my much loved quilt "Native NZ" that I created 20 odd years ago.
You can read another blog post about this technique here: Using Sheers
The first sheer fabric was white and the second had wide bands of orange and blue across it. Although difficult to see in the photo, I was drawn to the change in color so I picked the latter.
With the background organized, now it was time for my favorite part - free-motion stitching. I pulled 3 shades of pink thread from my stash and set up my machine ready to start.
Usually I start in the center and work out but this time I decided to start with the outer edges of the petals and the light pink thread. Looking at the photo below, you can see I stitched around the edge first then added more stitching within the petal shape blending into the darker painted area just a little.
I repeated this for all the petals...
Do you notice how the sheer fabric is making it appear the flower is floating?
Back to stitching... and next I added the darkest pink, starting in the center.
....and then, finally the middle shade of pink thread to blend the other two shades together.
The effect turned out quite well and I feel at this point I might have enough stitching done on the flower so it is time to move on to selecting green threads for the background - again I chose three.
I started stitching with the lightest thread on the lightest green fabrics - no need to blend these greens together.
How's it looking?
To finish off, I added the following:
Can you tell I had a lot of fun? I'm almost tempted to make another. However, if you remember back to week one, there was a second part to this Stitch Along. I'll repeat that here:
Make the block again but change it out. The change could be done in several ways:
Of course, you can mix it up in anyway you like. Be sure to check in next week to see what I will do. I'd better get my thinking cap on! See you then...
]]>I decided to use the Hibiscus flower picture to make a template. Remember you can choose your own or one of the photos I supplied last week.
I also decided to make up a green background for the Hibiscus as seen in the photo. I searched through my stash and selected some Hoffman Fabric watercolors. I choose six shades of green.... more about those to come!
For the flower I selected more Hoffman Fabric watercolors this time in pinks and purples.
However, I'm not 100% satisfied these fabrics are the right colors for my flower so I decided I would play with my Shiva Paintstiks to see if I can come up with a better color scheme.
As you can see the Stiks don't come in the color I want so it will be a matter of blending them together. I'll start with dark red and white, then maybe add a tad of black to darken it.
Hmmmm not quite right, let's try a little navy blue to change the color to a purplish shade instead of reddish color.
Getting better..... I will definitely need to play some more with these Paintstiks but I'm liking where this is going. If you would like to learn how to use Paintstiks in more depth, I strongly suggest reading Daphne Greig's Fun With Paintstiks eBook. This eBook not only tells you how to blend Paintstiks but is also a wealth of information on different ways to create beautiful designs using them.
I have to admit, I am having a lot of fun with these Paintstiks - this can get really addictive! I won't show you all my attempts but I do believe I'm ready to put what I've learned on fabric for my project.
With the green fabrics aside for now (I'll create the background later), I began thinking about the flower some more.... how I should go about creating it and using the Paintstiks to enhance it. Here's what I did:
First, I printed my flower photo on paper (greyscale was fine for this) and placed it on the light-box. I covered the photo with my lightest pink fabric. Note: For applique I usually draw on fusible but I'm going to try something slightly different this time. It is always good to try new things and experiment.
I drew the outline of the flower as a guide directly on the fabric.
With the outline drawn now I used my paintstiks to darken the center. Red, white, and navy were the colors I used and then I used the blender stick to mix them through (something I learned about in Daphne's eBook). Tip: press a piece of Freezer Paper onto the back to stabilize the fabric for drawing.
Once I'd finished with the paints, I ironed the fabric to set the colors using a Teflon sheet (baking paper or parchment paper can also be used) over the top to protect my iron..... then it was time to cut it out!
That's about all I have time to do today as I'm quite eager to get back to Daphne's instructions. There is a lot of interesting things to learn!
Do let me know how you are doing with your creation.... Have you thought about how you will construct the background? the flower or leaf? Maybe you have finished already. Feel free to email me for help, thoughts or send me a photo even. I'd love to see!
]]>Let's focus on nature - a flower or leaf would work well. I captured these photos some time ago as I was out and about so I'll decide on one to use. If you don't have a photo, grab your phone and snap one otherwise you are welcome to use any of the following too.
As part of this stitch along, let's think up possible techniques that could be used to create these flowers and leaves - pieced? foundation pieced? appliqued? stitched? embroidered? Perhaps there is something else you'd like to try - this might be the perfect opportunity.
So let's get started by:
This should be quick and fun - spread the whole procedure out over the next few weeks or do it all at once. Try something new as a learning experience. The choice is yours!
Part Two - some more fun if you want!
I'm assuming the above shouldn't take too long. Perhaps an afternoon if all done at once so here's an added challenge. Make the block again but change it out. This could be changed in several ways:
One last thought, as you are planning this second block think about how you can use the two blocks together. For example, if you were to make several more of each, would they work nicely in a quilt or a table runner?
]]>Butterflies happened to be the theme for her bedroom at the time.
Sometime after making this butterfly and flower quilt, I developed all the blocks using different applique and embroidery techniques thus was able to publish my Block of the Month program. What a perfect Spring project for a little girl or gift for Christmas!
The thing is, this quilt really isn't about blocks as a traditional or typical BOM quilt. It is created on a whole cloth, however, each butterfly and floral design can be appliquéd as an individual block if you so desire. To me, this means I was also able to publish each design as an individual block pattern too. You can view all these individual patterns here: BOM individual blocks
The BOM Program however is much more than a handful of patterns and today I wanted to share with you some of the benefits you will find within this detailed program.
I had so much fun creating this project and developing each of the designs using different methods that I know you will too. It's an excellent way to try out appliqué techniques on a smaller scale without committing to a large project as you dip your toes into the world of appliqué. Here is the result of the Morning Glory block after playing with the original corner design....
Thinking about this, with the scaling tools I show you in the workshop, you could actually make this a central design if you wanted to.... as I'm writing, my mind is creating all sorts of new possibilities I'd love to share with you.
This program is available now and as a special deal for reading my blog post, add the word 'spring' into the coupon code are when signing up to get 20% off. (only available for a short time)
You can find out more about this program by visiting: BOM Spring Life Workshop. I hope you'll join me in this quilting adventure.
]]>I must confess that I captured an abundance of photos during my adventures, and among them are numerous gems that I can incorporate into my scenic quilt collection. The process of choosing only a handful of these images has occupied a significant portion of my day, but I've managed to make my selections and compiled them into a slideshow, allowing you to share in the joy of my journey as well.
Which photo should I use for my next scenic quilt? Let me know in the comments below!
]]>
I designed a block a number of years ago - I was working with 2-1/2" strips, and would you believe the first quilt I made up using a pre-cut strip of fabrics that I didn't like..... too ugly to show here! However when put together using just four colored strips for each block the design worked wonderfully and "Twisted Ribbons" was born.
I played around with the same block making variations and "Time Square" came to light. It really is so different than Twisted Ribbons don't you think, but the original block is made exactly the same.
Then I took a combination of both the above designs and added a small tweak, to come up with this quilt named "Ribbon-fest"
About this time, I realized there were so many variations that I needed to teach this as a class, not only to learn this unique twist on a classic block, but also see what other possibilities could be created.... and while creating videos during the making of this workshop, yet another quilt was born, Keystone!
So here you have four variations in the blink of an eye - there are more many more.
So what exactly is in the class?
I've been told "no stone is unturned" when it comes to the instructions in this workshop so you cannot go wrong..... even if you cut a crooked strip!
If you'd like to find out more details about this online workshop see our website: Patchwork with a Twist
]]>There were 7 of us in total and a cook (one of the lady's husbands and master of wool dyeing volunteered) so I had 8 surprises to make.
I knitted up a pair of warm socks (on the sneak) for our cook... and a special tote to put them in with some chocolates of course!
With the special Dye Masters tote complete, I was left to make 7 goodie bags for the rest of us knitters. I made the bags (a new design to be released at a later date) with an embroidery of a special knittery saying and a ball of yarn with needles - this I embroidered onto the pockets before constructing the bags.
That took some time as the embroidery designing is rather new to me and quite a learning curve but I hope to transform that into a lesson at some point to add to Free Software for Quilters - it is such an interesting topic and you can learn it all with the free Software I use in this workshop! Do let me know if you're interested.
I think the most fun was had when I made a false bottom in the bag to hide a box of chocolates!
The cords were made using the finger cord technique.
If you haven't tried it you must. It is so easy. I learned from Charles Gandy who has a youtube video: Finger Cords. I actually taught my granddaughter to make them and she enjoyed it so much that she went around making finger cords out of anything she could find..... thread to thick yarn, string included and pieces as short as a few inches to several meters long.
I also made tissue holders and added other goodies to the project bags.
Dreamfire yarns donated a sock set especially for the weekend and my friend Sue from the States made everyone a notion bag too.
What a fun birthday I had!
]]>This one has actually been coming for a while, in fact after visiting a friend's garden last year when I took the initial photo to work from.
Echinacea's (more commonly known as coneflowers) come in many colors and I based my flower block on the echinacea paradoxa (yellow coneflower) as my photo portrays.
For this block is that I used all Hoffman Fabrics 1895 Bali Watercolors for the applique.
I often use Hoffman Fabrics for my applique for a number of reasons:
I created a block with five flowers varying in size to create dimension. I used various green, yellow, and gold fabrics and threads.
Here is how my Coneflower block turned out.
If you'd like to try this flower block, you can find the pattern here: Coneflower block pattern
Happy Quilting!
]]>Since I had never heard of this lily, I needed to do some research and doing that online was the best way for me to achieve this. I visited Mr Wiki and found this photo on the wikimedia commons (meaning I can share this photo as long as I link to the copyright information)
After reading and understanding the concepts of this unique plant as well as studying the photos, I started to sketch my own design.
I pulled my sketch into Inkscape and started drawing my outlines for the pattern and templates. I have to admit, this can take a lot of time and I find myself needing to take breaks to not only relax my eyes but get some movement back into my legs!
After working on this over a series of days, I was finally ready to print out my draft and start pulling fabrics to begin making this new block.
Pressing, drawing, cutting and stitching, with some tweaking along the way produced the following Flame Lily.
Gloriosa superba better known as Flame Lily
I enjoyed making this block and I'm very pleased with the result. It's quite an honor to produce my 60th flower block for my 60th birthday.
If you'd like to join in the fun and make this flower block too, you can find the pattern here: Flame Lily
PS: look for the deal we have for buying multiple flower blocks. You'll find all the flowers here: 60 BOW flower blocks
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