August Block

Oh August's block is so much fun to piece. Just make a strip set, cut triangles from it, and sew them back together. Easy peasy! Even though it's quick and easy, it makes a really striking block.


As striking as the block is, many blocks together make an even more dramatic quilt.

As soon as the fall newsletter craziness subsides (yes, it's quite close to being mailed out), I hope to add this quilt to my piecing pile. It's fast, fun, and dramatic--just how I like things!

July Block

One of my favorite design tricks is to take a traditional block, like Monkey Wrench below, ask myself questions about what I can do to modify it into a new block.

So I ask myself questions like: what happens if I change the location of light and dark fabrics? Here, you can see it creates a reverse image of the block, like the negative of a photograph. (Does anyone still use negatives anymore?)


But then I wonder, would it be more interesting if I added more fabrics to the block?


I like where this is going, but I could take it further. What would happen if I turned the center square into a four-patch?


And so in asking myself these questions, I changed a traditional Monkey Wrench block into July's block.

June Block and Quilt

June's block continues expanding our palette with additional rose and pinks. It's a fun, graphic design of pieced light squares alternating with solid dark rectangles.

Sometimes a block inspires me to ask questions and those questions often lead to a new quilt design. After I designed the June block, I started down that path and asked some questions.

• What if I made the block bigger? Instead of the block finishing at 12”, it could finish at 18.

• And then what if I made a reverse of the block, where the pieced four-patch and strips became solid and the solid strips became pieced?

• And then arranged them in an alternate block setting?

Before I knew it, I was grabbing fabrics and cutting them up so I could answer those questions, piece the quilt, and share this idea with you.

When Inspiration Strikes

I’m helpless in the face of inspiration. When it calls, I have to answer, no matter how inconvenient it might be at the time. Even when in the midst of many different projects, I find it hard to resist a new idea. If you read my art blog, you’ll know that my creativity is solar-powered; give me glorious sunshine and a warm breeze and ideas start flowing.

Yesterday, when I was working on designing and writing the instructions for the June Block of the Month, I found myself asking questions.

• What if I make an inverted version of this block?
• And place them in an alternating setting with the original block?
• And then size the blocks up 50%? Or even 100%?

I quickly mocked up the quilt design in Electric Quilt and showed it to Cynthia. We both agreed it was a go—even though I had no need to start a new project. But I am helpless in the face of inspiration, so I had to give in. (Had to? Had to? In the sake of true blog honesty, let me admit that I was desperate to start this new quilt, regardless of all the other projects I have in process.)

So I began pulling fabrics from the shelf. I started with bright, fun Amy Butler fabrics. I had a nice selection, but wasn’t quite feeling it.

I wandered around the shop for a bit began pulling dusky shades of teal and blue and green, with creams and mushrooms, taupes and grays for a more sophisticated neutral palette. That was it! The fabrics matched my vision.

I did some quick calculations, figured out how much fabric I needed, and began cutting. Before the night was over, I had the piecing plan outlined and all the fabric cut.

The next block of the month is Saturday, June 25^th, so I would have plenty of time, except for the fact that Cynthia and I are heading to Columbus next week for Yarn Market. I’ve mapped out a timeline and if I stick to it, I should have no problem finishing it in time. Unless of course, inspiration strikes again.

May Block of the Month

May's block gives the impression of four ribbons interwoven around a center square. It's constructed using partial seams, which is one of my favorite piecing technique. My intention from the beginning was to incorporate more fabrics and colors into the block than were in the Bali Pop. So this month I've added the left-hand blue, floral batik fabric and the rose center. Don't fear! We'll be using more of these new colors later in the year!

Summer Classes

Our summer newsletter is on its way to you! It's so full of new classes that we're sure you'll find something interesting. But, because it's so full, I didn't get a chance to say everything I wanted to about the new classes I'm teaching this summer. So here's my chance!

The Color of Your Stash
Thursday, September 8, 6:00-9:00 p.m.

If I had a dollar for every time a customer said to me, "I'm no good with color," or "Color is the hardest part of quilting," then I'd be rich. Not just comfortable, but rich enough to live on some tropical beach where I could sew and paint all day and occasionally pick a lemon off the lemon tree to flavor my iced tea. That's how common it is to feel less than confident about choosing fabric!

Since I haven't been collecting those dollars from my color-challenged customers (but maybe I should start!), next best thing is to offer a class that will help them become more comfortable with color.

If you look at any fabric, you'll see that there is a lot going on: color, value, scale, motif, and texture all interact to tell a certain "story." The story one fabric tells influences what other fabrics go with it. Once you can tell what one fabric is "saying" then you can make informed choices about what other fabrics to use.

In this class, you'll learn the principles of color and fabric choices while playing with your stash. We'll work through a series of simple and painless exercises that will help you understand each fabric's story and how to choose other fabrics that complement it. We'll also play with using a color wheel to guide your decisions.

You'll walk out of class feeling more comfortable about color, or I'll give you a dollar!

Locker Hooked Log Cabin
Thursday, July 21, 6:00-9:00 p.m.

Isn't it funny how the simplest things can become your greatest obsession? This is especially true when you are least expecting it.

A couple years ago I bought a Locker Hooking kit. It sat in my studio. And sat. And sat. I just wasn't inspired. So one day, in a fit of cleaning, I decided it had to get out of my house. I brought it into the shop to figure out what to do with it. It only had to sit in the shop for a couple hours before inspiration struck. In a fabric frenzy, I grabbed bright orange, purple, and pink batiks and began cutting narrow strips. Before I knew it, I had the design sketched on the rug canvas and started locker hooking.

Within five minutes I was addicted! There was something very compelling about the simple act of pulling up loops of fabric and then locking them in place. I loved how it felt like crochet. And I loved the texture of the fabric loops. And it felt like I was always making progress. In a matter of days I had my first project complete.

So of course, I needed to share my newest obsession with you! Join me to get hooked on locker hooking!

Painted Nine Patch
Thursdays, August 4, 11 & 18, 6:00-9:00 p.m.

If you've been reading my art blog, you know that last summer I started making paper-cloth, using paint, glue, paper, and fabric. I then began using the paper-cloth in art quilts, like the Painted Nine Patch above. It's not something I ever thought of teaching as a class, but when I brought this to stitch at the Block of the Month workshop in March, I got many requests to make it a class! So here it is.

Oh this is going to be fun! In the first class, we'll make paper cloth, using fabric, paper, glue, and acrylic paints. (Make sure to wear clothes you wouldn't mind getting paint on!) In the second class, we'll cut up our painted paper-cloth and stitch a block design. And in the third class, we'll design borders to enhance our quilts.

Summertime Strip Wrap
Tuesday, August 9, 6:00-9:00 p.m.


This wrap is inspired by a picture I saw in a British sewing magazine. (I never know where I'll find inspiration!) It pre-cut strips to make a reversible, light-weight, summer wrap in a snap! The left-hand one is from a Robert Kaufman solid strip pack and the right-hand one is the Hoffman Bali Pop from this year's Block of the Month.

X-Blocks
Wednesdays, August 10 & 24, 2:00-5:00 p.m.

This isn't an entirely new class, but it is one I wanted to highlight again because I have the sample done! X-Blocks takes ordinary blocks, like a nine-patch, and makes them fascinating by trimming with an twisted ruler. This class is great for diving into your stash because the more fabrics you use, the better the quilt looks.

Other Classes
Check out the shop website to see a complete list of our quilting, knitting, and crocheting classes!

Whirligig--April Block

Whoops! It's May now, but here is the April block for you. I called it Whirligig because it reminded me of pinwheels spinning in the breeze. Although given the weather we've had so far this spring, a better image might be a pinwheel slowly melting in the rain.
It was a really fun block to piece! So much so that I got inspired to design and create a picnic blanket using one of our Robert Kaufman Kona Cotton strip packs and our Amy Butler laminated cotton. I love the huge variety of colors and how well the laminated backing coordinates with the border. It was fun and fast to make. It'll be in the shop as a sample for a while so you can check it out. (Although I really want to test it out as a picnic blanket...)