Teaching "Liberated Basics"

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Detail of  "Fireworks over Millennium Park."

 "Fireworks over Millennium Park" is the quilt I will be using to teach "Liberated Basics."

In 2015 I will be teaching a series of classes I am calling "Liberated Basics." In this series of three classes I hope to address some of the elements of Liberated quilting. Liberated quilting is very improvisational quilting and a pattern is not needed. The only thing needed is thread, fabric and imagination. I will teach the techniques by  using my quilt, " Fireworks over Millennium Park" as an example for this class. This quilt was a semi-finalist in the 2013 American Quilters Society Show in Grand Rapids, Michigan.  I will address how I created each of the elements of this quilt and will help the students in the class create their own one-of -a kind liberated quilts.  Quilters Square, a quilt shop in Lexington, Ky has graciously allowed me to use their shop to teach this series of classes. The shop will be providing the students with  a fat quarter pack of fabrics that "reads as solids."  I picked these fabrics because I think the end results will be fantastic. Some of  the fabrics in the fat quarter bundle include the line from Moda called Grunge. My goal is to inspire others to give liberated quilting a try. I will provide the students with my list of favorite inspirational quilt books. My favorite being books by Gwen Marston, the mother of Liberated quilting.  I have been quilting using elements of  this method for about five years and love the results.

Oh yes.... The classes are on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. January 10, February 14 and March 21. There is a price break if signing up for all three classes. You can sign up by calling Quilters Square.Call quilter's Square at 859 278-5010 to sign up. 

Flight Patterns, my latest Modern Quilt, will be in the AQS Lancaster, PA show

Flight Patterns will be in the AQS Lancaster, PA Show.

Flight Patterns, my latest Modern Quilt, has been accepted in the American Quilters Society show set for March 12-15, 2014 in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. The quilt will be in one of the newest AQS divisions, Modern Quilts. It is a semi-finalist with 173 other quilts spanning five categories.

I want to give a shout out to my son, Sam, who came up with the name, Flight Patterns, for this quilt. Sam is part of my computer support team for this blog because I have a better understanding of quilting than computer technology. So Sam and Daniel, my oldest, are often wrangled into helping with photography and other blog glitches that I will experience. Thanks guys.

While helping me enter the AQS contest Sam called me a "Hipster" because my quilt has fabric with birds on it. Sam said Hipsters put birds on everything and that birds are very popular right now.  Since then I have had to research exactly what being a "Hipster" entails. I have discovered that it is more than putting birds on things. It is what was once called "cutting edge, counter culture or off-beat." Okay Sam, I'll take that as a compliment.

The truth be told I started designing this quilt with the Japanese fabric bird print in the middle because, yes, I do love birds and I was attracted to the aqua color. From there the pattern evolved one round at a time. I stopped and re-evaluated before adding each round. I have added some close-ups of the quilting because this is the first time I have ventured into using a bit of metallic threads.




Metallic threads were used in the flying geese.

 I also used a variegated thread on the gray background that gave the quilt a dimensional look. The metallic threads were used in the flying geese designs as well as highlighting the birds in the Japanese fabric.

 

Close-up of the quilting.

 

I used my home sewing machine for all the piecing and quilting. The quilt measures 63"x63", a size that makes it easier to get the quilt under the throat of my machine.

 

 

The 16-patch has a quilted flower design.

 

 

 

For each quilt I make I always try a new technique and Flight Patterns is no exception. I find that each quilt I make is a learning process.

 

 

In January I have had time to get some UFO's completed as well as complete some gifts for nieces and nephews. I have several baby quilt tops that are in the "to be quilted" pile. After that I hope to create some more fun quilts with original designs.

 

In February want to feature quilts I purchased at  the three generations quilt auction in November. As soon as I get a good photo shoot day and some helpers to hold the quilts I will make that post.

 

 

 





My Modern Quilt, Flying Kite Tails, will be taking a road trip

Flying Kite Tails is a semifinalist in the AQS Phoenix Quilt Show.

I received word last week from American Quilters Society that my quilt, Flying Kite Tails, has been accepted in the AQS quilt contest in Phoenix, Arizona.  The AQS Quilt Week and Contest is set for February 5-8, 2014 at the Phoenix Convention Center.  Needless to say, I am delighted and humbled by this honor. The quilt will compete in the Modern Quilt division.

Flying Kite Tails is an original work that began because I love sewing wonky flying geese, I love bright color,  and I love working in a Medallion Quilt pattern. The design for this quilt started in the center with the colorful rows of varied triangles. I never know exactly where the designs in my quilts are going when I work in this manner. I find this a great method because it allows me to just start sewing without having to do a lot of planning or design forethought.

This quilt was my project when I arrived at Gwen Marston's Beaver Island Quilt Retreat in October 2013. I have attended several of Gwen's retreats and love bouncing ideas off the other quilters in attendance. Special thanks to Kathy of Michigan who suggested the red dot in this quilt. And special thanks to Gwen for filling my head with the phrase, "Don't Commit Too Soon."

And there's more. Flying Kite Tails will be joining its sister quilt, Autumn in Boyle County,  that will be on exhibit at the Phoenix show. Autumn in Boyle County was a contestant in the AQS show in Des Moines, Iowa in October 2013. It was picked to travel with the AQS Modern Quilt Challenge exhibit that will attend all seven of the AQS shows in 2014. My quilts will have more travel miles than me in 2014.

Autumn in Boyle County is part of the AQS Modern Quilt Challenge exhibit.