Modern Patchwork

Not to be too philosophical, but those are words I truly believe and try to live by. Some choices are easy: get up early and go to the gym or hit the snooze button and benefit from the extra rest? Others really aren’t that straightforward. Each choice we make, no matter how big or small, makes a difference in the outcome of our day. As quilters who love the modern design aesthetic, we can also apply this philosophy to our work. Every quilt begins with a choice. Large or small? Prints or solids? Improv curves or paper-pieced points? Symmetrical or off-center focal point? Some of the most important design decisions we make when starting a new project make a huge difference to the overall impact of our finished pieces. The…

As an artist, I am always seeking ways to express the individuality of anything I make. The simplicity of repeated blocks in a quilt is something that has thrilled me for over 30 years, but I’ve grown toward wanting the repetition to be irregular in size and location rather than a standard set of rows or columns. This has led me to improvising with intention. As I define it, true improv piecing leaves many of the decisions made during the piecing process to chance. I prefer to set simple ‘rules’ that guide my piecing, make lots of individual blocks, and use a design wall to view those blocks while I create them. The design wall allows me to keep track of what I’ve made. It helps me follow my rules…

The instructions here are for the quilt pictured, but I challenge you to make one that fits your needs or the fabrics you have on hand. A few trees in a row would make a delightful table runner or 25 trees with a single cabin and star are perfect for a baby quilt. Experiment! As I worked on this project I got an itch to make another version where one or two of the trees are chopped down and there’s a crescent moon shining from above! MATERIALS Finished Size: 57" × 60" 4½ yards total of various navy and dark blues for background and binding 7 fat eighths* in a variety of green and chartreuse that contrast sharply with the background for trees, trunks, and cabin 2 fat eighths in…

As the weather cools down and we find ourselves spending more time indoors, now is the perfect opportunity to get our sewing spaces into shape. By taking the time to prepare your studio for the winter months, you can turn your sewing space into a haven to unwind, recharge, and be your best creative self. Part of the joy of quilting—or any other craft for that matter—is gathering and storing the supplies needed to engage in that craft. But what happens when we hold on to more supplies than we can possibly use or need? Even if items are tucked away in drawers, closets, and shelves, holding on to things that we no longer want or need weighs us down and keeps our creative energy stagnant. Clear your space, clear…

1 How Do You Do? Keiko Goke Renowned art quilter Keiko Goke brings her supreme craftsmanship to the designs in this collection. Inspired to create a collection that is filled with fabric she often looks for—but is hard to find—she’s created a sophisticated color palette of warm earth tones in playful prints. Circles appear often, as do hash marks indicative of kantha quilting. FREESPIRITFABRICS.COM 2 Tie One On Scott Hansen of Blue Nickel Studios Geometric designs bridge the gap between traditional batik and modern patterning. With his use of negative space and germane colorways, Scott Hansen has created a diverse collection of batiks that appeal to a wide variety of quilters. We especially like the repeating triangles and starburst motifs. NORTHCOTT.NET 3 Special Delivery We’re so excited to be featuring…

Quilters share thousands of images on Instagram of quilts in various stages of completion. However, aside from headshots of industry professionals (authors, instructors, pattern writers, etc.), rarely do we see images of makers with their quilts. Instead, we focus solely on photographing our projects. After all, we’re usually trying to document the quilts. Our aim is to take artistic, beautiful images of them and, thus far, we’ve done this by showing only the quilt. We recently had an experience that led us to question this approach. “Our personalities come out in our quilts more when we are in the pictures. Without us, the quilts are stagnant and less colorful.”—Darcie Mair AMY GARRO: Several months ago, Tisha hired me to take mother/daughter portraits of her with her mom, Joy Wilson. When…