My Secret About This New Magazine

Speaking of magazines, have you seen this new magazine called IQ International Quilts? The premiere issue was released at the recent International Quilt Festival in Houston. It is packed full of photos and articles on quilt makers from around the world.

The exquisite cover quilt is by Yoko Sekita from Japan. Inside is a gallery of her work and that of Sally Scott (South Africa), and Parisian artists, Edyth Raymond and Gabriel Paquet. The tour of international quilting continues with colorful images from Australia, the UK, and the Hoffman facility in Bali.(Great photos!)

Quiet Morning designed on an IPad

Included in this premiere issue is my article: Design Your Next Quilt with an IPad. It shows you how to use your IPad as a digital sketchbook and how to convert your drawings into fabric. I must confess. I've only done this once and it was for this article. Don't tell anyone!

Quiet Morning sketch used as the pattern.

Deb Roberts is the editor of the new magazine, travel host, and she's been all over the map. The quilting reports from each corner of the globe prove that this love of fabric and stitching is an international obsession!

Why I'm Positive about the Negative

Have you seen the new American Quilter Magazine (January 2012 edition)? Next time you take a break from you crazy holiday shopping schedule, please check out Page 50.  My article, The Positive of the Negative, shows you how I went about making this simple little quilt above.

This quilt idea was a rare stroke of genius (sort of like a dim light bulb coming on).  Why not use a leaf die from Accuquilt to make both the positive leaf shapes and the negative leaf shapes for quilt designs?

Sprouts #2

It's such a thrill to discover the many uses of negative shapes like those in the border around Sprouts #2.  Using both the positive and negative cuts from a die cutter is now my favorite use of die cut fabrics!

I know I didn't invent it but, let's all pretend I did.

How to Make an Improvised Art Quilt Day 8: Inner Stuff

The quilt composition improvised from my fused fabric scraps is complete and it's time for the fun part, adding fine details with hand stitchery! But first.....

It's not glamorous but someone has to do it. We have to make the inner stuff, the batting and Timtex that give you something to stitch into and that will hold the quilt into shape. We'll do this with a Wrapped Binding. (You can find more precise directions here, Wrapped Binding Directions.) The first step in making a Wrapped Binding is to  measure the quilt top. Stack the Timtex and batting (scrim side to Timtex) and cut them about 1 1/2" smaller on each edge than the quilt top. Then cut off and additional 1/2 around each edge in a wavy manner.

After the batting and Timtex are cut the same size and shape, open them up and mark at a corner where they match up. This is very important! Do this for your sanity.

Now center the batting onto the back side of the quilt. The background fabric is about 1" larger than the batting on each edge. Remember this batik background fabric has fusible web all over it. (Set the Timtex aside. After all the hand embroidery is done through the batting layer, then you'll put the Timtex behind the batting.)

So be careful! Flip the quilt top and batting over and slip release paper underneath. The release paper is there to keep you from fusing the quilt top to the ironing surface.

Using a dry pressing cloth, steam set the quilt top to the batting for 10 seconds in each spot. Glide the iron, don't place it or you will have iron shapes all over your quilt. (Ask me how I know.)

Now that we've steam set the glue the fun part begins! Hand stitchery!

How to Make an Improvised Art Quilt: Day 7...Bordering

Now comes the moment of truth. The composition improvised from fused fabric scraps is complete but really needs a border. Why? Because I've run the design right up the the edges of the background fabric. A border will frame the quilt and add formality. And much like an empty room, give the composition more room to breath.
 
The question is what fabric should I use. Should it be strips of fabric like this? By strip fusing them they would overlap the composition about 1/4" around each side of the quilt making a striped border.

Or should I cut the composition with a decorative blade and drop it onto a piece of batik fabric like this?

The batik fabric wins out! It has many of the colors in the composition but does not overpower the piece like the strip fused border above. It frames the piece, making it the star. As, I center and fuse tack it into place on the fused background fabric, I'm happy to report that I do like this improvised art piece.

And because I like it so much, I'll be happy to add hand stitching! But first comes a few more steps of drudgery. Stay tuned for more tomorrow!

How to Make an Improvised Art Quilt: Day 6...Details

It's time to add those fine details to the composition improvised from my fused silk fabric scraps. Details like these bias cut antlers protruding from the heads of the flowers are added. (Note sure if "antlers" is the correct botanical name.) The antlers are lightly fuse-tacked into place because the jury is still out, do I like them? If not, they are easily removed.

Again, the leaves entering the flower pot look like a mush of green. I must be patient. Hand embroidery will give them more definition.

A few irresistible dots are added to the tablecloth. There is nothing like a dot to make your day! And beneath the tablecloth narrow jagged strips are fused into place. Do you recognize them? They are the cut-aways from the edges of the leaves. Nothing goes to waste!

The composition is complete and tomorrow the border selection process begins. With any luck, our ordeal will soon end!

Hot Make an Improvised Art Qult: Day 5...Inspiration!

Inspiration strikes! As the creation of my improvised art quilt made from fused fabric scraps continues, I make even more .... fused fabric scraps. That's where the narrow strips of salmon/pink fabric come from that are placed above each trumpet flower. Those strips are the cut-aways from the trumpet flowers.

After cutting the strips to size and fusing them into place above each flower, the creation of leaves begins. Each leaf, large or small, is free-cut from that same green silk fabric found in the pot and stems. (My bag o'scraps runneth over with green silk fabric.)

Tiny leaves are placed on the quilt top using a pair of tweezers. Tweezers have saved many a fumbling moment when handling small pieces of fabric. It's like having robot hands without the whirring sound.

The release paper has been removed from the rim of the pot so larger leaves can be tucked under the rim and fused-tacked into place. The addition of that decorative strip of salmon/pink along the rim of the pot really helps define the shape. And even though the leaves look sort of ill defined, I know hand stitchery can help them.

Please return tomorrow to see more improvisation in the studio!

How to Make an Improvised Art Quilt: Day 4...Artful Manners

You'll be relieved to know that the next steps for creating the improvised quilt design from my fused silk scraps have fallen into place. After free-cutting 3 trumpet flowers, they are arranged on the background fabric in an artful manner. (An artful manner means positioning them at different heights and at different angles for an eye-catching effect.) Note the artfully placed green dots under the flowers to make artful flower bases.
 
The dainty doily is slipped under the pot as it is finally positioned on the red table. The flowers, table, doily, and pot are fuse-tacked into place.

 But wait!  Before fusing the pot down completely, a piece of release paper is place just under the rim. That way stems and leaves can go under the rim of the pot when they are added.

Feeling lazy, I use the same green fabric found in the flower pot and cut narrow bias stems for the flowers. The fabric is placed glue-side-up when cutting on the mat. This way the glue on fabric doesn't tack to the mat and stretch the glue on the narrow strips.

 It finally occurs to me that the pot needs a real rim in a color that will contrast with the stems and leaves. So a gold rim with a decorative cut pink fabric is added to the top of the pot.


Attaching a stem to the flower base dot, the stem is fused and curved down to the pot rim. The stem is sniped to size and tucked under the rim of the pot.

Now doesn't that feel good to be all tucked in? Stay tuned for more adventures in fusing tomorrow when we do more tucking! And for us in the US, Happy Thanksgiving!

How to Make an Improvised Art Quilt: Day 3...Discoveries

It's taken 3 days, but finally a plan has emerged. The vessel sitting the the table is now officially identified as a "flower pot". (For a while I considered turning it upside down and making it into a hat but clearer minds prevailed.) Note that the pot isn't fused into place on the pastel background fabric yet. Things may change and I must be free to reposition my pot!

Returning to my bag o'scraps, I discover salmon colored silk shapes along with a precisely cut crescent shape. This scallop edged crescent is an extra flower cut from the Kay's Bouquet Accuquilt die used in my IQF class kits in Houston. (Proving that there is life after Houston.)

Using my favorite sharp scissors, I free-cut a trumpet shaped flower to go along with the die cut flower. Should I use the die cut silk flower and combine it with free-cut trumpet flower?

 No! Lets make it a doily! Or, as we call it at my house, an antimacassar. Stay tuned for tomorrow's episode of creating an improvised art quilt. Or as we call it at my house, play time!

How to Make an Improvised Art Quilt: Day 2...Clueless

Making an art quilt from my vast collection of fused fabric scraps is quit exciting! The results are unknown and the maker remains ....clueless. But after auditioning several colors, this fabric is chosen as a base or background for the quilt design.

 The light valued gradation of green, blue, and violet seemed the perfect foil for that seductive red silk fabric, a fabric with a lovely curve.

Being ever alert, I notice that some of the silk scraps chosen for the project are already cut on the bias. The light bulb turns on and I cut bias strips from these gold and green silks.

Turns out that bias cut strips are perfect for weaving because they don't fray.( Fraying is the bane of the fuser!) The bias strips are woven into a collage and fused together on release paper. After it cools, the collage is peeled off and free-cut into this shape.

Now I know what I'm making! It's a basket or pot that is holding something. And the red curved fabric is a table! Stay tuned for even more exciting revelations tomorrow where the maker finally gets a clue.

How to Make an Improvised Art Quilt: Day 1....Seduced!

As with most of my art making, the design of a new quilt begins with scraps of fused fabric. It's always a mystery when I start a quilt in this way. How large will it be, what colors and shapes will it contain? And most importantly will I like the results?

Today begins a week-long series of posts showing you the evolution of a piece of artwork. These fused silk fabric scraps from previous projects are the "starter dough", the puzzle parts that I must fit together. They were chosen for their shape and color and because they seduced me with their silky sheen. Those naughty fabrics!

The large red shape above suggests a horizon line or a division of space. The slope of that curve is most attractive! This fabric is the trigger, the beginning of the quilt design.

I hope you enjoy this series about making an improvised art quilt. You are welcome to follow along and make your own version of the project. And maybe together we'll discover just what the heck we're doing!

Guest Artists: Wavy and Happy and a Warning!

Crown by Beth

We have 3 guest artists today with really wonderful stuff ! This crown by Beth of MN was made with Susan Cleveland's prairie points technique, Artfabrik hand dyed fabrics, and my embroidery threads. She said the hand stitchery was inspired by my new book Fanciful Stitches, Colorful Quilts. Not sure what inspired the crown design. Unless Beth is a member of the royal family!

by Donaleen

My friend, Donaleen is going gang busters! Here is an image of one of her early flower quilts. She has many more flower and chicken quilts planned. Donaleen begins by picking out the fabrics, fusing them, and free-cutting shapes. The best part about this technique for her, she says, is that she can move the cut shapes around to form her composition unlike in drawing.

Quilt by Karen

And here is a delightful quilt from Karen, who took my Garden of Eden class in Duluth at Quilting by the Waterfront. The grass is one piece of fabric that she free-cut into a grassy hill. Notice how she let the fabric do the work by using the gradation of the green to blue/green fabric. Students start with the same colors but soon design their own quilts that reflect their personalities. Looks like Karen is very free and happy!

What will this become? Stay tuned for Monday's blog!

Beginning tomorrow, I'd like to show you how free and happy I am too! I'll show you how I go about making an art quilt from start to finish. You can follow along and make your own version of the same quilt if you like.

Warning: there is no pattern, only free-cutting of shapes.

See you then!

Why the Big Plan Needs an Extra Me

Maybe you've heard about my Big Plan to show you a project from start to finish beginning Monday. The Plan is to give you instructions on how to make a little quilt and why certain design decisions are made.

Sounds like a great idea! Except for this fact:
You have to be organized to do this. It means thinking ahead and being prepared with fabrics, tools, and time. It also means taking photos as you go. Taking photos with one hand while holding a camera in the other.

Acrobatics with scissors.

Acrobatics with scissors is hard. But this is the really hard part:
You know how as you create art work, you lose track of time and go into the "zone"? When you are in the "zone" it's hard to remember to take photos and document the process of creating the art work.
What I need is 2 Laura's, one to make the art and one to take the photos.

Wish us luck!