This past
February I had the pleasure of attending QuiltCon. It was an amazing
experience, and I walked away with an overabundance of inspiration. This quilt
combines aspects of all four workshops that I took at QuiltCon 2015: Japanese
Sashiko Stitching with Maura Ambrose, Emphasis with Carolyn Friedlander, Basic
Improv Quiltmaking with Quilters of Gee's Bend and Off the Grid: Creating
Alternate Layouts with Lee Heinrich.
I started
the improv blocks in the Basic Improv Quiltmaking with Quilters of Gee's Bend
workshop. The supply list called for old clothes, so I brought a couple of
my husband’s old dress shirts and some coordinating quilting cotton scraps. There
wasn’t a lot of structure in the class, so I left with a stack of improv blocks
and no idea what to do with them.
While the
improv blocks sat untouched in my WIP pile, I pondered what to make to enter in
the QuiltCon 2016 show. I really enjoyed the 2015 show, and wanted to
contribute something special to the next one. One day, it hit me: why not make
a quilt that showcased what I had learned at the last QuiltCon?
First, a
made a scrappy version of Carolyn Friedlander’s Emphasis block. You can find
the pattern in her book, Savor Each Stitch. Paper piecing still isn’t my
favorite technique, but I enjoyed taking a more improv approach to this one, in
order to make sure that it played well with the Gee’s Bend blocks.
Using the
dimensions of the Emphasis block as a guide, I trimmed down and built up my improv blocks into rectangles. I laid them out in an alternate grid, with the Emphasis block
offset as an asymmetrical focus point, inspired by Lee Heinrich’s Off the Grid
class. I made sure to make enough blocks so that the end result measured 37”
square, just big enough to be too big for the Small Quilts category of the
show.
After the
top was pieced, the fun began. Using the circular motif that Maura Ambrose had
taught in her Sashiko class, I hand quilted concentric circles one inch apart, using the
middle of the Emphasis block as the starting point. I used a Sashiko needle and
thread, and no hoop, just like in the class. At first, it was challenging to
hand quilt a larger piece without a hoop. Once I got the hang of it, I loved it.
Stacking stiches on the large needle made for quick stitching and the thread glided
through the fabric in the loveliest way. Since I really wanted to finish this quilt in
time to submit it to the 2016 show, I worked on it whenever I could, but I was
a little bit sad when it was finished because I enjoyed quilting it so much. I
already have plans for my next quilt using this technique.
In the end,
I am extremely satisfied with my QuiltCon compilation quilt. I feel that it
expresses the spirit of each of the classes I took. Even if it isn’t accepted
into the show, it’s a wonderful souvenir of my trip and all that I learned.
Update: Linking up with Scraptastic Tuesday at she can quilt and Finish It Up Friday at crazy mom quilts.
