During my crafting hiatus, I somehow got quilt fever. I spent a lot of time daydreaming about quilts, and a little bit of time pinning inspiring images of quilts. I even enrolled in a Craftsy quilting course.
Way back in the late '90s and early 2000s I also had quilting fever, and I made a few which I gave away as gifts. The few I made were tied, as I discovered that I wasn't crazy about doing either hand or machine quilting. But I sure did love piecing!
At one point, I was a member of a "Fat Quarter Bundle of the Month" club; each month a quilting shop in Oregon sent me a pack of 7 fat quarters in reproduction 1930s prints. I never really used any of them though. The other day when I was digging in my stash boxes, I took them out, along with 2 "scrap packs" - 25 pieces each of all different fabrics.
I've decided to start with the scrap packs. Today I cut them all into 5" x 5" squares. I'm planning on trying this "Disappearing Nine-Patch" technique.
I've always loved the look of modern, random-pieced quilts, but have had a hard time actually designing any. So I'm really loving the Craftsy course. I'm about half way through it, and I've learned so much already. Elizabeth Hartman is a really good teacher, and I actually really like the two projects she's shown so far. I'm planning on using some of my fat quarter bundles to try them out. If you're interested in quilting, but not sure sure how to start, I'd really recommend this class, although I think she only addresses piecing and not the actual quilting.
Honestly, these aren't colors or fabrics I'm very drawn to any more, but I figure it's a free way to try out some of these new techniques. I'm also planning on trying out hand and machine quilting again. The problem I've had in the past is that I like to make BIG quilts! We have a king size bed, so you can imagine that the sheer volume of fabric gets unwieldy.
There are so many amazing quilting fabrics and resources out there these days. Are any of you into quilting? Have you ever tried it?
Ooh I tried quilting once & I really liked it. It's not as portable as knitting though.
ReplyDeleteMostly not - unless you hand piece! Yeah, I did that once: made a whole quilt by hand-piecing :-)
DeleteI lurv quilting!! I've got two currently in work; one for my daughter and one to hang on the wall of the new house! I can't wait to see what you make. Those thirties repros have my heart!
ReplyDeleteGah! I should have thought of that! I really enjoyed seeing yours on your blog this morning!
DeleteI joke with Scott that quilting is where I draw the line. :-) It's hardcore. You know, there's this great tutorial that Colleterie wrote about in a links love post today. It uses fat quarters to make a long, continuous string of bias tape. Given that you make a lot of wovens, you could use some of your quarter stashes for bias tape!
ReplyDeleteHehehe - been there, done that! I used one of them for the binding on my second Sorbetto last summer!
DeleteWhy am I not surprised. I don't remember that because, when you wrote it, I had NO intention of ever making bias tape. I resisted that until very recently. And now I'm (almost) over it and I feel liberated.
DeleteWhen I first bought the little tape-making gizmo last summer, I had so much fun with it, I was making tape I didn't even need! I love tools!
DeleteI've enjoyed your quilting pins! I've never quilted, but got 2 packs of fat quarters of "aloha pattern" fabrics the last time I vacationed in Hawaii. I WILL get into quilting one day. :)
ReplyDeleteOooh, those fabrics sound awesome! Want to quilt along with me? One of the things I like about piecing is that you can break it up into definite time chunks, like you can say: each block takes me 10 minutes to sew, and I have 30 minutes available, so I can make 3 blocks. That kind of thing always makes me feel like I'm making progress - like knitting stripes. :-)
DeleteOh, Gail -- I can just imagine the beautiful quilts you're going to make!
ReplyDeleteI sure do hope so! But if not, it will be good practice!
DeleteOh yes, I know all about quilt fever, it strikes and you are subject to it's whims. Please keep us posted! Your fabrics are beautiful, by the way.
ReplyDeleteHehehe - I think you're part of the reason the seed got planted, with all the lovely quilts you've been showing over the last many months!
DeleteI've recently been hit by the quilting bug. I made a very simple quilt which took me literally years to finish but when I picked it up to get it done and out of my tiny sewing room I just wanted to make more of them! I am now working on my second (blocks are done just need to put them together and then quilt it) and I have fabric for 3 more quilts sitting waiting plus a desire to buy every single fat quarter I like on the internet which I'm struggling against daily!
ReplyDeleteLooking forward to seeing what you come up with and you're not alone in making big quilts, every one of mine is a twin except one!
Just read your most recent post, and I agree with you - one of the reasons I think I've been drawn back to quilting is that I have SO many clothes I've made, but little occasion to wear them. I do love making garments, but feel like I need to slow down a little as I'm running out of space too!
DeleteLooking forward to seeing hour your blocks look when they're all put together!
Ah! Another adventure! :-) I've always loved the idea of quilts--but not the cutting, piecing, or quilting, LOL! I'm itching to go to the big quilt festival here in the fall. Maybe I'll get inspired too!
ReplyDeleteI sort of can't believe you don't have one of those little gizmos that's like a Cricut machine, but for cutting quilt pieces! Seems like that would be right up your alley!
DeleteI do have a Silhouette machine, actually. It's a relatively new acquisition, though, and I didn't have it when I was sewing a lot. I would still love to do a cathedral window quilt or a trapunto quilt one day.
DeleteOoooh, trapunto! Do it, do it!
DeleteI had a BIG quilting thing going on in the 1990's, but my king-size quilt is still a WIP lurking in the wardrobe drawer - maybe this year I will finally finish it!
ReplyDeleteI've got an unfinished one (or three) lurking too. I also found about 6 quilting books in my book stash I'd completely forgotten about!
DeleteI was very much into quilting
ReplyDeleteprior to learning of knitting sox two-at-a-time on once circ.
Craftsy courses ARE very good and reasonable, especially when they're on sale.
hugs
I agree - I've purchased all of my courses on sale. And it seems like they've lowered the prices quite a bit in general, compared to when they first started.
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