TRADITIONAL BLOCKS, LIBERATED BLOCKS

A new session started with my quilt students and as the tradition goes, I showed them a new block. I saw that pattern on a blog but I am very sorry I can´t find it back. I had a look around the blogs I usually visit but it was not there.
Anyway, all the fabrics are from my stash and my students sewed them together. We decided that we will add two rows and then the top will be won at a lottery by one of the students.

That way, I can get rid of some of my older fabrics (and have a excuse to buy some more!).






The second quilt is an older quilt I started at a retreat where we were supposed to sew something free cut. The retreat was a lot of fun (sorry no picture there as it was way before digital camera time!) and I tried some new to me colour combinations. The top came very fast together but the quilting lasted a bit longer!






I am especially happy about the purple as it brings some warmth although it is not my sort of colour at all!
The quilt hangs now in our staircase.

I could not help starting on a new pair of socks, this time for my DH with a new method from the toe up. The first one has a few mistakes. The explanations were in english (or should I say english abbreviations!) which I have some problems to understand and a lot of stitches were new to me too. But I think the second one will turn better. Pictures next week!

I wish you a restful creative week-end!

GWEN MARSTON INSPIRATION

Although I quilt mostly traditional, those two quilts were two attempts to try something else. Gwen Marston´s "Liberated Quiltmaking" was quite an eye-opener and her book changed a lot of in my way of quilting. Forget all about measuring, drafting, ... just start sewing and use your scissors a lot! Both quilts were a lot of fun to make. The red one was the first and I tried there to use a lot of ugly fabrics! I thought, well if it doesn´t work, it won´t be much waste. Still, I am happy with the way it turned out. It is machine sewed and hand quilted.
The second was made for my DS, then 2 year old and it is called "Le village bleu". I used some more methods from the book like stars, houses, trees and some home dyed fabrics. There are some I spy fabrics in there as well to make it more interesting for a child. It is machine sewed and machine quilted.

I noticed as I was sewing the houses that I tended to make them more planned after 2 or 3 tries but that I liked the bent, crooked look more. I had to reason myself there, stop planning and just cut! The way to organize the blocks was a challenge as well but it made me step out of my comfort zone which was a good thing as well. All in all an experience to be repeated!