Whose quilt are you making?

Or why it is important to trust your gut and go with your own style.

I am a devout follower of quilting gurus such as Jacquie Gering and Joe Cunningham. Both Jacquie and Joe are amazing quilters and improvisation features largely in their work. They make slice and insert, stitch and flip and the whole "see where the music takes you approach" seem so effortless.

A few months ago, I posted pictures of blocks that I had made to try out paper piecing. I wrote that I wanted to use those blocks in a quilt. Well, I decided to try some modern improvisation and make a lap quilt incorporating those blocks. Here is the result and to be honest, I am not really happy with it. It just does not work.

Improvised quilt using paper pieced blocks (Nov 2013)
 

I then tried to understand what went wrong, and this is what I came up with: The  alignment / distribution is not quite right and the neat, intricate and somewhat traditional  paper pieced blocks do not go well with the rest of the quilt. But above all else,  it is not "me". I love modern quilting, but I am not into improvisation. I am a planner and I prefer to spend time designing a modern quilt, even if it means hours and hours in Adobe Illustrator before I start sewing. I am not averse to switching fabrics mid-project or reorganizing blocks, but I do like to know where I am going when I start. And hey, there are no rules that say you have to make improvisational quilts if you are into modern quilting. In my opinion, Kathy Mack of Pink Chalk Fabrics sums up what modern quilting / sewing means.

"...my use of the word ‘Modern’ related to attitude over aesthetic. An attitude of fearless experimentation, pushing boundaries, redefining what it means to sew, personal expression through our work, and defining for ourselves what we like and how we go about making it. A passion for individualism and unique creative endeavor."

I think it is really important to try new things, but at the same time, to do what works for you and is the most fun! And this quilt top won't go to waste, because I will turn it into a baby quilt for Project Linus, a charity that provides homemade blankets and quilts to children in need.

Organisation and Creative Chaos

Or why creativity and new ideas flourish when order prevails. 

There are days when you really want to get started on a new project or complete some blocks you have been working on. At the same time, your sewing space is also a little dusty, there is fabric on the table you have been meaning to put away and you know you your machine would be very grateful for a quick clean and oil. I know they are annoying, but taking the time to do those sewing room chores before you start really frees up your mojo for some hard-core creativity.

Since the move to Basel, setting up my new sewing room has been bottom of the list of priorities and it is only in the last few days that I have had time to work on it. I had all the furniture in place and had found a home for my books, rulers, cutters, notions and the rest, but I was still undecided about my fabric. In our old place, my fabric was kept in cardboard boxes, sorted only by type (basically quilting fabric or dressmaking fabric). I was forever tipping out all of the boxes of fabric just to find one or two specific pieces. So I decided to put in the extra hours and organize my quilting fabric properly.

Apart from being better organized and having the fabric more easily accessible, I wanted it to be kept out of the sunlight to prevent fading and protected from dust. The solution was to use two Ikea "Pax" cupboards (I got the cheapest white ones with the plain white doors) and have the fabric in plastic "Komplement" boxes with lids. I used a large quilting ruler to fold the fabric and sorted it by colour. 

The neutrals 

The blues and purples, with a few pinks

The pinks, reds and oranges (this one turned out well)

And last but not least, the greens and the "mixed" colours.  

It took a long time to do it, but it was well worth it. Although I was dying to get started on some sewing, I knew I would enjoy it more if I could work in an organized, clutter-free environment. I have made a promise to myself to keep my fabric stash organized and I suppose I will need to order some new fabric soon, just to make sure I keep that promise :-)