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Creative Isolation
Social isolation doesn’t mean we are isolated from our sewing machines. 🙂
During this time of isolation many of us felt like we were running around in circles both modern and traditional. 🙂
Gail started this lap quilt in Lorna Shapiro’s free form curved piecing workshop. It was fun working with curved pieces and quilting more circles through the layers.
One set of circles led to another. Gail had never made log cabin circles and with lots of scraps at home this was a good top to try.
It is good to exercise not only our fingers but our brains. Ricky Tim’s convergence quilting book has interesting techniques for making beautiful quilts with fabrics of the same dimensions. But what if your fabric is different sizes and you want a rectangular lap quilt? Time to experiment!
Gail’s first experiment was with two pairs of fabric, one set longer than the other because donations from Irene and others are of course not cut to order. 🙂 Otherwise the techniques from Ricky Tim’s Convergence quilting book were the same.
For the second experiment Gail adapted Ricky Tim’s convergence techniques to use six pieces of fabric converging to the center (vertically) and out again.
When shopping for fabric becomes a challenge we dig into the scrap pile of leftovers from other quilts we’d always been meaning to do something with.
Moreen made this ‘COVID-19’ heart quilt top. To be quilted when supplies can be obtained after isolation is over. 🙂
Sherry’s scrappy log cabin
Moreen’s scrappy triangles
Sherry’s scrappy zippered pouches
Bright scraps of nine patches give the octagons a festive feel. Pieced by Moreen.
Moreen’s scrappy patches
A donation of many pieces of fabric around 20″x9″ presented a challenge for Gail. Most of the pieces had a mustard colour that wasn’t her favourite but there was blue, rose and burgundy in these fabrics and some fabrics that were mostly these accent colours. What to do? The fabric sizes lent themselves to cutting into 2.5″ strips so the first two quilts were made with these. Then there was still lots of fabric left over and turned out to be enough to make half square triangles with a little supplementing of the beige. Three quilt tops are now ready for quilting. The third is her favourite.
Bargello blocks: 2.5 inch strips were cut and sewn to make a tube. The tubes were separated at different places to stagger the blocks and then sewn together again.
With lots of 2.5 strips left from the Bargello blocks Gail made simple blocks and stitched them together without sashing. A quick, easy top.
Half Square triangles of the lighter and darker pieces were sewn together. There was enough blue tinged fabric left to make a blue band.
Members have continued to quilt and knit for family, friends and outreach while we’ve been self isolating at home.
Exploding square lap quilt in fun colours by Sherry
Alternating four patch by Gail
Brenda put together this delightful ‘Winding Path’ design from Quick Quilts #22.
Joan pieced this delightful quilt top with a nine patch magic design.
Sherry made this awesome ‘Crazy Eight’ quilt for her sister.
Sherry knit these intriguing and adorable fidget muffs
Joan is enjoying being surrounded by the warmth of her beautiful quilts at home.
Joan’s stained glass pieced and quilted by hand.
Joan’s Cactus Rose.
February Show and Tell
Members had been busy since the Christmas Show and Tell and there was lots of work to ooh and aah over. A couple of the quilts were put together by teams of quilters.
Eye spy crumb quilt by Pat, Jenny and Eileen.
Sylvia made most of the blocks, Joan finished them and Gail quilted the ‘bricks’ all over with leaves.
Beth brought in a gorgeous quilt and had made the bag she brought it in.
Beth’s awesome pinwheel quilt has diamonds on the pin wheel points that sets it off splendidly.
Beth made use of leftovers from other projects to make a nice big bag for transporting quilts.
Brenda brought interesting bags and a quilt
Brenda repurposed a worn leather jacket into an elegant handbag.
A beautiful iris fabric bag by Brenda.
How cute is this strawberry fairy! Brenda has made a great quilt.
Jean had been busy quilting with her long arm.
Marvel’s Spiderman book pillow. “Reading is my superpower”
DIsney’s Frozen book pillowcover “Time is frozen in a book” by Jean
Intricate paper pieced table runner quilted by Jean
Gorgeous flower garden quilted by Jean
Pretty lavender table topper quilted by Jean
Thelma brought her friend Merle, a new quilter. Both had been having fun.
Thelma and her lovely bags.
Merle’s shows off her delightful purple and blue quilt in progress.
Merle’s cool modern quilt block sampler.
Joan had quilted up a storm and brought 16 pieces to show. There were 6 different patterns and lots of wonderful colours.
Joan made ahalf square triangle quilt pattern pop with her choice of bright colours.
Green delight made by Joan
Warm pleasure using framed blocks by Joan.
Colourful play quilt by Joan
FUn kids quilt by Joan in split 9 patch pattern.
Dramatic colors for this four patch by Joan
Pam showed her artistic bent in two pieces.
We get a variety of fabric donations. Pam made this African fabric into a wonderful quilt for Family Place to give to an immigrant.
Pam’s graceful wall hanging is combines wedding ring and star paper piecing.
Corisande had worked bother her sewing machine and knitting needles.
Corisande shows off a fun play quit with whales and other stuff.
Cute play quilt by Corisande with quirky ladies.
One of several colourful fidget muffs knitted by Corisande.
In addition to the group quilt, Pat was pleased to complete a couple of UFO’s
Pat has the ability to make unexpected but fun colour combinations work beautifully.
Pat’s chic skinny strip sampler.
Sherry and Suzanne’s quilts added to the wonderful variety.
Sherry made this charming squares in squares from a stack of donated scraps.
Suzanne’s elegantly finished layer cake quilt crafted from a Bill Kerr and Weeks Ringle pattern.
Moreen went to town with a dozen different patterns.
Moreen’s creative bargello
DOesn’t this make you thing of delicious chocolate? Expertly made by Moreen.
Moreen made a very smart looking bed topper in green and brown.
Stylish 9 patch by Moreen
Stack n whack kaleidosope pieces donate to TAGOR and finished ably by Moreen.
What do do with tiny scraps? Moreen made a delightful lap quilt.
Moreen using up leftover green fabric in a graceful bed topper with a modern bent.
Intertwined leaves for fall contentment by Moreen
A delightful wall hanging with ‘lithograph’ fabric by Moreen.
Moreen using up rectangular blocks in a split rail style warm and cozy quilt.
Moreen ruefully admitted the design came from cutting the four patch squares different sized – but it turned out beautifully!
Lots of fun fabric in this colourful play quilt by Moreen
Gail had fun with colourful fabric
Charming cat quarter quilt by Gail.
February Workshop – Exploring Free-form Curved Piecing with Lorna Shapiro
We had a great time playing with fabric strips, building strata with curved pieces, insetting strips that appeared and disappeared and insetting circles. Lorna added value to the class by passing on tips for fabric selection when designing quilts.
Examples of techniques we learned
Pressing curved strata
Insetting a circle
January Meeting
We welcomed Lorna Moffat as our speaker for the evening. Growing up in Scotland, Lorna Moffatt was surrounded by fabric, buttons and colourful knitting yarn in her granny’s drapery shop. This led her down a creative path that included The Glasgow School of Art and both Honours and postgraduate degrees in Embroidered and Woven Textiles. She regaled us with stories of her journey in textiles since moving to Canada in 2012. It was very interesting to see where her inspiration comes from as well as her techniques.
Lorna Moffat with some of her designs.
A variety of Lorna’s colourful and interesting designs with nature and faces.
Four members brought quilts for donation to our partners. Elly made four play quits, Jean a cute child’s quilt, Moreen pieced & appliqued her three offerings and Gail brought a cat pieced quilt, her first Stack n Whack kaliedoscope quilt and two quilts made using Ricky Tim’s Convergence quilting methods.
Various techniques of piecing and applique went into these quilts by Elly, Jean and Moreen.
Gail’s pieced cat, Kaleidoscope Stack n Whack and two using Ricky Tim’s Convergence quilting techniques.
The evening ended admiring Pam’s latest creation, a Japanese themed wall hanging.
Hanging designed, pieced, appliqued and quilted by Pam Mahoney.
ArtRich 2019
Congratulations to two of our members who had pieces accepted for the Richmond Arts Coalition Biennial Art show. Pam Mahoney exhibited a textile piece and Shirley Rampton a painting.
Splendid turtle wall hanging designed and crafted by Pam Mahoney.
Patio Pleasure. Acrylic on canvas by Shirley Rampton
