Inspiration: Quilt Improv by Lucie Summers

Lucie Summers - Garden Wall quilt

Yesterday was spent polishing up my article for Popular Patchwork on Lucie Summers.  Lucie is the author of the new-ish book ‘Quilt Improv’ and I just love the way her book looks.

Reading through it, I had a revelation.  There is a name for the style of patchwork I most like to make.  All this time I’ve been striving to be a perfect corners type of quilter has been wasted.  I’m not that type of quilter.  I’m actually a quilt improviser and that is totally acceptable.  As Lucie listed out in her book what makes a quilt improv, I found myself nodding in agreement.  I’ve always hated instructions which state ‘First cut 336 2x4in blue rectangles’.  I think that is why I’ve never really made a quilt from a book – it just puts me off.  At least if I design it, I can try and fool myself that I’m not really cutting 336 identical units by not cutting them all in one go and having blocks at varying stages of production. 

Lucie Summers - sample blocks

So what is quilt improv?  Using the fabric you have; not worrying about matching points or corners; working intuitively rather than slavishly following your pattern or initial design idea.  This sounds exactly like what I do!  Of course as Lucie states, this is not an excuse for shoddy workmanship; the quality of workmanship still needs to be high.

After this fantastic revelation, the rest of the book was a joy to read.  Lucie shares her own style of improv techniques and then walks you through the process of making a number of quilts this way.  Some reviews of this book on Amazon have missed the point and said the instructions for copying the quilts were not good enough.  The whole point is to show the process, not to exactly copy her quilts.  I love that the book shows her original inspiration and first sketches as well as the final quilt.  It really helps explain the process.

Quilt Improv by Lucie Summers, published by F&W Media

If you are looking for a gorgeously photographed book to take you away from creating traditional quilts, without being scary, I would definitely recommend this book. You can find out more about the book at http://www.stitchcraftcreate.co.uk/quilt-improv

 

 

 

Out & About: Good things from the Festival of Quilts

Going to the Festival of Quilts has many attractions.  Firstly, of course, there are the quilts.  Then there is the joy of meeting up with other quilters you have met in the past, such as Ruth Singer or Olga Prins, who explained to me that I had misunderstood her technique in an article I had written last year about the European Art Quilts, which she runs and which, excitingly, is going to have another exhibition soon.  Her actual way of getting colour onto fabric is even more involved and fascinating.  In addition to stitchers you already know, it is great to discover new people.  This time, I met with Mary Fisher, Mandy Pattullo and Lucie Summers, all of whom I’m hoping to write about soon for Popular Patchwork.  They were all really inspirational. 

Another (unspoken) benefit for me is a couple of days off from being ‘mum’ and I enjoy that freedom to be me rather than having to parent and remember to be good!

Finally, there is the huge attraction of all the traders, with their multi-coloured, tempting wares.  What did I succumb to this year?

Some of my students use these dye based paints and I loved the intensity of colour they gave, so I really want to try them for myself.

 

I bought this jelly roll for an article I’m writing for Popular Patchwork and have in fact stitched it already.  It is now awaiting quilting.

 

These fat quarters are for use on my hexagon quilt, which is progressing rather slower than I first thought (isn’t that always the case?!)

I want to find some more ways of adding imagery to my fabrics and thought that these could be a good way of adding details.

 

I’m making a quilt as a wedding present for our niece, Lucy and these 10in squares from the Cotton Patch are now part of the plan.

 

This fabric was bought to be the backing of some linen cushion covers and I’ve run them up already.

Finally, I was sorely tempted and unable to resist temptation I bought some goodies from 21^st Century Yarns.  I would like to try something a bit different to my normal with them and get back to some hand stitching.

That’s lots of plans... we’ll see how they develop!