The Modern Quilt Block-part 1

The Modern Quilt Workshop I attended  last week, taught by Jodi, the President of the Modern Quilt Guild here, has inspired me. I have not yet solidified the process in my mind but I am working on it. Yes, it is quilting, and many traditional components remain, no, it is not the same. The colors are bright and clean. Many solid color fabrics dominate the design. There are many angles and surprises in our practice piece. Let me explain.

Jodi designed a small quilt made of four blocks. Each block is a study in design and contrast. I decided to use a beige natural linen. My contrast fabrics were Kaffe Fassett designs. No need to adjust your screen, this collection of mistakes is for real!

•  each small block is 4 1/2 inches, to combine as a nine patch to finish at 12 1/2 inches
• this fine linen was a huge mistake. it was unstable, stretched with a mere look! Now imagine trying to add little strips of contrasting fabric, cut and resew!
• to add insult to injury, a 65 year old sewing machine does not, I repeat not have the best feed system for tempermental fabrics. 
• what was I thinking?

•  did I give up? nooooooooooooo I cut some more fabric and started another block
• about the time I was pressing this one I decided to cash in my chips and re-think the whole thing

matching seams and components is not required, actually frowned upon int his free-style example

 Now, please do remember that I am a self-admitted slow sewer. I mean methodically slow. How does that translate to a class where much needs to be accomplished in a 6 hour time span? A decision to toss the beginning blocks and start over was not taken lightly. But I said to myself, better one or two finished blocks than none done correctly! yes?

 

•  allrighty then, here we go with choice number two
• this is a medium gray fabric, mostly cotton I think, it was in the stash
• stable on the cross-wise and length-wise grain...Yay!!!
•  I cut 6- 4 1/2 inch squares, and proceeded to cut the blocks apart and inserted colored fabrics (Kaffe and Anna Marie Horner) into 1 inch to 2/1/2 strips
• please note the Featherweight is standing by, not in use, ahh, welcome the Husquvarna-Viking, good tension, great feed, reliable stitch, I would make a lousy pioneer woman stitching a quilt!
• while pins are not required, I am a pinner. I dislike slippage, therefore I pin.

 OK, so here we are, all 6 blocks + a 12 1/2 inch by 3 1/2 rectangle to make up the block

• these colors look much  better in person, trust me. 
• after squaring up the blocks I was a bit dizzy, so many angles and strips, way beyond the traditional boundaries of quilting where I usually live. This free-form style is rather liberating, but make no mistake it is not easy for me. I need much more practice.

this is my favorite block, I made it from pieces of others that I trimmed away

So here is finished block number one. If you laugh I will hear you, you know! This took two hours, really.I have sewn multiple Y seams in less time! 

More to come. If you can take it. (((smile here))))