Landscape quilt - allowing curiosity to guide my stitching.
I am stitching again. And working on another quilt. In fact, in my mind & that dreamy place where ideas happen, I will be making lots of quilts and quilt-like things this year. And I got pondering - maybe you would like to make one along with me. Like an online quilt-along. Where we all share our ideas, our process, our progress. And encourage each other.
I am self-taught in my quilting, and still quite beginner. Especially in the scheme of the many many many amazing quilters in the world. In truth, I’ve spent many years (too many years) being a little afraid of making a quilt because of a few reasons:
Reason 1 - it’s such a big process, that takes a lot of fabric, a lot of time, and a lot of space. And a lot of planning.
Reason 2 - it requires a lot of very technical skills, and precision and perfection
Reason 3 - I’m not good enough at the precision and perfection side of things.
BLAH to all that I say.
Here’s how I’m quilting. In small moments of time, around life and children and inspiration sparks. Between writing, and cooking dinner. While sipping coffee and listening to podcasts. While being a passenger in the car. It’s Winter and almost almost fire-on-every-night weather…. so I’m ready for sitting each night stitching on my quilt, while my family reads or plays (or argues or bickers) beside me.
What I’m saying is - my type of quilting involves lots of mistakes, lots of tiny moments when I probably would just be scrolling Instagram instead, or when the children are sitting on top of me, beside me, demanding of me.
this is why I’ve started the Fear{less} quilts.
for myself, for the making, the learning, the pushing through of challenges & uncertainties, & for sharing with you.
And I’m so glad that you have embraced this, and are eager to sit beside me & quilt together. And make mistakes together. And make art, craft, slow mindful moments.
If you’d like to work with some botanically dyed fabrics, my Little Moments Creative kits are currently available. I’m dyeing earthy pinks, Indigo blues, greys. It will be mostly a very beautiful linen, mostly the kits will be plain dyed fabrics, not a lot of shibori this time, as I am loving the idea of solid block colours.
Well not entirely solid, because actually I love the watercolour effect of dyeing my fabric in a ‘landscape’ manner. Letting the dye soak into the fabric unevenly, with lines and little ebbs & flows, and tidemarks.
I aim to always work with sustainable, low-impact materials, and process. The new fabrics that I buy are purchased thoughtfully, and intentionally. And I use what current fabrics I already have. I highly encourage you to do the same. Op-shops / thrift-stores, your craft cupboard, your old clothes… see what’s already around you that you can use.
I’ll be sharing my own process via #TheFearlessQuilt #LittleMomentsCreative. And see more of my stitching and quilting here. You might also find these pinterest boards inspiring - start collecting ideas for your own quilt. The Sun, Moon, Stars & Maps, Quilt, Pattern & Print, or you can follow all my pinterest pins here.
I also have an online course that will inspire you and show you how to create your own Fear-less Improv quilt. Check it out here.
