Modern Mini Contest-Check this out

Sometimes, we cannot think and we need something to push us over the edge into our creative zone! Well, this is how my production channel gets going and I just love to see other examples of modern quilts.

At this link, Ellison Lane is a great example of what's possible and where to get great fabric.

http://ellisonlane.blogspot.com/2012/01/modern-mini-contest-challenge.html

I'm always seeking out fabric that is vintage and many of the new designer are mirroring the 'vintage feel' in the look of new designs. This is very exciting because, we cannot forget to look back at our past to see our future. I just wish more designers were going certified organic with these new designs. Its coming and its the future and its good for the environment. If you want to see some examples reusing vintage fabric, reused fabric from clothing, check out my sister blog here.

What's a Modern Quilt?

Hello friends, someone asked me yesterday what was a modern quilt? I started looking around on the Internet for some examples and these are my interpretations of what is a modern quilt. But if you keep on reading you'll find some awesome links that are far better at giving you an idea of why the term even got started!

You can't go far on the Internet you'll quickly find Vancouver Quilt Guild. 

What's below is Vancouver MQG standard information about membership with their group.

"Our membership is open to anyone interested in modern quilting and all that goes along with it.

Members benefits include the following:

• free monthly guild meetings
• discounts at local fabric shops
• members only retreats and sew-ins
• voting rights
• access to members only forums

The annual membership fee is $50.00. An extra $1.75 will be added if paying by paypal. Memberships expire annually on October 31."

I wanted you to see what others are doing and my friend Sonya has posted lots of Vancouver Modern Quilt Guild photos at the following link.

 http://www.flickr.com/photos/artisania/4713156435/in/photostream/

Check it out!

While I was there, I came across this awesome quilt from the Kansas City MQG. There are lots to look at with these two sites, they are so cool!

 http://www.flickr.com/photos/kcmodernquiltguild/6333421177/

My friend Laurraine from Patchwork Pottery is an awesome woman and she said it best in her post Habitat Challenge Quilt from November. She writes  "Why am I joining a modern quilt guild? My style is far from modern!" After the first meeting, I realized that anything can be modern. My favourite explanations of modern were the following: Modern can encompass the self-taught/just wing-it approach to quilting. It can also describe technology used in this modern age such as blog, flickr & facebook. OH! That's totally me! I guess I'm a modern quilter!

Until next time, happy quilting! If you live in the Bulkley Valley, please follow this  blog, its a great way to keep abreast of how our BV Modern Quilt Guild is going and maybe you'll come to a gathering soon in 2012?

Baby Crazy Quilt

I first started this baby crazy quilt this past spring. I discovered www.fishskinfabrics.com purchased these pretty Sherbert Pips fabrics.  I was immediately inspired to make another crazy quilt. I experimented with this quilt as it was made and developed by using another version of quilt as you go without the backing, then added the backing later before the assembly of the entire quilt.

Modern Quilting Origins for me!

The photo above is a a sockeye salmon almost finished trimming of bones on this side. The color is so rich orange that I find myself drawn to this color. Where I live in the Bulkley Valley, its a rich area of great fishing.

I love orange, purple, aqua, red and black. There, it out to the world. Not you average selection of colors. These are 'my' selections and I don't see them often in many other quilts I view online and in person. I just love to jazz up a quilt with embellishments and this goes for my last few years, I've begun to see the awesome art in simplicity and modern quilts.

I have no idea where I'm going to go with this quilt, but I do enjoy incorporating solid colors into my work. Though, I have only begun to branch out into more interesting ways to use solid colors in a modern way. For my 50 something brain, I do admit, that my first selections are not always with a modern eye.

 My surroundings often pull my attention. The blue of our beloved Bulkely River is so prevalent in my life, surrounded by wilderness, I live a rural lifestyle that is cruel and raw, yet comforting as well.

Cloe, our cat, is so visible in the winter, black against white. She spends most of her day outside, hunting for mice and as you can tell, she does this even in the coldest of days. Her breathing causes white frosty bits of ice to form on her fur. I derive a spectrum of color from my surroundings and Cloe is not exception. 

Hudson's Bay Mountain in the far distance peaks the landscape on a summer sunset. The blended sunset colors again mirrors the red of salmon flesh.

Again, colors of rich red and salmon pink are prevalent in my life, as I'm sure that others think about where their origins come from? This photo is my husband with his 2009 ice sculpture of a sockeye salmon. 

Where does your inspiration come from? Comment and follow this modern quilting blog made for quilters of the Bulkley Valley.

Modern Paper Piecing-Foxes, Frankenstien and brown cat?

This cutey is easy to paper piece and is totally fun to play with. This little fox is in transition as she makes her way into my quilts. I personally think that Sonja Callaghan is one of our brightest, emerging paper piecing artist we've seen yet. Her work is fresh, alive with innovation and creative spunkiness that is often not seen anymore.

In this scene I imagine this little fox is peering down a dark hole in the ground. The  background is the sunny skies of summer. Its simple, yet calms the spirit.

Her Frankenstien takes a 'hole' new view of things as he peers out from his custom made horror. 

Her kitty is free on her website, http://artisania.wordpress.com/ 

I am priviledged to have discovered her work. I recommend that you visit her site and read some of her blog posts. Funny and interesting.Her paper pieced patterns are downloadable so you can get started right away.

Sonja was enthralled along with all Canadians as the Vancouver Canucks fought for the Stanley Cup, she offered a free paper piece pattern of their sudo logo.

 I really like making paper piecing, but one warning for beginners, little scraps like these are not on. Always use a much larger piece of fabric than the little paper segment identifies on the patter piece. To get the angles correct, aligned so that you have your outside 1/4 inch for sewing into your quilt is a little bit tricky, it tends to bend your mind a bit. I suggest that  having a glass of wine while doing other things than paper piecing is the best advice I can give.

These little slivers are solid color organic cotton from a project I'm not quite ready to share, I'll keep you posted.

In the meantime, if you've got a favorite modern paper piecing pattern, share it with us. 

May the wind be at your back and sun on your face.

Modern Baby Quilts

 I made this little one for Violet and she loves it!

 As you can see, its pretty and simple to make.