Thursday, February 16, 2017

Inspired By Many

The second 3 week period 
of working on a UFO is over.
And I have another finish.

You might remember the batik challenge
I wrote about 3 weeks ago. (here)
The members of my quilt group,
Quilt Therapy,
did a fabric exchange where we
each started with a yard of batik and ripped, kept half,
and passed.
Eventually ending up with 
7 different pieces,
7 different amounts of each.


The challenge I gave myself
was to try some of Gwen Marston's liberating tips
and techniques and see what happened.
It seemed only fitting.

I have watched many of you
from afar
working with an improv style
and knew it was time to step out,
just alittle.
I started with a few liberated stars


and kept sewing trying different blocks
until I put everything together in a simple nine patch.


I tried just about everything.


It was quite fun and I
even liked what I had created.

Having ventured out of my norm
I had to continue the same spirit with
the quilting.


Those of you who regularly break the barriers
in quiltmaking,
this may not seem too extraordinary,
but you have been an inspiration to me.


This was actually quite a freeing experience as
small as these baby steps were.

But wait there's more.

I used the "crumbs" for the back.

The edges were finished with a facing
rather than a binding,
another first.


This was a great experience,
trying lots of new techniques and ideas.

"Liberated Spirit"
"Sunflowers"
22 inches

Having been quilt making for over 40 years,
it just goes to prove there's always an opportunity
to try new things and see where it takes you.
Old quilters might be willing to try
new tricks.

Until Next Time-
Kyle

23 comments:

  1. Your liberated adventure turned out beautifully. You must be happy with the result. So bright and fresh! Yes, we can learn new tricks! Love it!

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  2. Good job! I don't think I could have done something so completely different!

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  3. I love what you did and commend you for busting out of your comfort zone and trying new things. Even your quilting is fabulous!

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  4. Congratulations on working in a liberated style. What a fun and free piece.
    Neat quilting too~

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  5. You had such fun with this one - and it shows! If liberation means not having to worry about perfect points I could well become a convert too! It's lovely :)

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  6. Nice finish, Kyle! You really ventured out of your norm with great success! Love that you tried so many new techniques :)

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  7. You didn't use too much of the yellow - lol! It looks wonderful Kyle. I love your free motion quilting - especially the pink square with the flower - it turned out great! I'm not usually very liberated in my style either... Good for you to try something outside your comfort zone.

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  8. Sometimes a girl has just got to have fun, and you obviously had fun with this latest quilt! I love the cheerful and playful spirit it evokes.

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  9. The whole idea of the challenge sounds intriguing. If this is your first time venturing into improv territory I would say you are a natural! Your quilt turned out fantastic! I love the quilting too.

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  10. That faced binding really looks sharp! That's definitely on my list of things to try. I think you did a great job on your challenge quilt -- it has a ton of interest, and it's harmonious too. Great finish!

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  11. WOW, that looks great! I have enjoyed trying new things over the years but I always seem to go back to my tried and true. And one thing I've never really done well was quilt my own stuff. Taken lessons, messed with it a little but always wind up at the longarmers. Sounds like that was a fun challenge.

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  12. Kudos for stepping outside of the box. I love it!

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  13. I always wondered if folks ever used those fabrics they collected from the 'rip and pass' game. I'm so glad to see someone has! What a fun and cheerful quilt, and the quilting is perfect for it. I love to play with machine quilting and this made me smile!

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  14. Wonderful results!
    So glad you enjoyed the process and shared with us.

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  15. I think your improv sewing was a great success! I've never heard of a fabric exchange like that---what a fun idea!

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  16. This improv was a fun project to read about and see :) Turned out lovely...so vibrant and reminding me of summer :)

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  17. I got sidetracked, thinking "I've got that fabric, and that one and that one ......". This has inspired me to do something with them!

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  18. That looks like you had a wonderful time playing with your fabric and what a beautiful quilt you have created. Great job.

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  19. Hi, Kyle - I found you through the 17 in 2017 link-up. I really love how your project turned out! That facing finish is perfect for it, too.

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  20. What a wonderful outcome! The batiks were a great choice for improv quilting, the rich colors just make everything sparkle!

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  21. Fabulous Kyle! It's amazing what can be achieved when we break free!!

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