Making Modern or Modern Making

What is "Modern Quilting"? Am I a modern, contemporary, or traditional quilter? Do I have to be one of just those three? Can I just be me?

There are over a dozen different established definitions of "Modern Quilting". They are put forth by national guilds, local guilds, sewing circles, publishing groups, and individuals. I am not adding to that I am just wondering why quilting is being defined at all. Isn't it really about people making and loving what they make and sharing that with others? When did we get into the nitty gritty of 'How much white space' and 'All the technical quilting' and 'Did you use designer fabrics or generic'? It's all very cluttered and specific for something that is supposed to be simple and free-form.

Once you move away from defining the movement and start trying to pigeon hole quilters into it or it's fellow styles, that's when the panic sets in. Am I modern enough? I really love this novelty print but it's too contemporary... How do I change this traditional block to be better? These insecurities are infuriating! We are making quilts, not preforming brain surgery.

If you love that cute kitten novelty print then fussy cut it to bits. Maybe you frame it into a Ohio Star you found on Pinterest with some solids to highlight the bows on the kittens, or maybe you just checker board those pieces together with some ombre solids. If you love it then it will be perfect, no matter what, and yes it's modern.

We are living in 2016, and part of the current definition of "modern" per Merriam-Webster is ":based on or using the newest information, methods, or technology" so provided we are talking about a quilt you have conceived, pieced, quilted, and finished in the last 10 years or so, it's modern!

Just be you, just have fun, just let all that clutter and talking and labels go. See something you like, give it a try. Can't figure it out, look for a pattern. Find a different way to create the same effect. Paint with thread. Paint with paints. Make your quilt huge or make a thousand and one mini quilts to cover every inch of wall you have. Make a quilt using just techniques, tools, materials that people say are not allowed or are wrong. Who says they're wrong? The Quilt Police? Ooooo, scary.

The people that don't like your work won't follow your progress. They won't appreciate the time and love you put into something. They will always judge, so just let them. It is the same principle as 'be yourself'. Well, let them be themselves and don't let their weight drown you. Cut that line, metaphorically, and live for yourself, in this modern age, and quilt.

I have been stewing this in my head for too long. I needed to get it out so I can make room for something else. Something better. There are too many WiPs up in my studio to be completed and I had to wonder why. Why haven't I finished this or that? Why? Because I was afraid it wasn't good enough. Forget that I LOVE the colors, fabrics, patterns, and design of each of those projects, I had set them down out of fear.

Well, today I take them back up, one by one, and finish them and keep them all to myself. I will hoard the beauty and the love for just my family (and maybe my Instagram family) to enjoy. I will not let the pressure of another's opinion, good or bad, sway what I put of myself into these projects.

I am a Modern Quilter because I am quilting today, right now. Later all...

Organization and Realizations

Over the last two months I have come to some realizations in my life about how I want to be. These are born from watching what's going on around me in my home, my community, my nation, and on the world stage. So much change...

Change is a good thing but I believe that you need to realize it's there otherwise you will be unable to move with it. When we first brought my second son home there was one night that my older son had a mild panic attack. He wasn't able to adapt to the change of having a baby in the family as readily as his father and I, and so his little brain did a small reboot. We managed it, we learned from it, and we haven't had a repeat performance yet. I say 'yet' because you never know what's coming and with kids there's always a 'yet' peeking around the corner ahead.

I will be changing this blog. I want it to be cleaner, more engaging, and current. I have made the conscious decision to participate in a limited number of electronic and analog media, let my FOMO [fear of missing out] go, and be more present for my husband and children. I am still passionate about the subjects I've featured here before, but it's not my main focus right now. I want to show you what is and how I am expressing that, and I hope that you enjoy it as much as I do.

The New: Bullet Journal, Get to Work Book, Quilt Pattern and Instructional Writing, Calligraphy and Handwriting, and Surface Pattern Design.

The Old: conservation, knitting, quilting, and sewing.

The Out: Facebook and wasted time on/with electronics, procrastination...

500 Instagram Followers

It's been a slow week which culminated in snow here in Denver. Yes, I said snow. The second earliest snow fall in recorded history as a matter of fact. We got up this morning and excitedly checked, then all stood quietly at the window watching the little white flakes float down from the sky. It was so beautiful.

Before I get to the my big news and the giveaway, a little about other crafts that I worked on this week.

First up are the key fobs, one for myself and one for little boy. The materials for my fob came from Issue 11 of Love Patchwork & Quilting Magazine. This magazine is from the same publisher as Mollie Makes and they are my favorites from the UK. I plan to use a pattern set from one of the previous issues for my Urban Home Goods Swap later this year.

The second fob I made using some team logo fabric I found at Joann Fabric. Now, I am more a fan of certain players then of a whole team with the exception of the Seattle Seahawks. If you follow American football at all then you know that being a Seahawks fan living in Bronco country is a hard thing right now. Enough on that though, little boy wanted this fob so badly, so I caved and made it for him. It's been two days he's had it on his backpack and already I have heard from one of other parents asking where I got it, so I can see there will need to be some in my shop soon.

I also made these quilt hangers. They are super easy just double sided velcro glued to wooden clothes pins. Since none of my quilts have sleeves, finding ways to hang them for photos has been a creative challenge of its own, but now all I have to do is strap the clothes pins over the banister/branch/rod, clip in the quilt, and away I go. Below are two quilts of mine, Paper Hearts completed at FRMQG Retreat in Feb. 2014 and one of the first quilts I ever did, Roman Blocks, both making use of my new quilt hangers.

Finally, my big news is I have hit 500 followers on Instagram! 

This is amazing and awesome and just cool cool cool. It means so much to me knowing that so many people, both friend and complete strangers, find what I am doing interesting. Thank you all, your attention is greatly appreciated!

In celebration I am doing a giveaway on Instagram. All you have to do is take or tag a picture of your favorite finished object from the last 500 days (so since May of 2013) with my name @ayragon and #500IGfriends . I will pick a winner next Friday, Sept 19th 2014, and send out a happy mail package with some fabric and thread and miscellaneous goodies. I take so much inspiration from all the great images on Instagram that I want to give back to those that lend me their advice and that online window into their lives.

Block Number 37

Just a quick update for all, I finally made a Number 37 block that is 6.5" square. I updated the workaround posted over the weekend and below is an image of the finished block and the other two.

Also, here is the finished block and the 4 1" HST that were extras. I see I may have to make a fourth block since my greens are very close in value (center block). (Sigh) No rest for the weary.

Moda Modern Building Blocks

I am so excited that my first month's subscription for the Moda Modern Building Blocks quilt pattern came at the end of last month. I managed to restrain myself from cutting all the fabric that came for the various blocks and just started with block num.37. Good thing too, because I could not for the life of me figure out what I was doing incorrectly.

The block is too small. For a 6" finished block I need a 6.5" unfinished block to account for seam allowances. It is assembled using triangles, which can be tricky because of bias sewing, but I measured carefully and followed the limited directions in the pattern. My points do not line up and the block is messy. You can see how the HST in the corners run off the edge and how some of the points are staggered. Not pretty.

After a few days of planning and hypothesizing I decided to try the pattern instructions again but being super careful of my technique.

• I used only one ruler, instead of my square ruler and long ruler
• I checked and marked my 1/4" seam allowance on my machine and used a scant 1/4" seam allowance when sewing, replaced the needle, and oiled the machine
• I pressed with ample steam on high heat being sure to pin bias seams to prevent stretching
• I trimmed dog ears and pressed seams to nest and avoid bulking

As you can see, despite my best efforts, the pattern instructions just yield a small block and the points do not line up. I am sure there are a number of extra things I could do to prevent the fabric from distorting, such as pre-washing and using starch spray, and I may have to consider some of these going forward, but really the pattern should produce the resulting block for all fabrics and quilters. 

I did note in the construction the second time that the center square (yellow in blue) measured only 3" square instead of 3.5" and that the geese on the side were only 1.5" tall instead of 2". This pattern has a number of 1/8th inch increment cuts and triangles, which are not easy to work with. Though it calls for more planning, there are ways to create these blocks (not just num.37, but all the blocks) using squares and rectangles, making 2 HST or 4 FG at a time, which result in more precise blocks and less heartache.

As I make this pattern, I will document it here under the Modern Building Blocks link on the right. I foresee having a number of orphan blocks at the end of this quilt which will all go into the backing. As a note to those that bought the kit, my construction changes may eat up more fabric than your kit provides. I will do my best to stay as true to the pattern as possible, but I am neither an employee or a pattern tester for Moda, so the changes in construction I make are to be used at your own risk with the pre-packaged kits.

Other than MMBB I have been working on this large block quilt made of Cotton & Steel. The bright teal is Julianna Horner from Joann Fabric and the white background is from Bonnie Christine's new line, Winged. I wanted to make a quilt that was just a large block and as it grew, I realized I needed to make it more, so it is not done yet while I decide on the next border. I am thinking blue diamonds and pink pluses but that could change on a whim.

What an exciting first week of fall and the rest of the month is looking up too. In two weeks my guild will be holding the first ever Fall Retreat at The Hideaway in Monument, CO. I am excited to be part of this retreat and will probably take the time to finish projects in my studio instead of starting new ones. We shall see.