Written Instructions - Good or Evil?

Dear Lola,

In 5 short years of sewing mania, I have purchased more than my weight in quilting magazines, patterns and books.  What am I hunting for?  It is a gerbil wheel of mythic proportions.

• See quilt sample/pattern in magazine, shop or book
• Covet quilt sample/pattern
• Buy magazine, pattern or book
• Get home, read instructions, lose interest and fail to complete project
• Repeat steps again and again

So I thought to myself, can I hop off the wheel?  Can I look at some fabrics I like and be inspired to create my own quilt project?   Can I take my creativity, as they say, from soup to nuts?  Then I thought about you Lola, and the wise words you would say to me,  “Giving this a try will allow you to stretch your creative abilities.  It will prove you can come up with your very own quilt designs without written instructions.” 

Don’t get me wrong; following instructions is the cornerstone of all I have learned so far in sewing.  Following instructions has gotten me very far; kept me out of trouble (except that time there was a misprint and the hat lining was too big for the hat!); and I know following instructions will continue to take me places!  I think my desire to “go it alone” is merely a product of trying to revisit that basic kindergarten mentality of all rules are meant to be broken in order to be a truly creative thinker!

After a visit to one of my favorite shops Elegant Stitches and enlisting very capable help from the Elegant Girls - I came home bearing my fabric choices.  I felt it prudent to start small - with a Baby Quilt.   Novelty fabrics are easy sources of inspiration and my project wouldn’t need to be very large to be deemed a success.  I like the adage of using “Baby Steps”.  I liked the bright colors of a new line of fabrics from Robert Kaufman called City Centre.   I purchased a backing, a focus fabric and one complimentary fabric from the line.  As part of my personal challenge - I had to scout the shop for fabrics outside the perfectly coordinated fabrics to use in my quilt. I wanted to force myself to create my own coordinates.  So I selected 4 other blender fabrics to use as well that were from various other manufacturers and fabric lines.

I had a vision in my mind of using the horizontal design of the red car fabric as the main design element.  I also knew I wanted to create a quilt small enough to require no piecing of my backing.  Using these boundaries, I began tackling my design challenge.

I decided to build out from the center, add borders and fall within my width of fabric measurement.  I built 3 rows of cars, alternated 4 rows of complimentary blocks, with a small inner border and a wider outer border.  I decided to use irregular sized blocks in each of the alternating rows and to actually flip the rows for interest.  I found myself using some rusty math skills and developing some cool design pathways.  Flipping the rows made me feel as giddy as a schoolgirl (don’t know why schoolgirls are always giddy do you?). 

Sewing the final rows together was unusually rewarding.  Finishing a pieced quilt-top is always exciting, but sewing one together you designed yourself is special.  I know my design isn’t complex, and is somewhat similar to other designs out there; but it was especially fulfilling to make my own creation without written instructions and total freedom to make all the final calls in what the finished project looks like.

Along the way, I kept track of the fabrics I used, the measurements, cuts and sewing instructions.   I jotted down notes, made corrections, drew sketches, named my design (Traffic Jam) and finally typed up a set of complete cutting and sewing instructions.  I decided this was another important part of the process even though it felt ironic to do so!  Let’s face it – writing down instructions of how you went through a process of not following instructions is nutty.  But in the end, I am very pleased I did it – because now I can recreate this pattern again and again.  I think the quilt is really cute, original, and fun to make!  For baby gifts – it will be a go-to-pattern that I will use again and again.  I’m even willing to admit – I would love for someone to ask me to share the pattern with him or her!  I have officially arrived full circle!

It is sew clear to me now – having a set of instructions to follow does not impede personal creativity; it merely organizes that creativity into a road map that will get you where you want to go!  And as quilters/sewists – lots of us want to share the fun of arriving at the same place!

Hugs and stitches,

Lori

A Tale of Two "Sewing Cities"

A Creative Journey

Oh Lola,

In my wildest dreams, I never thought I could travel to so many interesting sewing destinations!  These destinations don’t even require any “real” travel.  I learned I could create my very own “sewing cities” with creative techniques, broken rules and just plain fun!

As you know, my personal sewing compass is all over the place.  I decided a long time ago to expose myself to as many sewing opportunities as possible.  I have tried heirloom sewing, garment sewing, quilting, machine embroidery and machine applique to name a few.  Some techniques deserve to be revisited and others are yet to be discovered.  My latest discoveries are very outside the box for me, and fall into the category of “Art Quilting”.

The first new sewing destination came to me through a class taught by Susan Powell at Thimble Pleasures in Chapel Hill, NC. The class, titled Cityscapes was a marriage of unstructured or free form quilting, art quilting techniques and machine applique.  The class was a wonderful opportunity to sew without rules.  Susan introduced herself as someone who prefers to sew without structure.  I loved her the minute she told the class,  “There are no mistakes and there are no rules!”  Our class journey began with new ways to look at fabrics. Thinking about colors and patterns as building blocks – literally – was a very interesting notion to me.  My eye was awakened to think of fabrics as windows, doors, roofs and roads.  Scale and form could be anything that struck my fancy.  The truly great thing about creating fabric buildings – no structural engineering required! 

Sewing and cutting without a definitive pattern was so liberating.  My buildings could be whatever I wanted them to be!  Motifs within my cityscape could go in any direction.  Seam allowances didn’t matter and straight cutting should be avoided!  My fellow students and I shared ideas, fabrics and one of the most collaborative classes I have ever attended.  Each of us had brought various fabrics to use, but before the day was out, little pieces of my stash found themselves into the artwork of my classmates and vice versa.  It was so fun to offer each other both encouragement and little bits of fabric.  When I look at my Cityscape, I can’t help remembering Susan, Sharyn, Nicole, Mary and all my other collaborators.  They each lent a serendipitous contribution to my finished art quilt that is both magical and memorable.  I loved this project so much; I plan on making more Cityscapes in the future. 

Cityscape

My second “sewing city” is a more whimsical but no less creative destination.  I arrived here via Karen West’s class, Fusible Applique Houses, also offered at Thimble Pleasures.  Karen’s samples opened new creative horizons for all of us.  Until that moment, I just never thought, I’d want a fabric with dogs or cats on it!  Remember – “never say never!”

The process was somewhat similar in that the rules were very outside the lines of conventional sewing rules.  I learned that Wonder Under and Fast 2 Fuse are my friends.  I also learned that it stinks to gum up your iron with sticky goo! I gained a new and serious appreciation for free-motion applique techniques and found even more ways to look at fabric as a building material!  My imagination grew whimsical wings and took flight!  I named my finished project – House of Possibilities. 

This class was another triumph of collaboration, sewing sisterhood, and creativity.  Thinking of fabrics as treetops, grass, roofs, flowers, windows and pets was like a trip into a fantasyland.  Layering and fusing the fabrics created a canvas for stitching details that brought the scenes to life.  I felt like Mary Poppins – ready to jump into the scene and explore the little worlds each of us created.  How fun it was to sew a perfect little house built entirely by the threads of my imagination.  Seeing how my classmates, Nicole, Debbie, Diane, and Bonnie liberated little butterflies, bunnies, puppies and kitties from their fabrics, helped me to think of my fabrics as characters with stories to tell! 

House of Possibilities

After my metaphorical travels, I find my creativity invigorated.  I am open to new techniques that will further my sewing journey.  I can’t wait to travel to my next “sewing city” and meet other sister travelers along the way.  All that’s required – a little imagination, a few scraps and a desire to “sew” out into the world!

Hugs and stitches,

Sew Sleepless