It took me several full days of nothing, but I've recovered from the whirlwind long weekend trip to Glamp Stitchalot - a wonderful fun-filled improv workshop weekend hosted by Pink Castle Fabrics in Ann Arbor.
Fab teachers - Nydia Kehnle, Nicholas Ball, Luke Haynes, Latifah Saafir, Dan Rouse and Sherri Lynn Wood. While I'm an improv quilter from way back, I learned so much from each of these teachers. Each one was so comfortable in their diverse improv skills.
Nydia was a whiz-kid at needle turn applique and demonstrated how to quickly free cut a design from a 2 1/2" square and applique it back onto a 2 1/2" square for a delightful mini- or larger if one chooses. So simple, so purely inprov, so versatile to make each block my own....each quilt my own.
Nick Ball, oh so personable, travelling from Cardiff, South Wales, says he rarely sews from patterns or templates and we totally got his drift when he showed us his vegetable patch quilt (not pictured). I'm still smiling.
Nick had us gather fabric - four pieces approximately the same size - I had all prints...some in the class had all solids.....some had a pleasant mix. Really didn't matter with this 'cause in the end anything could be added to balance the improv mix. Here's what I came away with after an afternoon of play.
The most versatile quilt blocks changed on a whim by adding those little corner black and white zigzag scraps.
Last teacher, first day was Luke Haynes. Luke had us deconstruct two large shirts - cut and sew, cut and sew, then cut again until we had the most fun 4" x 4" blocks to use in designing and constructing our own improv quilt. I found two thrift store shirts....puke green and red. Love this combo. Loved the freedom to cut 4" blocks at will on almost free fabric.
Second day began with Latifah Saafir and what a great beginning that was. With large paper template in hand, we pieced and patched to begin one of her quilt patterns, the molehill quilt. Can hardly wait to have time to piece and patch more molehills. Can you see that I included a snippit of Latifah's fabric with selvage intact....she signed for me.
Just before lunch, we had plenty of time for the fabulous self-taught improv quilt maker, Dan Rouse. This is Dan's second trip to Glamp Camp, so you know he is good.
I've had time since being home to finish this one....ready to quilt posted on my martymuses instagram.
Finished the day with the queen of improv, Sherri Lynn Wood. It put some weight in my carry-on but I did take her Improv Handbook for Modern Quilters for her to sign.
Sherri Lynn had us pulling from a bag filled with strips and without skipping a heart beat, we had to gulp air and sew it to the next strip pulled whether we agreed with it or not. What an interesting way to be filled with improv fun.
Now that I've gotten a taste of each improv technique, I would love a full three-day workshop from each....starting with Nydia and ending, last, but certainly not least, Sherri Lynn.
Home and fully recovered, my newest mantra.....I can Improv ~
Fab teachers - Nydia Kehnle, Nicholas Ball, Luke Haynes, Latifah Saafir, Dan Rouse and Sherri Lynn Wood. While I'm an improv quilter from way back, I learned so much from each of these teachers. Each one was so comfortable in their diverse improv skills.
Nydia was a whiz-kid at needle turn applique and demonstrated how to quickly free cut a design from a 2 1/2" square and applique it back onto a 2 1/2" square for a delightful mini- or larger if one chooses. So simple, so purely inprov, so versatile to make each block my own....each quilt my own.
Nick Ball, oh so personable, travelling from Cardiff, South Wales, says he rarely sews from patterns or templates and we totally got his drift when he showed us his vegetable patch quilt (not pictured). I'm still smiling.
Nick had us gather fabric - four pieces approximately the same size - I had all prints...some in the class had all solids.....some had a pleasant mix. Really didn't matter with this 'cause in the end anything could be added to balance the improv mix. Here's what I came away with after an afternoon of play.
Last teacher, first day was Luke Haynes. Luke had us deconstruct two large shirts - cut and sew, cut and sew, then cut again until we had the most fun 4" x 4" blocks to use in designing and constructing our own improv quilt. I found two thrift store shirts....puke green and red. Love this combo. Loved the freedom to cut 4" blocks at will on almost free fabric.
Second day began with Latifah Saafir and what a great beginning that was. With large paper template in hand, we pieced and patched to begin one of her quilt patterns, the molehill quilt. Can hardly wait to have time to piece and patch more molehills. Can you see that I included a snippit of Latifah's fabric with selvage intact....she signed for me.
Just before lunch, we had plenty of time for the fabulous self-taught improv quilt maker, Dan Rouse. This is Dan's second trip to Glamp Camp, so you know he is good.
I've had time since being home to finish this one....ready to quilt posted on my martymuses instagram.
Finished the day with the queen of improv, Sherri Lynn Wood. It put some weight in my carry-on but I did take her Improv Handbook for Modern Quilters for her to sign.
Sherri Lynn had us pulling from a bag filled with strips and without skipping a heart beat, we had to gulp air and sew it to the next strip pulled whether we agreed with it or not. What an interesting way to be filled with improv fun.
Now that I've gotten a taste of each improv technique, I would love a full three-day workshop from each....starting with Nydia and ending, last, but certainly not least, Sherri Lynn.
Home and fully recovered, my newest mantra.....I can Improv ~
Jealous! Oh, so jealous! I've read posts from other bloggers who were going and now discover that you were there, too. I knew I loved Ann Arbor for a reason. Your pieces are so very interesting, but that green/red combo really speaks to me. I'm thinking it will be fun to try out some of these techniques. You give just enough description that anyone can glean a little direction but there's still lots of room for improv. What fun...but oh, how jealous I am!
ReplyDeleteOh, Mary....I was jealous last year when three of my friends went to Glamp without me. I was so jealous and most determined not to let it happen again....especially with this lineup of improv teachers. I started paying for the trip last January and you bet, it was worth every penny. When next we meet, perhaps we'll have time to sew together and share some improv ideas.
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