Going Modern

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I think one of the things I enjoy most about quilting is the vast array of techniques, colors, shapes, uses, and results you can get out of the art. I was talking to my mom about her humble beginnings in quilting and how far she has come over the years. There is so much to learn and so many things I'd love to make!

About nine months ago,  I stumbled across an online quilting website run by a talented quilting teacher named Leah Day. Her blog  and her wonderful teaching videos stirred up enough courage in me to try free motion quilting on my home sewing machine. I had a rough start but I guess that is very normal. I kept trying and to my delight, I got to a place where I felt I was getting some level of success and wanted to continue trying more projects.

The latest quilt-a-long project is a modern quilt. I didn't know what that was but figured I'd try it out. Leah explained from week to week what we'd be learning and doing until the next lesson was posted. Come to find out, modern quilts can free you up from the rigors of tedious measuring, careful cutting, seaming to perfection... It is more about being abstract and erroneous, not perfect points. That is my kind of quilting! All of my projects are modern since few seams line up the way I had hoped or points get sewn over by the next strip of bordering. I'm a natural at this!

We cut squares and strips and started sewing them together.

Then we arranged them around into a top and a back, sandwiched them, and basted them together. See how the squares aren't exactly square? And there was no pattern for the layout. I just came up with the green side's layout on my own. I think that will make a great looking top!

The purple side was a copy of what Leah had shown as an example for a blanket she did. I liked it so I did it that way too. It took me one afternoon to put this together. This side will make a good back. You can always tell which end goes by your feet and which end goes by your face. LOL

I decided to made a pillow top with the leftover squares and started doing the free motion quilting lines on it. The filler patterns will go on next.

I just got some marking pens and my thread tonight so I can really get going on quilting the blanket. This is a lot of fun! Modern quilting can be a challenge but definately a fun one! I will work on it a little bit each day. Hopefully, it can be done fairly soon!