Wild and Free and Bluebirds

More about the great workshops with Pat Sloan!  The workshops were hosted by Quilters by the Sea Guild of Ocean Pines Maryland .

Monday was “WILD & FREE” – where we spent a lot of time talking about color, and what works together, what doesn’t, how 1 piece of fabric might not have a “friend” in the stack, and might need to be removed etc.  The advance information we got for the class was to “bring a laundry basket full of fabric”.  Well, my friend Irene could not lift her basket, so she downsized into manageable  sized totes.  I  brought 4 totes of fabric. With all the totes, containers, machines, sewing supplies, mats, rulers, irons etc, we FILLED my car!!  Glad my husband suggested that little wheeled cart for bringing things in and out of the car!

I knew we were going to make a BACKGROUND for a wall hanging, and we were NOT doing it in beige!  As I was pulling fabrics out for the class, I pulled my bundle of ‘Pat Sloan MODA ‘ that I have been hoarding    COLLECTING for the last 2 years.  Into the bins it went, along with other colors, prints etc.

As I mentioned above, we did a lot of study of the colors and how we might want to incorporate very strong, vibrant patterns into our background. You won’t see any beige in these collections.  Do click on each photo so you can see the detail.

Combinations of similar colors

working with multiple colors

changing some elements

looking for balance

Study of the fabric and what works together. My initial layout

As we made our fabric decisions, and started to put the backgrounds together, Pat helped each student define the choices.  We did some cutting and sewing and there is not ONE that looks just like the person sitting across the room or next to them!  This was so freeing and fun!

Marguerite’s

Irene’s

Mary Deeter’s – held by Pat.

Discussion of how in the world you will add applique to the wild background

If you look at my initial and my final, you will see I made some changes in fabrics.  Most of the fabric in mine was from Pat’s fabric collection.  We were encouraged to use prints that were “friends” and to add graphic elements. You see lots of stripes and check and print in these varying pieces.  One member of the class worked on her’s on Monday night and greeted us on Tuesday morning with some of her applique started.

Marti started her applique

So, yes, you can applique on a wild background!  Now that “busy background” just fades back…..

As I mentioned in my post My Little Bluebird on Wednesday, our second workshop was the actual applique techniques, and we did a lot of practice stitching.  In that post I showed my project all fused.  Late last night I finished the applique stitching and wanted to give you an updated photo or two or three.  Be sure to click on the photo’s so you can see the detail.

Center of the medallion

Details of the bird

The full medallion

My Little Bluebird will get two more borders and a bit more applique in the final border and finish at 40″ x 40″ . So, Thursday’s decision….get the next border started, or go by groceries……..and ohhh…I can’t wait to start the applique on my Wild & Free background.  The pattern that will get appliqued on it is Pat’s pattern –  Ma-Ma’s Garden . 

Check out Pat Sloan’s website; pick up her book Pat Sloan’s Teach Me to Applique – Fusible Applique That’s Soft and Simple or the pattern for either of these projects – My Little Blue Bird or Ma-Ma’s Garden .  While you are clicking around through her store, check out the “Let’s go Sew” pattern.  Yes, I just HAD to get it too.

Acknowledging that I repeat myself, I just have to say I loved my class with Pat!  She was the first “name” I knew in quilting, introduced to me by my local quilt shop, Serendipity Quilt Shop, in Dagsboro Delaware.  We used two of Pat’s books in our classes – I Can’t Believe I’m Quilting and the companion  Beyond the Basics  .  I was just starting my retirement journey of quilting and blogging and found Pat’s website, her blogs, her patterns, her radio shows and I was hooked.  So, do visit  Pat Sloan’s Quilters Home website and let me know if you enjoy it as much as I do.

Time to get busy, the growling stomach said the grocery store is a priority today!