Friday 28 November 2014

Something from nothing

The best kind of quilts for me, the ones that have their own personality, their own individuality, are most definitely scrap quilts.

There is a certain freedom when starting a scrap quilt. No need to measure for the right amount of fabrics, no need to ponder colour and fabric placement to any great degree.

A scrap quilt to me is a chance to take scraps and make something from nothing from them, all the while making it up as I go along.

This one was a looong time in the making.



It's paper-pieced and is the Spider's Web pattern which I changed by making the two measurements either side of the central tip unequal. I realise that may not make any sense to you, so if you look at my side bar you'll see it's mention number two under 'popular posts' if you need further details.

With the traditional equal marking of the two lines either side of the centre tip, you'll end with Spider's Webs all the same. The way I do it, you'll end up with two different shapes. Dependent on what measurements you go for, you can make quite interesting and original second designs.


It's a long and (at times) tedious process to paper piece a quilt of any significant size with this pattern. You need eight triangles to make a Spider's Web. On the plus side, you can use up the most teeny tiny scraps of fabric and (in my opinion) it doesn't seem to mater what you place by what - it all seems to work.

Absolutely every single piece of fabric in this quilt was a scrap, so to see the scraps reinvent themselves in this way feels quite spectacularly special.

When I'd pieced the top, I decided to send it to Krista who long-armed it for me. A couple of years ago she worked her magic on what remains one of my most favourite ever quilts. I gave her absolutely no direction, other than to stretch herself and think outside the box.

It came back a few weeks ago and I've just finished sewing the binding down.



Krista's quilting adds another layer of movement to the quilt that I don't think I'd have had the patience (nor skills) to achieve by myself on a domestic sewing machine.



There is something very accessible about scrap quilts.

You don't need a whole line of the latest 'must have' fabric to make a great quilt. You can use cotton from old clothes (I have in this quilt) - just about anything works. The uglier and random all have their place.



I love this quilt so much that I made a last minute decision to enter it into next year's QuiltCon.

That meant I had to come up with a title for the quilt.

I never name my quilts. It's just not me.

But name it I must so it's called 'No yardage was harmed in the making of this quilt.'


Hello, in my opinion of course, rather gorgeous husband


I've seen quite a bit of chatter on Instagram the last few days as quilters stress about meeting this week's QuiltCon entry deadline and wondering if they are just making something to fit within the constraints of the definition of what 'modern' quilting is.

I have no idea if this quilt will be accepted into QuiltCon as 'modern' enough, especially as one of the definitions is 'graphic areas of solid colour.' Clearly I disagree with that definition but maybe I am in the minority.

I shall continue to make quilts that are visually exciting to me, regardless of whether they are perceived as 'modern' or not.

Perhaps I should have called this quilt 'No solids were harmed in the making of this quilt'?


26 comments:

  1. A. - "Ohh that's pretty." (First visceral response.)
    B. - I'm not a judge, but I think that the 2 angles makes this modern... (Traditional would/could be all the same round webs...)

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  2. Oh wow Alison, I love love love it! So beautiful and I love the scrappiness. Good on you for entering it into Quilt Con! I wanted to enter my Hello Kitty quilt, but alas, because I didn't design Hello Kitty (although I did design the quilt) I wasn't allowed to. Gutted. I wish you all the best, I'm sure it's a winner :-) x

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  3. Awesome scrap quilt! Love the close up shots of the blocks which show just how deliciously scrappy it is. Good luck with your entry.

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  4. it's beautiful, and ultimately what is important is that you love it, which it certainly sounds like you do. I'm hoping that one day the "what is modern" thing will just chill out ;-)

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  5. You know they will either put it in the show or they will not. There are a lot of other shows you can enter too. I love it, it is certainly show worthy.

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  6. Wonderful quilt. Love the name. I have tired of trying to figure out what is 'modern' and what is not.

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  7. I think this is delightful! Good luck with the show entry...

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  8. Love the scrappiness and the cool design of the spider web. Good luck on your entry!

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  9. Absolutely wonderful in every way!!!!! Who cares if it fits a label or not - it is amazing!!

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  10. you have certainly made a wonderful quilt from all your scraps, off to read more about it now with the link you gave us

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  11. What an amazing quilt! I love the way you have used up all your amazing scraps. I have never tried paper piecing. - not sure ai would have enough patience. Good luck with your entry.

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  12. Love the name and love the quilt even more. What do you get if you win???

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  13. I love this Alison. And such a good way of using up scraps.

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  14. It's beautiful. I love scrap quilts the best also. And the title is fantastic. Good luck!

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  15. Looks wonderful. I love that you have achieved three shapes from your unequal angle placement which adds much interest. The lv sections remind me of angular apple cores, but maybe I've just been working on my apple core quilt for too long.

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  16. This is so so great. Love the name!! Aren't scraps just the best? I love working with scraps

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  17. a visit to your blog is always inspirational. I love this quilt too.

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  18. Beautiful quilt and quilting. I think it has the graphic quality of modern quilts. Plus another feature is use of text and "low volume" piecing. Grids as well as alternative grids are also a feature.
    Here's hoping they see it that way too. Like you I do my own thing. I like thinking about what defines modern, but I don't let it rule me.

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  19. I love the name and the quilting ;)

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  20. I am glad you showed it to us! I am clapping and cheering here to say it is gorgeous and what an achievement - that sort of scrap piecing takes sooooooo long and a good deal of determination to see it through! Love it!

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  21. You have such a magical talent for creating unique, colorful and stunning quilts. Modern? Yes - it is a new take on an old style block.
    Your blog has inspired me in so many ways - I am a new-ish quilter, trying to start a blog and hoping to meet new friends in the quilting community.
    Good luck with your entry!! It is a winner to me.

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  22. It's so good it's postmodern- it's a pastiche on traditional scrap quilts and therefore it qualifies as that. "Modern" is so 2000-and-late

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  23. I'd have known this was your quilt even without it being on your blog - it's so very 'you' and I love it! Quite frankly, I couldn't care less if a quilt (or a quilter, for that matter) is modern or traditional or whatever and I don't know why (some) people are so keen to label themselves and everyone around them. I'm a quilter and I don't think any other words need to be added to that. (And don't get me started on the monstrosity that is 'sewist' rather than 'sewer'!!!)

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  24. P.S. Sorry, I went off on one there, didn't I?! It must be time for a cup of tea...

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  25. I am semi new to the quilt world. I'm really new to the modern quilt world. I was quietly making quilts by myself in my bedroom at home. I joined a modern quilt guild recently. The members are great. I don't usually do well in groups, but thought it might be good for me. I really enjoy it. The group is very open to the ways it members creates. One of the members finished a quilt, and I encouraged her to enter it into QuiltCon. Someone earlier in that meeting had mentioned it. I had know idea what it was. She was rejected. I could figure out why. I looked up QuiltCon. I still can't figure out why. This is all opening my eyes to a world I didn't know about. I didn't know that there are definitions or rules to quilt making. I'm not going to listen to them. I'm going to keep making my quilts the way I do.

    I love the bright colors in your quilts. I'm all about color. For me, the more color the better. I'm going to follow your blog. I'm also new to blogging. Here is a link to my blog. http://jenniferquilting.wordpress.com. You might like my quilts. I think we have something in common.

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