Catching up – January

I’ve had an interesting month so far this year. I’ve had the opportunity to explore some new ideas I’ve had, to play and write and sketch. (After all, one of my rules for 2016 is to try new things and learn from them.) February is going to be very busy (I’m going to Quiltcon! Are you?), and so I’m relishing this time.

I had some fun playing with some imprecise contrast piecing that I’ve wanted to try for awhile. I made one block in navy and pale pink, and then one in white and red to see which I wanted to pursue more.

I thought they were both interesting, so I started making two versions, one in each color way.

I have a feeling that this will take form slowly, but I am really enjoying the process.

 Another thing I’ve tried, and something that happened much much more quickly, is a curves design that I wanted to demonstrate at the workshops I’m teaching in North Carolina and Pennsylvania this spring. It came out so much better than I had imagined and sketched!

It has a fun retro Frank Stella vibe with just enough action and just enough negative space. I really love how the linen blend background fabric lets the solids shine in their boldness. I’m also really pleased with the colors– Kona Nightfall, Kona Pickle, and Cirrus Limestone.

It’s currently about 30″ x 40″ but I think that I will definitely make some that are person-sized. Like a lot of my curved designs, it was pieced with Jen Carlton-Bailly’s quarter circle templates, which you can find in her shop.

The Floret pattern should be coming early next week, so stay tuned and to my friends who are having a white winter weekend like we are, stay warm!