Local Courthouse Colourplay Workshop

The Vancouver Modern Quilt Guild invites non-members to join us for my Courthouse Colourplay class on Sunday, April 28th at the Croatian Cultural Centre in Vancouver from 10 am to 5 pm. All of the info is here. The price for non-members is $80.

Explore the possibilities of colour expression and free-cutting without rulers while you create this wonky, nested Courthouse Step quilt (reminiscent of paper lanterns) in your own personal colour story.

I made this wallhanging for the MQG miniquilt swap at QuiltCon2018

We’ll work intuitively from the center out, creating a dynamic quilt with loads of personality. There will be no squaring up with this one — instead I'll show you how to “build out”, finding the fit between adjacent blocks and using up all of your scraps in the process.

This one is a baby or small lap quilt with 25 blocks.

As in all of my workshops, I'll share loads of tips while encouraging all students to find confidence in new techniques.  Put your patchwork and rotary cutting skills to work and explore improvisational design and piecing in a fun, supportive environment!  The supply list includes ideas, resources and tips for selecting your colours. Make a wall-hanging with F8's or a lap quilt with FQ's or 12" WOF cuts.  A layer cake of solids or tone on tones like grunge could even work with some prudent cutting ; ) 

This one, Emerald Court, has 16 blocks with slightly wider strips. It's about 40" square. It's made entirely of Northcott solids that I loved working with! No fraying and a lovely hand.  I'm currently hand-quilting it with Aurifil 12 wt and Aurifloss. 

To register, please email workshops@vancouvermodernquiltguild.ca 

Courthouse Colourplay - LOCAL WORKSHOP

Hi all!

I'm back to tell you about an upcoming local workshop here in North Vancouver that has a few spaces open. Hot on the heels of a super fun debut class last weekend at the Dinkydoo warehouse, the Seymour Quilter's Guild is offering up some space in their class to non-members.

The workshop will take place in North Vancouver on Wednesday May 8, 2019 from 9:30 - 3:30 at a cost of only $55! Please email me directly for the guild contact information (my email address is just up there on the left side under my photo, use actual dots and the @ symbol when writing out the email address. I have it written funny that way on this page to automated avoid spam).

Although it is a bit of a mash up, I wanted to show you some of the student work from last weekend's class. There were several very experienced quilters who had never tried free-cutting without rulers or done any improv piecing before and they had such fun creating their quilt tops and playing with solid coloured fabrics. Two people attending were brand new quilters and this was only their second or third quilt project!

You'll learn how to freely cut your fabric with confidence, how to manage wonky strips and blocks in construction, how to puzzle a collection of oddly shaped blocks together using my building-out technique (instead of 'squaring up'), the secret of hiding the block boundaries in your final layout and how to let go and allow your fabrics to guide your progress throughout block construction.

I hope that you'll join us!  If North Vancouver is too far away for you, I'll also be teaching this class (along with 3 others) at QuiltCanada in Ottawa this June. Registration for members and non-members is currently open HERE.

Looking for a Hot Date in 2019?

Hey Locals (and anyone looking for a great reason to visit the Lower Mainland):

On Tuesday, February 19th, I'll be teaching my popular Speed Date with Improv class for the Abbotsford Quilter's Guild. This guild is full of lovely people, many of whom are what I like to refer to as "modern curious" quilters.  I love teaching this class to groups like this because I feel it really is a non-intimidating way for traditional quilters to experience the fun of improvisational quilting, working with solids and making a small, original quilt with about $20 worth of supplies.  I take away many of the stresses commonly felt  by improv newbies: you only have to choose one colour, you'll hardly waste any fabric and you won't have enough time to obsess about perfection!

Just look at these two happy Speed Daters with their classwork in Charlottetown, PEI!

The quilters who have signed up are super keen and they really want this class to run, but we need a few more people to join in to make it viable. It has been offered many times in the area already, so I thought I'd post on the blog to see if there are any folks interested who may not see my Instagram or FB posts. FYI, there are several adorable B&B's as well as reasonable hotels in and around Abbotsford.

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This one is my "Improv Untitled" that hung at QuiltCanada in 2017.

The cost is only $55 for non-members, which quite frankly is a smokin' deal! I promise a super fun day. This democratic class sees students move forward together as everyone learns the piecing techniques at the same time.  I give lots of 1 to 1 support during the day and am confident that you'll leave the class feeling fired up about designing your own original quilts with the skills you've learned.

"What Apple?" This appeared at QuiltCon 2018 in the small quilts category.

If you're interested in joining us, please email me directly at poppyprintcreates@gmail.com. I don't receive comment alerts from the blog anymore, so please email!

If you can't make it this time, don't worry, there will be more chances.....like at a big quilting event happening in Ottawa in June, for instance ; )

Local Workshop - Level Two Tote

Are you looking for a fun workshop to make a special something for a special someone for Christmas? Although so many of my sweet friends in the Vancouver Modern Quilt Guild have already made a Level Two Tote (or 8!), there are some who are looking for a little guidance and the chance to have a sew day with pals. To that end, the VMQG has booked a lovely church hall in Burnaby and we're going to have a class on November 17, 2018 from 10 am to 4 pm.

The tote features a cotton canvas or home-dec print on the upper level with a lower level of cork fabric, waxed canvas, or lightweight leather or pleather. It is intentionally lightweight without a lot of stabilizer for a relaxed-looking bag that doesn't knock stuff off the shelves while you're browsing the china section ; ).  It fits a ton of stuff and the straps are super strong - it's a perfect daily bag that'll accommodate your water bottle, embroidery or knitting project, a book, your wallet and a few other essentials.

The workshop has now opened for non-member registration. I'll be offering kits that include all of the hardware + leather that you need, plus I come equipped with anvil, leather punch and hammer, so you don't have to! Everyone should be able to complete their tote in class.

Book the class and get all of the details by emailing workshops@vancouvermodernquiltguild.ca

Bring a friend and learn some great bag-making skills. This workshop is perfect for first-time zipper installers, rivet-newbies and anyone looking to gather tips on finishing details for a professional look.

A Chat with Pat (the Where's Poppyprint? edition)

Earlier this week I had another opportunity to chat with the one and only Pat Sloan on her weekly podcast. This is the third time that I've been a guest on Pat's show. She is such a supportive force in the quilting industry, always interested in what everyone is doing and sharing, sharing, sharing. I love that!

 2018 is whizzing by and I've hardly been home to tell you about it. You've likely noticed that I've seriously lost my blogging rhythm. I'm not sure I'll get it back anytime soon as it really takes discipline and hours of time at the computer (which are rare for me these days). If you want to hear a bit about what I've been doing in the first 4 months of the year as well as some upcoming excitement, tune in and listen to the my interview with Pat here.

A quick calculation tells me that I've been out of town 50 days since the first of the year.  This actually suits me just fine because I love to travel, do fun stuff and meet nice people. There was a once in a lifetime back country ski trip in the deep, deep bottomless powder of western Japan followed by a day at the Tokyo International Quilt Festival:

That's me! You can't see it, but there's a massive grin on my face, like this one (below)

If you listen to the podcast, this is what I was talking about! Elbows out!

After Japan, I flew down to Pasadena for QuiltCon, which was busy, fun and exciting. I didn't take any workshops this time as I delayed registration for too long and missed out, but I caught some great lectures, thoroughly enjoyed the show, volunteered 1 day, visited the Getty, the Arboretum and caught up with an old high school friend and many quilting buddies.

Having fun with Lorena Uriarte (as usual)!

All in all, I've taught 14 workshops and delivered 5 trunk shows in various places including Vancouver Island, North Vancouver, Edmonton and 5 locations in Scotland and England.  I feel incredibly fortunate to have these experiences and I don't take any of these opportunities for granted, but I do kind of miss my sewing machine (and my own bed...ok, and my husband) at times.

Somewhere in all of that, I was able to actually TAKE a workshop! I love spending the day with my guild-mates and trying new things. I made this quilt that I call Sakura Towers with teacher Barb Mortell in her "Door Jam" workshop.

Next up, a break from teaching and focus on volunteer activities for my 3 guilds. First, the Canadian Quilters Association is holding the National Juried Show right here in Vancouver (my quilt Pop Stars, pictured above in Pat's advert, is a finalist in the Modern category) on May 31 - June 2 at the Vancouver Convention Centre. The following weekend (June 8-9), my  Lions Gate Quilter's Guild will present our bi-annual show at Capilano University Sportsplex. I just love this show because the talent in my guild is off the charts (traditional, contemporary, art and modern quilting style will all be very well-represented!). Plus, I coordinate our member's boutique, which is always beautifully stocked with fabulous handmade quilts and sewn items for sale.  Then finally at the end of summer, I'm coordinating the Vancouver Modern Quilt Guild's second Modern Quilt Showcase, again featuring modern quilts in an industrial setting of a restored shipbuilding warehouse on the harbour in North Vancouver. Phew!  I'm starting to think it's time to take a little step back from all of this volunteering, but I do really enjoy being involved, especially when it involves sharing quilts with the public.

Click on any of the links in the above paragraph for more show information! I hope to see you at one or all 3 of the shows.

Notes from the NJS Judges - Part 2

In this post (a continuation from my previous post) I share the comments from three CQA-certified judges on my Improv Untitled quilt. This wallhanging recently hung in the Canadian National Juried Show in Toronto in the Abstract Art category. I could have easily entered it into the Modern category along with Round Peg, Square Hole, but I thought my chances with the jury might improve if I tried two different categories.

I am happy to share these comments/critiques with you as a point of interest. I find them thoughtful, constructive and useful!

Judge 1

The variety and scale of the shapes add visual interest. The shapes shift between being positive shapes to being negative shapes. This is visually unsettling (oh dear). Was this the mood you were intending to portray? Grid quilting pattern is effective.

Judge 2

This well-constructed quilt works with the viewer's mind (thank you, exactly!) as the eye moves around searching for familiar and identifiable images. The bold border plays a secondary role - perhaps it could be slightly integrated into the central area. Take care when piecing dark against light and watch out for shadowing (curses, I tried my best).

Judge 3

Negative space might be emphasized with more or different quilting (hmmm, this is a good suggestion worth considering for the next one). The design draws me in to follow pathways like a game (mission accomplished!). The light-coloured motif floats off the black and is anchored by the black grid quilting lines.

I'd really like to thank the judges (in no particular order, because the comments are not directly attributed to any judge), Margie Davidson, Hilary Rice and Judy Villett. I am actually rather delighted with all of your thoughtful words and will take them into consideration for future work. For the first time (in 6 juried show experiences) I actually feel like I got some great value out of my entry fee with this feedback.  

Would you like to learn 7 improv piecing techniques and make your own quilt similar to this one in a fast-paced, fun and supportive environment? I teach this unique Speed Date with Improv workshop (as a 1- or 2-day class) and would be happy to visit your guild or shop. Email address at the top left sidebar for enquiries. I have some availability in late fall and am now booking into 2018.  Sadly, due to working visa restrictions, I cannot teach in the US, but all other international and Canadian travel is welcome.

Open To Interpretation

So, I am still having a great time playing with my Speed Date with Improv workshop samples. After debuting this new class with the Vancouver Modern Quilt Guild before Christmas, I came home with more demo pieces that I played with on my design wall over the holidays. This is what I came up with.

Improv Untitled, 31" x 36"

One of my students, VMQG member Jaydeen, pieced her improv collage, then surrounded it with a lot of negative space to make it into a gorgeous lap quilt for a friend. After seeing her quilt, I thought about playing with borders for these pieces, so that the improv elements could float in a background of white, black, or the 'free colour'.  

I'm excited about the possibilities this brings up for the viewer. When I posted photos in instagram, one person commented that if she turned the composition, she saw a locomotive. Another person saw the shape in the lower right as a pendulum that had knocked all of the other pieces askew. That's so cool. It is exciting to think that every person seeing the quilt can interpret it in their own way.  The expansive background gives the improv shapes more room, opening them up to imaginative possibilities.  The magic of negative space.

See the pendulum? A wrecking ball? Chemistry lab glassware? A little black house or a blue arrow?

I'm teaching this class in Nanaimo in late February, in PEI and NS in May and in Ottawa in September. I know that every time I teach it I will learn more from my fellow quilters and each composition will tell a new story. When creating my first quilt with these techniques, jigsawing the improv elements together, I thought about the wooden blocks my son and daughter used to play with - you know the standard ones that have squares, rectangles, half circles, cylinders and little "bridges"(rectangles with the 1/2 circle arc cut out). I'm sure many of you have seen these blocks, or even built towns with them yourselves!

Arrows!

All of this improv play has really ignited my creativity but unfortunately, I'm sort of overwhelmed with ideas at the moment. I'm making sketches so that I don't lose any of the sparks. I just have to focus and start on something. My teaching/travel schedule is packed for the coming months (so exciting!), so there won't be tons of time for big projects.  Manageable improv to the rescue!

One permission I've given myself is to not obsess over quilting these compositions. I think that the 'wonky waffle' improv grid really works well without overwhelming the piecing. I mark the lines with a hera marker and then quilt them with my walking foot and a 4.0 stitch length. The quilting goes quickly and the piece is done. Result. My previous two were faced, but I bound this one with black.

You can tell with these photos that balancing colour in our winter light is a challenge for me. This minty blue proved difficult!

Structural Improv Weekend openings

Anyone up for a fun weekend away with other creatives? There are a couple of spots left in my two-day Structural Improv workshop on Friday and Saturday October 21-22. The workshop is part of an annual event on beautiful Denman Island known as the Creative Threads Conspiracy. You can find all of the course information here.  There are still accommodations available on the island - check it out! It's the perfect time for a mid-autumn creative retreat.

Here is some of the work I've created using my Improv Under the Influence piecing technique. With a two-day workshop, we have time to go beyond re-creating my Temperature Check pattern (bottom two pictures in the mosaic). We'll use the improv units as structural elements in  your very own original quilt design.

Improv Under the Influcence work by Poppyprint

1. Icy Pillow by Poppyprint, 2. Variegated Threads by Poppyprint, 3. Ice Road Quilt, 4. The Five by Poppyprint, 5. Chess On the Steps by Poppyprint, 6. Improv Under the Influence by Poppyprint

Light of May, 2014 (shown at QuiltCon 2015 in the Michael Miller challenge exhibit)

If you happen to live on Vancouver Island, this is a great opportunity for a relatively inexpensive weekend away. Check it out! I hope you'll join me on Denman.

Cutting Garden Weekend Workshop

There's been a lot of prep work going on this week from the Sunshine Coast to Vancouver to Whistler. Scrap bin diving, pressing, cutting. And more cutting, cutting, cutting.  This is Cutting Garden Weekend for myself and 19 friends! We're all coming together to spend two days working on this gorgeous, scrappy quilt and learn a few new piecing techniques.  I'm looking forward to sharing some of my most special scraps and swapping 2" squares with everyone. This quilt really is a joy to lie under and seek out those precious fussy cuts and coveted prints.

I've got some exciting news for all of you, too! I finally opened a pattern shop on Craftsy! Now you can purchase .pdf downloadable patterns for 5 of my designs including Cutting Garden. The best part of this pattern is that I'll be donating a portion of profits to the BC Cancer Agency twice yearly in memory of my friend Deanna and Tracey's friend Chelsa. 

Once we arrive at our great venue Saturday morning and grab a cup of coffee or tea the fun will start. We'll all be able to take a rest from the rotary/ruler routine and cut in bulk with two super cute Sizzix Fabi cutting systems. I've got all of the necessary dies required for our 2" squares, 2" strips, half triangle squares and circles.  Many thanks to the Sizzix company for generously providing us with the equipment we need! One lucky quilter is going to win their own Sizzix Fabi to take home this weekend! 

I'm grateful to the following sponsors for providing some fantastic loot for our goodie bags that are all packed and ready to go.  Everyone will leave with some great new patterns, notions and kits, all provided by my generous industry friends.

        

  

   

Plus Bernina Canada!

I'll share some workshop photos next week. I hope you  have some fun sewing plans this weekend, too!

Abstract Quilts in Solids - A Workshop Review

Last year I felt so fortunate to spend two days in workshops with Gwen Marston. Her work has long been an inspiration to me, even though it took several years to work my way to improvisational design after borrowing her book Liberated Quiltmaking from my traditional guild's library about 10 years ago.  In last year's workshop, Gwen taught us techniques used in the making of her sublime 37 Sketches quilts (that have been published in their own gorgeous hard cover book).  You can the two pieces that I created in the workshop here.

Fast forward to last month when I received an email from Gwen asking if I'd be interested in reviewing her latest workshop, an online class on the American Quilter's Society iquilt platform.   The workshop is called Abstract Quilts in Solids - of course I immediately said YES!  This would be the perfect opportunity to learn more from one of my quilting idols while playing with a box of strippy scraps I recently bought from an IG destash. The colours are not my usual fare, so I figured having specific class techniques to try would be the perfect way to just use them and not obsess over what to make.

Strippy scraps purchased on IG destash from Pink Castle Fabric. These are leftovers from their Mocassin BOM. A fun colour challenge for me!

Gwen's class is divided into six lessons. The entire class is 2 hours and 20 minutes long, but there's no need to watch it from start to finish. Instead, I watched the intro, then one or two lessons at each sitting.  That's the beauty of an online class: sipping your favourite drink in your jammies while learning from a master teacher on your own schedule!  It is my goal to make a mini quilt from each lesson to practice the techniques, but also to force myself to use these crazy bright colours and (gasp) brown together.

The centre block of my string quilt.

It doesn't take long into Gwen's introduction segment to know you are in expert hands. Gwen's ease and relaxed approach really set the stage for her no-fuss lessons to come. I especially loved her explanation of why she finds solid fabrics painterly: she says "when you buy paint, it comes in solid colours, it doesn't come in Aunt Gracie." In addition, Gwen goes on to say that solids allow you to see the piecing angles and shapes and even lines of quilting more clearly. So true!

I've modelled this layout on one of the example quilts Gwen shares in her "string quilt" lesson.

Each lesson features a different style or technique of improv piecing done in Gwen's way. She's been building her quilts using these techniques for years. Her comfort in working this way is obvious and the language she uses is so encouraging and supportive that any student would feel they are able to try and succeed in creating their own versions.  I love that she describes blocks as having "a rollicking good time" together. Gwen doesn't fuss about colour theory; she admits to using colours that she enjoys looking at and that "are friendly beside each other". What great approach! Whether you are a tried and true traditional piecer, or a newbie adventurist in the quilting world, I'm quite certain you'll take a lot from this class; if nothing else, the permission to explore your stash with creative abandon and enjoy yourself while doing it.

Here's my string quilt called "Blowing My Hair Back I" it measures around 22" square. The name comes from the hilarious expression I learned from a taxi-driver in Juneau who said "whatever blows your hair back" - equivalent to "whatever turns your crank".  In this case, these wild colours are literally blowing my hair back!

Working in Gwen's style is definitely playtime at the sewing machine. If you're looking to expand your improv piecing repertoire, or just take a break from precision pattern sewing, I highly recommend this class.  You'll quickly see why Gwen is a beloved teacher and highly-respected maker of liberated, improvisational quilts.  Plus, it's just nice to spend time listening to her wise words and watch her masterful hands at work. Grab your scrap bin and have some fun!

I'll be sharing more class work from Gwen's lessons soon...

2015 - Taking Temperature Check to the People

The past year has been both my busiest and accomplished quilting year to date and I've really loved every day of it. My book, Make It, Take It published in January, my Blackbird Fly quilt won a completely unexpected 1st place ribbon at QuiltCon, my Chess on the Steps quilt hung at QuiltCon in the Pattern of the Month special exhibit and appeared in both the QuiltCon and Simply Moderne magazines, The Light of May hung at QuiltCon in the Michael Miller Challenge exhibit and my quilt Cutting Garden featured in Australian Homespun magazine. I attended my first QuiltCon and my first Quilt Market (spring, in Minneapolis) where I presented a Schoolhouse session for the book to a packed room and had fun at two book-signing sessions.  I also visited about 10 local quilt guilds in the Vancouver area to present on Modern Quilting and share my quilts plus projects from the book, I did an all-day book signing at a local car show/quilt show and finally, Pat Sloan invited me as a guest on her radio show -- twice!  Luckily, I managed to squeeze in a few workshops myself; I learned improv techniques from SherriLynn Wood and my quilting hero Gwen Marston, colour theory from Bill Kerr and did some screen printing with Celina Mancurti this year!  Almost everything I've just mentioned has been blogged at one point or another over the year.

All of that was awesome, and it really would have been plenty. But what I want to celebrate most about 2015 is the fun and excitement I experienced through teaching over the past 12 months.  I've been teaching locally for about 12 years, but things really switched into high gear this year! I adopted a "just say yes" attitude and decided with my two kids pretty well grown-up and a very supportive husband, I would accept all teaching offers that came my way and let the family fend for themselves (everyone survived, yay!).

Temperature Check, 2013

It is difficult to accurately pinpoint the catalyst for all of the amazing gigs I got this year.  About 80% of the workshops I taught were for the little Temperature Check quilt, above (or the improv piecing technique I call Improv Under the Influence). Published photos of Chess on the Steps (simply a size large version of Temperature Check), word of mouth, my guild presentations, blog readers inviting me to teach for their guilds, referrals from other quilting instructors and connections via the Modern Quilt Guild all lead to great opportunities.  What I'd like to share with you are photographs of the workshops themselves, featuring amazing quilters that I had the pleasure of meeting and teaching over the past year, as well as their inspiring work.  For many students, this was their first ever foray into modern quilting or working exclusively with solids or trying their hand at improvisational work.  As always with teaching, there are many opportunities for me to learn just as much from participants in the workshops...I will share some of that learning amongst the photos below.

Seattle, WA

The Seattle MQG is super friendly!! This workshop took place at the incomparable Drygoods Design on historic Pioneer Square.

Victoria, B.C.

I think orange is the spirit colour of the Modern Quilt Guild of Victoria

Inuvik, NWT

Small, isolated quilting communities are very open to trying new things and trusting people they've never met before (at least Inuvik is). I didn't even mind that a couple of students ducked out of class to watch the annual migration of the domestic reindeer herd because they gave up most of the Muskrat Jamboree weekend for quilting!

Stitch at Sea, Alaska cruise

Oakshott colourshotts make gorgeous kits for this workshop! I curated 4 different Alaska themed bundles: Glacier, Midnight Sun, Fireweed and Northern Lights.

Teaching  the workshop over 2 days allows students the freedom to learn the piecing technique,then use a design wall to come up with their own exciting layouts. This one is by Dianne Ritter and it is even more impressive now that it is quilted!

Sweden

More often than not, quilters work with the same colours as their wardrobe! Here you can see Louise is doing just that.

Juneau, AK

I enjoy spending time with elder quilters.  This isn't something I learned this year, but it was humbling that so many elder women signed up to learn something new from me! Two of the women in this workshop had the cutest argument over which one was older (they are both 78). Best line of the debate " Oh ____, you always want to be the oldest, but you know my birthday is 3 months before yours and we have to do this every time we take a workshop together!" They totally cracked me up.

Whistler, B.C.

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Sometimes a charm pack of Denyse Schmidt modern solids will do! Carolyn with her super fun and colourful little Temperature Check quilt.

Another wardrobe-inspired original layout by Sabrina. The Whistler gals made full use of their design walls over two long days with fabulous results!

I also taught for the Sunshine Coast Quilter's Guild and the Boundary Bay Quilter's Guild, both relatively local for me.

Did you notice anything in particular about all of these photos? Quilters are pretty much the same no matter where you travel, aren't they? We all love to play with fabric and create in the company of like-minded people.  Most of my workshops were with traditional quilters and I could not be happier that so many are curious about "this modern quilting thing" and willing to give new ideas a try.  People wrote me the loveliest emails after workshops, telling me that they'd never had so much fun quilting, or that they were excited to play with this technique some more on their own and that they picked up so many tips from my classes they never thought they needed to know.

I feel extraordinarily lucky.

Bring it on, 2016!

Happy New Year, Friends!

P.S. I think it is very evident from this post, but if you would like me to visit your guild or shop and teach a workshop, just say the word.  I'm there.