Issue Two
14
fabulous projects scraps: friend or foe?
we talk scrap management
quilts with an edge triangles & geese & stars, oh my!
ignite your creativity
men who quilt
with
meet them & be inspired
Carrie Bloomston
contents projects
make
pike’s peak
come hither
Cheryl Brickey
Rose Johnston
celestial
the one that got away
Cornelia Pramendorfer
Christopher Thompson
indigo star
tagalong pouch
Kelly Liddle
Heidi Staples
lovely awful thing
pretty pink skull
Carrie Bloomston
Andi Herman
vice versa
purple diamond stars
Susan Bolte
Jane Kelly
nye
aurora part two
Alyssa Long
Alyce Blyth
fly by night
ticker tape placemats
Kristy Lea
The Littlest Make Moderners
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issue two features
regular pages
quilty stitches
from the editor
carrie bloomston
meet the makers
scrap happens
maths and methods
men who quilt
domestic quilting goddess
do.good stitches
giveaways
you patch
ask the makers
radiant orchid
library next issue
general project directions Please read all instructions before starting a project. Recommended fabrics are 100% cotton, quilting quality. Requirements are based on 44” wide. All directions assume the use of a ¼” seam. General sewing supplies of sewing machine, threads, rotary cutter, mat, rulers, scissors etc are assumed and are not listed. Other specific tools required will be listed. We have more detailed directions for various techniques, in the General Techniques resource section on our website: makemodern.com.au
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meet the makers
Carrie Bloomston
Susan Bolte
Alyce Blyth
@suchdesigns
@blossomhearquilts
blog
blog
Melissa Gottliebsen @msmidge blog
make
modern
@lakeonestitchery
Cheryl Brickey @meadowmistdesigns blog
Andi Herman
Rose Johnston
@threadbarecreations blog
@youpatch blog
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meet the makers
Jane Kelly
Kristy Lea
Kelly Liddle
Alyssa Long
@wherejanecreates
@quietplay
@jeliquilts
@measuredandslow
blog
blog
blog
blog
Cornelia Pramendorfer
Heidi Staples
Christopher Thompson
@piecedwithlovexoxo
@fabricmutt
@christopher_nyc
blog
blog
blog
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perfect piecing
the one that
got away
By Christopher Thompson
W
hen the hustle and bustle of life takes over, sometimes ‘the one’ gets away. Could you find them again tomorrow? Or will you never see each other again? Not just the theme of rom-com movies, Christopher explores this concept in this striking quilt.
carry on
tagalong pouch by Heidi Staples
T
his adorable quilted pouch is just the right size to toss into your handbag. It’s perfect for holding your devices with style and the quilting adds protection. Or you could be low-tech and use it to stash make up, kids gear or your sketch book.
solid gold
celestial By Cornelia Pramendorfer
D make
on’t be fooled and intimidated by the striking nature of this stunning quilt. A magnificent study in geometry, when you break it down to simple shapes, it becomes easy to understand.
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maker profile
carrie bloomston Such Designs nyone who’s been pregnant will know that it’s a very primal state, with your body giving up necessities like coffee way before your mind wants to. For quilter and artist Carrie Bloomston, it was pregnancy that inspired her to take up quilting. “It was spurred on by being pregnant with my second child, my baby girl…her girl hormones raced through me and I swear I had a primal urge to learn to sew. I can credit her for all of it,” she says.
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A lifelong artist, Carrie studied painting and glass blowing at the famous Rhode Island School of Design and owned a mural painting and wall finishing business before developing her quilting brand, SUCH Designs. But she did very little sewing (hemming curtains with her mother and beach towel bags in home ec excluded) until she took up quilting five years ago. Carrie dove head first into quilting, beginning – like many of us – by getting a healthy education from quilting and sewing blogs. “When I made my first quilt, I didn't follow any rules… I guess you’d call it a wonky improv square thingie. It is actually pretty cute.” Quickly becoming addicted to the lure of fabric and all its possibilities, Carrie found instant appeal in the modern quilting style, which she describes as: “freedom of expression, great use of negative space, and interesting improv patchwork styles that feel very artful and like drawing to me.” Carrie adores the process of making quilt tops and names it as her favourite part of the quilting process. “I would say anything about making quilt top is fun for me – from conceptualising to sketching to being in the creative flow with constructing a quilt top. I am also very fond of ironing,” she says. She works very intuitively, describing her quilting style as: “Fast and furious, artful and expressive; with lots of air, lots of space, lots of light.”
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“Inspiration strikes at many odd hours. The trick is to be ready for it and write it down.”
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ask the makers
quilting tips ach issue, we ask our contributors a very important question about some aspect of quilting. Regardless of how long we’ve been quilting and sewing, there is always something to learn or a tip to make or do something slightly differently. So this issue we asked our makers to share their favourite quilting tips with us - from designing to quilting, there are plenty of tips to take on board.
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Jane Kelly, MM Editor “I’m a big fan of breaking tedious jobs down into bite-size pieces. Jobs like pressing or squaring up half square triangles have to be done and can stop me dead in my tracks, but if I work on them for ten minutes at a time, they’ll get done before I know it.”
Kristy Lea, MM Creative Director “Don’t be afraid to try something new! What’s the worst that can happen? Unpicking? Just um.. perhaps don’t use your favourite ever fabrics on your first attempt. Save them for your second!”
Kelly Liddle of Jeli Quilts “I always use a Hera marker to mark up my quilting lines. The marks don't fade and you don't have to worry about the mark not washing out when you are finished.”
Rose of Threadbare Creations “If you are new to free motion quilting or trying a new design for the first time, practice your design with pencil and paper first…..lots! Practice will “train your brain” and help you with the flow of free motion quilting. Once you are ready to begin quilting on your machine, get comfortable, relax and just go for it!”
Heidi of Fabric Mutt “Never make a project you don't really like just because everyone else is doing it. Sew what you love!”
Christopher of The Tattooed Quilter “Don't sweat the small stuff, unless that is, it's a ¼” seam! Ha! Be inspired by those things around you. Step away from a pattern and traditional thoughts. Try something new. Try something challenging. Try a new colour. You got this!”
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Carrie of Such Designs “Glue stick. I almost never use fusible web for appliqué anymore. Washable school glue sticks get the job done with no stiffness or hassle–a much more direct and simple way to get appliqués down!”
Andi of YouPatch “My best quilting tip is not to sweat the small stuff. If your corners don't meet perfectly or seams are a little wonky (like mine often are), just enjoy that they will look perfectly handmade (and know that a good iron and some clever quilting will hide most sins). Embrace the wonk!!”
Alyssa of Measured and Slow “I feel like everyone is going to say ‘iron!!’ but I’ll also add ‘starch!!’ to that. I only fewer piecing issues. I probably use recently started using it, and I’m having too much of the stuff now!”
Cheryl of Meadow Mist Designs “My tip would be for quilters who do hand binding or other hand sewing work but hate using thimbles to try to use a Band-Aid instead. The Band-Aid stays in place and provides a little cushioning for your finger.”
Susan of Lake One Stitchery “After cutting excess fabric and batting once I have finished a quilt, I cut my fabric scraps into useable sizes like 2 ½” strips, which most quilters probably do. I also like to cut my batting into strips of different widths and label the sizes. Then when I'm making tote bag straps, I can pull out pre-cut batting strips. That's a time saver and much better than unrolling and cutting from a fresh roll of batting!”
Cornelia of Pieced With Love xoxo “When I sew curved parts together, like the quarter circles in my quilt, I mark and pin the middle on both parts and then I pin just one half and sew it together. Same afterwards with the second half. Press it open and voila your curve is perfect.”
Alyce of Blossom Heart Quilts “We know it's important to cut carefully, sew straight and press-not-iron, but I've really learned the importance of maintaining a good posture and taking breaks to stretch and hydrate with water frequently!”
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