Improv piecing with Denyse Schmidt

Pieced block with randomly assigned fabrics.
by Bonnie Dwyer

Many thanks to The New England Quilt Museum http://www.nequiltmuseum.org for bringing the "Mother of Modern Quilting" to Lowell Saturday, November 16. Sixteen quilters experienced a day of hands-on improvisational design work with Denyse Schmidt, commercial graphic designer turned quilt maker and fabric designer. She is riding the wave of this currently popular modern quilting trend. More info: www.dsquilts.com

Although 'modern' quilting does not appeal to everyone - especially improvisational work - I found the day to be transformational. Meaning, spontaneous piecing has a place in the quilt world once more. Trends are cyclical. My grandmother made "string" quilts out of scraps in the 1940's and 50's. Although her reasons were practical, influenced by the economic depression in the 1930's, mine are more about finding accidental design in randomly chosen fabrics. I felt her smiling down on me as I basked in the glow of "making something from scraps" - a philosophy I've always embraced. The day was satisfying and I came away with renewed energy for working with fabric.

Is this quilt bright enough for you?
This is one of the quilts I will show in Whitinsville, MA tomorrow night. I will be visiting the Blackstone Valley Heritage Quilt Guild to present "Tickled Pink," a trunk show of 40 or so pink-themed quilts. Some are from the 19th Century and some are brand new. Several are for pure entertainment value - as in, "what was THAT quilt maker thinking???" 
This one is a 1960's or 70's era polyester/cotton number. And it's all hand quilted! 

Included in the trunk show are several beautiful newly made pink quilts that are available for purchase. 

Another finish, only a few days late for my self-imposed monthly challenge! Pickup Stix was created for a modern quilting workshop I taught last week in Topsfield, MA. The wonderful women of Essex County Needleworkers Guild invited me to present a morning lecture/slide show about the development of modern quilting. Then, in the afternoon workshop a group of Guild members tried their hand at improvisational piecing --- with great results! Maybe I will get to share some of theirs in a future blog. 

This picture is the sample I made to demonstrate one improv method. I like the quirky and playful qualities of this design, and I think the participants enjoyed the liberating technique. I know I had a great time!

At last, a finish!

I love to start new projects. Selecting and coordinating fabrics for a new quilt is my favorite part of the creative process. Finishing? Now, that's another story. Recently I pledged to a group of quilt business buddies that I would finish one project each month until the pile is gone. How brave was that? Or, maybe "naive." At any rate, here is the first one I finished from a group challenge. No title yet. Ideas?

I love my quilt appraising job. People bring me their quilts and pay me to look at them, identify what they have, advise on how to take care of them, as well as to assign a value. It's about MORE than the monetary value. Sometimes it is a family heirloom, or their own baby quilt, or a flea market find.
The ones with stories are the bestPrograms by Bonnie Dwyer, The Quilt Whisperer. Every quilt has a story, it just may have been lost along the way. I always urge the quilt owner to write down what they know about the quilt. The most important facts are the "who, where, and when." Who made or owned it; where they lived; and when they lived. These details can help future generations know where their heirlooms came from. Here is one from my own family. I am grateful my mother made a label and stitched it onto the back so I know which ancestor made it. This one is part of my "Six Generations of Maine Quilt Makers" lecture/trunk show. More info here: here

I am working my way through a pile of appraisals after the wonderful Maine Quilt Show at the end of July. Perfectionism is my nemesis. Every detail must be correct, since a written appraisal report is a legal document. I must be able to defend it in a court of law, so I attending to the details is a good thing!

It's a beautiful summer day in Maine, so that motivates me to get this done so I can go outside and enjoy!

My, oh my. How time does fly! It's been nearly a month since I posted to my blog. And, now it's time to prep for the Maine Quilt Show, where I will be appraising all three days, July 26, 27, & 28. Doing appraisals and seeing many friends - old and new - really gets the adrenalin pumping! I love the excitement of this annual event. If you have never been to a quilt show, please think about going to the (air conditioned) Augusta Civic Center this weekend. There will be traditional, art, and modern fiber pieces to view. Not to mention vendors of all things fabric-related. You will be in for a visual feast!

Here is a link for details:
Maine Quilt Show