I made one with a Sherpa backing on it (dunelm sold 200 x 200 Sherpa blankets with double sides for 20 quid, so I had 400 x 200 to work with) and I made 2 quilts and Sherpa…. Wow it’s nice to cuddle with but holy cow it was HORRIBLE to sew. I used so many pins. At one point I think I had over 100 pins on one edge of a 180cm side in three rows. But it looked nice in the end 😅
As the Uncle and "patron" I love the direction it's going When I figure out what I meant by "ironic" I'll let u know! Probably I was getting at a not-too-serious, playful approach. Thanks to your followers and their kind comments re my work....
Omg i can’t wait to see how this turns out. I said it before and I’ll say it again, I’m super jealous of your creativity. I have fabrics I’ve literally sat on for years and been too scared to do anything with!
Thanks so much! These ones definitely scared me until I made the first cut - now they’ve lost their power to intimidate… maybe just try a little snip of yours?
It's totally understandable why you delayed starting this quilt! That is a challenging batch of fabric to work with! I'm so happy for you that you have a good start! It will be fun to see your progress!
OMG your uncle Keith is a delight and I can see why you felt intimated but I am so glad you looked back at your chat. I can see where your artistic talent comes from, it runs in your family. And his art pieces are stunning. Can't wait to see the quilt in progress. And he is going to love it. I also love how sweet your relationship comes across on video.
Thanks! Yes he has always been my favourite uncle and he is super hilarious in that dry kind of way. I do hope he is pleased with it when it is finally done!
I’m looking forward to seeing how you put all of those elements into a post modern ironic quilt! I was gifted some Indonesian fabrics and haven’t used them yet, so this series should give me some ideas.
Well, now that you asked, I’m still struggling with it…a bed runner for my HS BFF. She chose the fabric…black white zen chic canvas linen…it’s not the fabric it’s the color limitation…way out of my experience box😮 What a wonderful interview with your uncle…he’s a treasure to be sure.
The special request quilts I get always seem to be with fabric or colors I wouldn’t normally choose. It’s a good challenge but hard to get the first ideas flowing I find. So I feel your pain with the color limits!
Your Uncle Keiths artwork is totally amazing!! I can see why it would make you nervous but you got this. You’re creative too! I love how you have alot of different elements going on. This will be beautiful!
Oh my your uncle what a special gift! I can understand your procrastination! Have you decided on a pattern? Maybe a collage quilt! Look into Tula Pink anchor quilt with his fabric maybe!
Yes he is! No pattern, it will all be on the fly, I know I want that diamond section to be bigger and that I need to find somewhere for more negative space but that’s as far as I’ve got so far!
If I had an uncle Keith who gave me one of a kind bunch of fabric and those instructions, I would pack my bags , leave in the dead of night, and never be seen again. You, on the other hand are doing a fabulous job. Are you ironing on a sink cut out with a Formica top? I have one of those that I put a mat on and use to cut fabric. Ironing on it would make it really useful. Also, Uncle Keiths artwork is awesome!!!!!!!!! Soldier on.
😂 no - it’s a horn sewing cabinet with the sewing machine pushed down and the insert on top so I can use the whole top of the table! Can’t stop picturing your stealthy getaway in the dead of night 😂. Thanks for the vote of confidence!
What an exciting life your uncle has enjoyed. I loved your talk with him. You have creativity in your genes, and it shows. Now I'll go check out the links to Keith's works!
Thanks! I believe another commenter called it attacking the fabric…so I get how it looks a bit odd 😂 but it works for me….most of the time. I like it when Jenny Doan from MSQC says that all our brains work differently- I believe that.
Great start, Kristen! I completely understand the trepidation that had you paralyzed. Procrastination gets the better of me with every commission quilt I accept. A firm deadline is the only way to break through its clutches! Looking forward to seeing where you go next with this project.
OM G!!! I am totally in awe of the artistic talent in your family.What a beautiful blessing to have the closeness too. Exciting watching you tackle the project with such confidence and creativity!.
Wow what a fabulous artist your uncle Keith is and what adventures I'm sure he has been on. Love fondation paper piecing. I've made two pillows and a bag with a feather ppf pattern..Looks like a good start to a definite challenge!! Love how you jump in and just start cutting .....reminds me of a quilt I need to finish with a large print mermaid fabric wonky stars and log cabin blocks... trying to make it all work together. I don't have many quilts under my belt ...but this video inspires me to get back to it and finnish it thx a bundle. Can't wait to see how yours all turns out love the diamond pattern.
Good grief woman! Uncle's no spring chicken. Get his quilt done FIRST. You already made him wait a whole year. Sweet kitties ))))) That's a WILD first week of eccentric attack on these fabrics )))) Can't wait to see what comes next.
What is the worst that can happen? You will mess it up and Uncle Keith will never speak to you again. LOL You are off to a brilliant start and I admire your enthusiasm and talent. Uncle Keith will have a unique quilt of your art. AND your CATS, OMG they are beautiful. Cats are my people =^. .^=
Oooooh this is exciting! I remember the brief 😮 and super excited that you have started! Love love Uncle Keith’s work and that ship 😮 wow! The sarongs took me back home ❤ Yashodha xx😊
BOY ,you do have a lot of decisions with these fabrics, wise choice with using the black and love the color you added into the mix,,it's starting to take shape, you gonna do great,love your uncle's art also!!
Wow, your uncle Keith's art is stunning. I can see why you didn't want to tackle that beautiful fabric. You seem to be a bit stumped, who wouldn't be? Have you thought of using the thin edge strips to border the cut out motifs? I don't know if it's the way you want to go. Your uncle Keith is going to love seeing your own creative process. I'm sure the quilt will be a much treasured favourite.
My daughter requested a starry night quilt and had 1 picture for reference. No pattern, fabrics too old to match, so I just dug in and made a huge amount of wonky stars in many many different sizes. I had many difficulties along the way, running out of background fabric that was out of stock, you name it. It was Tetris to put it together, I had a blast and a few heart attacks along the way! It came together in the end and was beautiful but I did say "never again" it's one of a kind for sure.
I don't get many special requests, but when I do, they are always for t-shirt quilts, which I hate making. I've only said yes to two of them, borh about 25 years ago. Now I will let people request colors or size, but they have to trust me with the rest. 😅
I love what you've got so far! I'd be shaking in my boots if I had such a request, but you're waaaaay more creative, and brave than I am! Can't wait to take this journey with you! Got my fingers crossed!
I can see how you might have been intimidated by Keith's art, resulting in procrastination! Can't wait to see your end result - you're being very ironic in your choices ;-)
I’m so glad that your recent newsletter linked me to your videos of Uncle Keith’s quilt! Somewhere along the line I missed the notifications. What a fabulous life he has apparently lived! I can just imagine the stories he has to tell. Has he kept journals of his travels? Can you just imagine the compilation of audio recordings of his adventures-and misadventures-that could have been made over the years?! I recall seeing a documentary-in the early 2000s, I think-with Canadian ice skater and artist Toller Cranston where he was interviewed and shared some of his art at his home in Mexico. What a beautiful place to live and create! Artistic talent obviously runs in your family! I don’t often comment, but I love how you share your thought processes in your videos. I’d never be able to cut into that fabric without a vision of some sort. ‘Controlled’ improv is the most that I could achieved. 🤣 I was checking my emails just before I was about to turn in for the night, and I had to watch the first video. I’d love to binge-watch the rest, but It late, and I can barely keep my eyes open! I look forward to watching them in the morning! 😊 Thanks for sharing, and stay well! Muskoka ON 🇨🇦
Thanks for this! Toller Cranston lived (maybe still lives?) in the same town as my Uncle in Mexico and they know each other. It’s a very ex-pat heavy town with lots of artists and creatives. I often feel like you could do a 6 degrees of San Miguel de Allende in the same way they used to joke about 6 degrees from Kevin Bacon. Everyone knows someone who knows someone who has lived there basically 😂. Hope you got some sleep and thanks for reminding me to send another newsletter this week 😂…I’ll get on that!
@@ScrapFabricLove 😂🤣😂Just this afternoon I was watching Laura-Lynn @Mom and Pop Quilt Shop Live. I camped in her driveway in NS in 2022, I also camped in Becca @Sew Becca’s driveway in VA in 2022 and I participated in a quilting retreat with Becca and other creators in PA last year Her logic is that since I hugged Becca, then she also hugged Becca….and everyone else at the retreat… and all down the line. 😁
Your Uncle Keith is awesome! Love the progress on the quilt so far... LOTS of potential! I'm excited to see where you take it. My most difficult special request quilts have been memory quilts; particularly one for a neighbor's father (using his clothing) and another for a newlywed who lost her Army husband in combat. I was on an emotional rollercoaster through the entire process; wanting to honor these men, feeling the loss/grief, adding some humor to the quilts, worried if the women would like my designs, etc. I no longer do memory quilts.
That does sound stressful. Most of the time ‘it’s only fabric’ applies- but not in the case of those memory quilts. I totally get why that would be hard. Lovely of you to do that for them!
I'm glad that I did them... but no more. The vast majority of my quilts are for charity, so memory quilts seemed like a natural thing for me. But I am much too empathetic. However, I continue to make quilts for charities as well as Quilts of Valor for veterans.@@ScrapFabricLove
You’re off to a great start! You might get some motivation and ideas from a video by Dave’s Craft Room labeled Weird Quilt. Definitely ironic. Or just keep going in your own way. Beautiful so far.
Dave’s Craft Room is my favourite RU-vid channel to watch. I don’t remember the ‘weird’ one but I must have seen at as I think I’ve watched them all 😂! He’s fab!
i'm not surprised that you were intimidated by the brief. What you should have done was find out from your uncle which of your previous quilts he found inspiring and worked back from that. Despite that, I think you are doing a great job with what are basically a very disparate range of fabrics with colours that don't go together all that well, so I think you are doing really well and I am really looking forward to seeing what you end up with.
Yes that would have been a good question. We did go through other folks quilts and he likes some gees bends quilts and Victoria Findlay Wolf too. So very different and none of them really like anything I’ve done before. 🤞🏻I’ll find some sort of middle ground between his taste and my abilities 😂
Just remember to be true to you as well or you will never be satisfied with it. Your quilts are beautiful so I am sure that whatever you produce, he will be very happy with! Kate x
I really don’t mind special requests - at least you know the person wants the quilt! - but clearly I have a problem overthinking people’s expectations 😂
The weirdest special request I ever had was to make a "hammock" type thing for a bearded dragon. I'm usually not that excited about other peoples projects, but I can't wait to see how this turns out. The suspense is real! Because your relationship is so special, I think he will love whatever you come up with. You are very talented in your own right!
