Because life is just too busy, the house is too messy, the kids are too needy and I am forsaking computer time this week to get back on schedule. Gah!

So some pretty pictures for you: quilts and sewing — applique, squares, triangles, pretty fabrics …

Swapsie:? During all this clean up – I have ended up with a bunch of bundles of fabrics I am getting rid of — yes a clear out! Let me know if you can use some scrap fabrics – quilting fat quarters, corduroy for kids pants, and other assorted bits and things – if you live near me and can pick up and a do a swapsie — even better! email me.

I have been very inspired this week by all the wonderful guest posts in our creativity series: Some amazing stories have been shared and good solid advice given – Monitizing your craft blog :: Two pink lines :: Value of creativity :: Creating for children :: Listen and watch.

Books – gah – have been reading some stuff – there doesn’t seem to be a whole lot of time for reading – but I am part of a book club which meets monthly and I did manage to read this months book The White Castle by Orhan Pamuk which I found to be strange and alluring and frustrating. But more importantly I did just finish reading the series A Song of Ice and Fire by George R.R. Martin which I loved (there are more books coming) and now am watching the TV show (called Game of Thrones) – which is amazing too.

On a more crafty note – a couple of colour filled knitting books have entered my life: Knitting with The Color Guys — Kaffe Fassett and Knit Noro: Accessories — Vogue knitting (both published by sixth and spring 2012). Both of these books are lovely and hard cover and big to hold and full of inspiring colour knitted colour combinations – big and small projects, I recommend if you have a chance to flick through them over a cup of tea – do!

[Thanks to publishers and distributors for sending me books to review, I don't get paid to post reviews but I am an amazon affiliate] (Australians can purchase craft books online through can do books or booktopia or else browse booko for the best prices.)

Sign up here to receive our weekly email newsletter 

• My kids magazine Action Pack Magazine for kids [facebook page]
• My new book  Little Bits Quilting Bee
• Instagram [view: followgram or webstagram]
• Social: flickr :: facebook :: twitter @whipup
• Email: submit@whipup.net

Similar Posts:

• The light is just streaming in today |
• One of a Kind Pattern Design |
• Life, my friends |
• Quilts, fabrics and more |
• Colours of Australia |

What with the celebratory week I have just had: birthday parties and mother’s day, I have been baking just a little.

But on the flip side we have been quite overdoing the green smoothie (frozen peas, pineapple, ginger and spinach – trust me — it’s good!) and the homemade muesli thing too – just to add some balance to all that cake.

For my 12 year old’s (second) birthday party this year, I was commissioned to make a double layer marble cake filled with vanilla cream. It was actually incredibly delicious and light (I adapted a sponge cake recipe instead of making a butter cake). And for a different kind of treat bag I made giant chocolate chip cookies. I don’t know about you but I am so sick of the treat bags full of junk – so I decided to take a stand and the giant cookies were much loved and admired by all.

Recipes: For the cake and cookies I adapted recipes from two of my fave cook books: Milk & Cookies and Gran’s Kitchen. But I did a little online search and found a few recipes that might fit the bill if you don’t have these two fantastic I-don’t-know-how-I-would-cope-without-them books. Giant chewy choc chip cookies :: Marble butter cake :: Victoria sponge cake :: Kale and pear smoothie :: Monster smoothie :: Homemade muesli

Quilt market: for those non-quilters and others who live in a different universe – Quilt market is on and reports have started to filter in: Spoonflower :: Uhandbag. If you can’t make it – you can join the Blogger’s quilt festival.

At whipup this week the creativity series continues: A failed attempt to control the chaos :: Healing through craft :: The stream of inspiration runs both ways :: Crafting brings the joy :: I’m mostly a self taught creative type. Please share your stories by commenting at these posts.

Fun online tutes: dino hoodie :: Fun sandals :: Fly with me quilt block :: Project run and play.

On my book pile:

Sunday Morning Quilts by Amanda Jean Nyberg and Cheryl Arkison. Published by Stash April 2012. Favourite quilt bloggers + favourite quilt book publisher = great quilt book! Super ideas for using up your scraps and some really fun quilt designs too. Beginner quilters will love the sections on sorting your scraps and quilting techniques, while others will want to just get stuck into the quilts themselves. The quilts are mostly simple in design and constructions and take advantage of the ad-hoc nature of scraps to create quilts that are a little bit improv and a little bit structured. And of course the best thing about scraps is that they don’t rely on any particular fabric line — they are about playing with colour, which I love.

Making Mini Books with various contributors and published by Lark Crafts April 2012. Oh the wonderfulness. The variety. The inventiveness. This book contains a whole bunch of diy mini book book projects from the sweet and simple to the complex and artistic. Using different materials, paper, leather, recycled junk, wire and twine — to teach you how to make traditionally bound books, or more unusual books. You’ll be inspired.

The Book of Gardening Projects for Kids By Whitney Cohen and John Fisher (from life lab). Published by Timber Press May 2012. A bunch of gardeners, educators and parents got together to create Life Lab, a nonprofit organisation in Santa Cruz, California in 1979. Life Lab’s mission is to teach people to care for the world and them selves and each other through garden based programs. They have camps and internships and classes where they not only teach kids but also parents and teachers. So now Life Lab has written a book about their philosophy along with practical stuff from years of experience and classes – such a fantastic resource. With projects from designing play friendly gardens to getting creative with your planting pots, learning about what to plant where and when and how to test your soil. These activities are all aimed at families working with their kids and would make for some great homeschooling projects too. There is too much in here for this short review – so I urge you to go and grab a copy for yourself.

[Thanks to publishers and distributors for sending me books to review, I don't get paid to post reviews but I am an amazon affiliate] (Australians can purchase craft books online through can do books or booktopia or else browse booko for the best prices.)

Sign up here to receive our weekly email newsletter 

• My kids magazine Action Pack Magazine for kids [facebook page]
• My new book  Little Bits Quilting Bee
• Instagram [view: followgram or webstagram]
• Social: flickr :: facebook :: twitter @whipup
• Email: submit@whipup.net

Similar Posts:

• The light is just streaming in today |
• Scrappy steps afghan is done |
• whipup roundup {agh! October is nearly over} |
• whiptips: kids flip-out sofa |
• Action Pack Magazine for Kids: Issue 9 {Mad Scientist} is now available |

My life in this very moment is just all about quilts, quilting, fabric, stitches, threads, rotary cutter, sweeping the mess, scrap bags of fabric piling up, making space for more quilts…

In between I am trying to keep the sanity by staying real. Real life keeps butting its head into my sewing realm. Kids. Dinner. Dishes. Responsibilities. Friends. Health. … so to stay real I have to stop procrastinating, need to use my time wisely. Need to be organised. Have to stay on track. Stay focussed. …

How to stay on track … Keep lists. Use the blackboard planner. Not in fact plan too much. Be realistic. Delegate. What do you do to stay on track?

Some organisation tips:: from Elsie :: Organising the family paperwork.

Check in on our creativity series:

• Slowing down and connecting with each other
• Crafting is my lifeboat
• Four essential truths of my creative self
• Fiber art for families and the nomadic studio life

We also hosted: Maya on her blog tour for her new book Reinvention.

Interesting links: 

• Mimosa painting
• Grilled pineapple salsa
• Green your period
• Beautiful photography
• Tissue flowers (for mother’s day – the the kiddos onto this one!)
• Strawberry cake

Happy mother’s day this weekend to all the mothers out there. [I share mother's day this year with my husband's birthday -- so ... kiddos you better buck up! :)]

This week I am reading some traditional quilting books from That Patchwork Place:

Foundation-Pieced Quilts (Dec 2011) :: Civil War Legacies (March 2012) :: Pretty Patchwork Quilts (March 2012) and Kaleidoscope Paper Piecing (Jan 1012). All of these quilt books are full of traditional designs and techniques that have taught me a thing or two. That Patchwork Place always has such excellence in their quilt books. The instructions, diagrams, templates and images are straightforward. Don’t get these books for the pretty styled pictures or the conversational dialogue – you won’t find it. However do get these books for a good foundation in technique and some lovely traditional style quilt designs that will challenge your skills.

[Thanks to publishers and distributors for sending me books to review, I don't get paid to post reviews but I am an amazon affiliate] (Australians can purchase craft books online through can do books or booktopia or else browse booko for the best prices.)

Sign up here to receive our weekly email newsletter 

• My kids magazine Action Pack Magazine for kids [facebook page]
• My new book  Little Bits Quilting Bee
• Instagram [view: followgram or webstagram]
• Social: flickr :: facebook :: twitter @whipup
• Email: submit@whipup.net

Similar Posts:

• book: design it, knit it |
• Guest series :: Take your creativity where you can find it |
• Flickr group: Keeping warm |
• book: quilt it with wool |
• Out and about |

1. Earth friendly. Something that already exists doesn’t create more waste and pollution. The energy and resources used to create a single item are compounded by toxins that then are dumped into our water systems and soil. Ultimately, thrifting also keeps stuff out of the already overflowing landfills around the world.
2. Saves money. That one doesn’t need much explanation, but I would add that it’s more inviting to experiment and make mistakes if the materials used didn’t take a chunk out of your wallet.
3. Incorporates history and soul into stitching. Using items that already have a story creates a connection between the past and present.
4. Inspires creativity. Working with odds and ends stimulates us to problem solve and think about the inherent qualities of materials. This gives focus and many “light bulb moments”.
5. Pride in being so clever and a sense of resourcefulness. There is a universal sense of satisfaction in making something out of nothing.

I am frequently asked about how to store and organize salvaged pieces of fabric. Having all of your materials visible is a wonderful way to remember what you have when it’s time to get making. However, deconstructed clothing and small scraps from previous projects do not fold into neat stacks for pretty display. So what to do with all of the piles? I keep much of it in open baskets, hampers and buckets. The structured fabric hamper I designed for my book was based on one of the first scrap bin baskets I ever made. It’s oversized and its internal frame ensures that it stands up tall and ready to be filled.

I also sort and organize everything by material, size and color. The more specific the category can be, the easier it is to find just what you might need. For instance, I have a category called little white linen scraps and another that’s just small floral patterns in cotton.

What about all of the pieces that just aren’t workable or desirable… do I save everything? No not everything, but I try to find homes for even the clipped corners and thick seams cut out from a pair of jeans.

I use these unwanted scraps for stuffing new items. Wool sweater scraps are soft and lofty and make great interiors for stuffed toys, whereas denim is dense and heavy- perfect for floor cushions. The pouf project, in Reinvention, is a wonderful vessel for all fabric odds and ends… just open the zipper and stuff it with every frayed and unwanted scrap you’ve got!

Happy reinventing!

reinvention: sewing with rescued materials blog tour

• 5/1- sew liberated
• 5/2- Craft
• 5/3- Resurrection Fern
• 5/4- Apartment Therapy
• 5/7   Whip Up
• 5/8   elsie marley
• 5/9   Poppytalk
• 5/10 Annekata
• 5/11 Pink Coyote
• 5/14 Betz White
• 5/15 Etsy
• 5/16 Sew, Mama, Sew!
• 5/17 Made
• 5/18 Wiley Craft

Similar Posts:

• 2010 whipup calendar: feature artist – august Maya Donenfeld |
• Book: blog tour: Sewn by Hand {+ a giveaway} |
• blog tour: Practical Guide to Patchwork Blog Tour |
• blog tour: puppet play |
• Book: The Artful Bird {blog tour} |

Change of seasons, change of pace. Planting the vegetable garden, jamming figs, roasting tomatoes and freezing stewed apples. Eating homemade granola with homemade yoghurt. Kids practicing their instruments: piano and guitar. Another birthday coming up next week – planning a cake and a special dinner. Tidying the yard, having an outdoor fire, a trip to the tip. Watching the ducks fattening up and the last old chook needing some friends — keeping me company. Sewing, baking and making. The weekly houseclean, the never ending laundry pile. Planning a weekend winter camping trip. Dinner with friends. Reading books. Life my friends.

Wonderful guest posts as part of whipup’s creativity series this week: Leisl blogging at jorth - Stitch by stitch, I healed :: Amy Palanjian - I did my best with what I had :: Christine Chitnis -  Take your creativity where you can find it.

Plus a guest post introducing a new sewing community Threadbias.

Some interesting links…

• Fabric bundle colour palettes
• They draw and cook
• Letters of note
• Handmade olympics
• maya’s book tour has begun – I’ll be part of it next week!

• The Story of English in 100 Words by David Crystal (Profile Books October 2011). :: Take 100 old english words and research them and tell stories about them — discover their beginnings and myriad of uses and meanings. Uncover their riddles and mysteries. From the earliest example of a written word (roe thanks to an archeological discovery) to the latest with a chronological selection in between. David Crystal uses words as ‘windows into the world of those who use them’. Fascinating read.
• Quilts in the Attic: Uncovering the Hidden Stories of the Quilts We Love by Karen Musgrave (Voyageur Press February 2012). Well known quiltmakers share their stories of how their much loved old quilts came into their lives as they uncover the stories behind who made them they discover a love of quilts and quiltmaking.
• Finishing School: A Master Class for Knitters by Deborah Newton (Sixth &S pring Books October 2011). Deborah Newton puts her 25 years of knitwear designing to teach others the skills and secrets of her trade. For knitters who already have basic skills, this book will take your further and give your confidence to tackle interesting and unusual patterns and techniques.

[Thanks to publishers and distributors for sending me books to review, I don't get paid to post reviews but I am an amazon affiliate] (Australians can purchase craft books online through can do books or booktopia or else browse booko for the best prices.)

Sign up here to receive our weekly email newsletter 

• My kids magazine Action Pack Magazine for kids [facebook page]
• My new book  Little Bits Quilting Bee
• Instagram [view: followgram or webstagram]
• Social: flickr :: facebook :: twitter @whipup
• Email: submit@whipup.net

Similar Posts:

• Guest blogger series | Crafting with friends – Start a craftalong |
• Last minute gifts for friends – link love |
• Kids Crafternoon: A bit of a peak at my new series {+ fabulous giveaway} |
• A life more crafty: 52 crafts in 52 weeks |
• Guest post | My LULR story |

It has been a couple of weeks since the last newsy letter and so I thought I better catch you up on what I have been up to.

We have been busy with birthday celebrations, and cooking and school break. The kids and I are working on a recipe book for families (more about that later – it is very exciting – sneak peak below) and I have also been spending a bit of time in the sewing room too.

Because of silly too-tight self-imposed deadlines and lots of sewing as well as the recipe book, I have asked some lovely fellow bloggers to join me here at Whipup over the next couple of months to post about their creative process and already I have been blown away by the essays and and images that have been flowing in to my inbox. I know that these creative essays will encourage and inspire you too. I’ll introduce these more fully next week – but just for starters – we have essays on the topics of creativity and … blogging, business, parenting, health and process – it is going to be a fabulous series.

This past couple of weeks at whipup have been about online communities – instagram and Flickr and Pinterest – go and check them out and join in too. I also posted a few fun links and did you see the guest post by Megan Reilly on music and motherhood?

Books on my review pile: Some treasures…

Make Hey While the Sun Shines: 25 Crafty Projects and Recipes by Pip Lincolne is published by Hardie Grant Books (Australia) and will be out in the USA later in the year. Another eclectic jumble of fabulousness from one of Australia’s much loved crafty gals. This collection of projects comes on the heels of Sew La Tea Do, which is packed with cute sewing projects perfect for beginners. Make Hey has a bunch of different summer crafts that are a little bit retro, a little bit eclectic, and a lot of fun. There seems to be a triangle theme running through the book (which I enjoyed very much), and a definite homage to nana crafts too. Once again the photography is sweet and artistic and Hardie Grant have done a great job with the styling too. The projects themselves range from papery crafts like the paper wall quilt, sewing crafts like the wall organiser and crochet crafts like the tortoise – as well as stamping, embroidery and beading too – a bunch of stuff perfect for dabbling.

Hat Shop: 25 Projects to Sew, from Practical to Fascinating Compiled by Susanne Woods and published by C&T Publishing (Stash books May 2012). A compilation of hat designs that range from milliner confections worthy of the races, to everyday basics for the whole family. Patterns and templates are included and the illustrations are clear enough – although many of the designs are better suited to those with sewing experience. There are some glorious hats in here – my faves would have to be the quirkier everyday hats – like the Rain bonnet made from clear vinyl and the Winter flap – aviator style hat – made from woolly tartan. Lots more fun though – fascinators and felt riding hats for stylish ladies, chicken and monster hats for kiddos and retro caps for retro guys and gals. This book is a keeper.

Stitch London: 20 kooky ways to knit the city and more By Lauren O’Farrell of Stitch London and published by David & Charles (August 2011). I was in London once, years ago, a lifetime ago, before kiddos and mortgage and career. I have fond memories of London – it is a beautiful city, full of history, tradition and architecture, but it is also where punk started and still has that exciting underground music and art scene. This book pays a knitted (cheeky) homage to all things London-y. From knitted Bobbies (police) and the Queen’s guard, to those iconic red phone boxes and the Tower bridge. There are some punkish laptop covers and book cosies to keep you snug while riding the tube (the underground), and there are pidgeons and rats to remind you that London is a big old city. My fave might be the knitted plastic bag picnic blanket, perfect for the Londoners who like to lie on the grass, in their lunch break, in the many city parks no matter what the weather.

[Thanks to publishers and distributors for sending me books to review, I don't get paid to post reviews but I am an amazon affiliate] (Australians can purchase craft books online through can do books or booktopia or else browse booko for the best prices.)

Sign up here to receive our weekly email newsletter 

• My kids magazine Action Pack Magazine for kids [facebook page]
• My new book  Little Bits Quilting Bee
• Instagram [view: followgram or webstagram]
• Social: flickr :: facebook :: twitter @whipup
• Email: submit@whipup.net

Similar Posts:

• From Kathreen: What’s cooking {black bean brownies} |
• fave books for 2010: cooking {+ a giveaway} |
• Cooking with tea: Ice cream |
• books: guide to sewing basics and your sewing machine |
• fave books for 2010: sewing {+ a giveaway} |

What with a weekend of camping and pile of washing to catch up on, a head cold and couple of days in bed and a number of looming deadlines — I am officially in the land of chaos! A friend wrote to me recently asking what is my secret for juggling everything I do — family, laundry, books, website, making etc… and really I had no answer. Because all I want to do today is make a cup of tea and go back to bed and read my book. Instead I am catching up on emails, still in my pj’s, the house is a mess and the washing is in a huge pile on the laundry floor!

I wish I could say I was organised, but actually I seem to lurch chaotically from one deadline to the next trying to make time for family in between. Actually that is not entirely true – I am organised in my mind — even though I am constantly missing appointments and forget about dinner sometimes, I do have a few key moments in my day where I stop to make time for the important things — moments of work, rest, rushing and creativity – it is all a balance isn’t it?!:

• 1. Breakfast is important — we eat a hot breakfast together — we have a cup of tea and do our chores and get ready for the day. We don’t linger — but that five minutes eating breakfast together is important to connect us and still us ready for the busy day ahead.
• 2. I nearly always do a 30 min rush around the house, quick tidy here and there, load of washing on, make the bed, clear the kitchen … just enough to quell the rising tide of chaos that continues to threaten.
• 3. Morning is for emails, website, writing – while my mind is fresh I can get my thoughts on paper. And clearing my inbox is actually cathartic – just like clearing the laundry pile – feels like I can move on to the creative and fun part.
• 4. I pause for a cup of tea, a few rows of crochet, a few pages of my book, update my twitter. I check the mail, flick through a new magazine, put another load of washing on. Such is the benefit of working from home — not all the chores are left to the weekend or to my day off. I can squeeze a little bit of organisation in here and there.
• 5. Sometimes I go to the gym or to pilates or meet a friend for tea and craft.
• 6. But mostly I get onto my big projects – my major deadlines. Sewing, designing, making – and in between I try to keep my studio in a user friendly state. Sometimes I need a whole day to get it back to rights. I seem to create a lot of mess when I am in a creative tunnel.
• 7. Kids home from school – I stop again. Afternoon tea, we sit and chat about our day, I do a little baking, get dinner on, the kids do their music practice or go to a friends house or have soccer practice or simply read a book or maybe it is their turn to cook dinner! I put another load of washing on.
• 8. I have an hour of quiet while the kids are doing their own thing to finish up what I was doing. Or maybe to put my mess away, or maybe just to sit and read a book too!
• 9. We eat dinner together — always! And then we clean up – get ready for bed, the kids sometimes clean the kitchen! we do some chores, get organised for the morrow. We put the radio on and get dancing while we clean – it helps!
• 10. Family novel time only if we managed an early enough dinner – we make a snack platter of fruit, cheese and chocolate, a pot of tea too! And we read a few chapters of our family novel. The kids then go to bed – there is squabbling and arguing over the bathroom and the usual bedtime drama.
• 11. Finally a moment alone with my hubs – we can sit and catch our breath. A moment of respite – a glass of wine – an uninterrupted conversation!

How do you organise your day? Do you have key moments of work, rest, rushing and creativity?

Whipup this week: I hope you had a lovely Easter :: Last weeks newsletter was quilting focussed :: A post on advanced crochet toy making :: Guest posts by Thumbtack press and Handmade Olympics.

Cooking this week: Greek lemon oregano chicken :: Tonkatsu – Japanese pork :: Pot roast :: Wholewheat pizza

Reading this week: Three fun craft books from (Andrews McMeel Publishing 2012):: Noah’s Knits by Fiona Goble :: Criminal Crafts by Shawn Bowman :: Zodiac Felties by Nicola Tedman and Sarah Skeate . I love this publisher – they do some really cool and unusual craft books. Criminal crafts is a stand out for me because it is really quite unique. Tongue in cheek.

[Thanks to publishers and distributors for sending me books to review, I don't get paid to post reviews but I am an amazon affiliate] (Australians can purchase craft books online through can do books or booktopia or else browse booko for the best prices.)

Sign up here to receive our weekly email newsletter 

• My kids magazine Action Pack Magazine for kids [facebook page]
• My new book  Little Bits Quilting Bee
• Instagram [view: followgram or webstagram]
• Social: flickr :: facebook :: twitter @whipup
• Email: submit@whipup.net

Similar Posts:

• Creative organisation |
• Guest series :: Understand the value of creativity |
• Introducing the creativity series 2012 |
• Keeping it real and staying on track |
• whiplash – week 1 – everyday creativity |

In last weeks newsletter I showed off a few Colours of Australia which I loved so I thought I would do another colour palette inspiration from a photo I took of a corner of my house this week. Doing this can really give you some insight into your style.

A few weeks ago my family and I got together for a crafty baking sort of fun time to experiment with Easter baking and crafts. The result is our Easter themed Action Pack mini-mag – hope you like it! And hope you have a wonderful holiday weekend whether you celebrate Passover, Easter or something else!

This past week at Whipup has (quite accidentally) had a bit of a quilt/fabric focus with a guest blog post by David Butler (Parson Gray) showing us his new fabric collection (which I am seriously in love with) and a guest post by fellow Canberra quilter discussing modern quilting and reviewing a couple of recent Modern quilt books. But why stop there! Here are a few more fun quilting inspiration links to really get you wanting it.

• Admire vintage quilts
• Love the granny square quilt (quilt along and pattern)
• Love block 7 of the New York Beauty Quilt-along (flickr group)
• Olive and Ollie Patterns - love
• Alicia’s quilt
• 10 Modern quilts
• Sleep quilt
• Noble gasses quilt
• Modern BOM series is awesome
• Loving those Oakshott fabrics

Similar Posts:

• Sponsored giveaway: Fashionable Fabrics |
• Whipup mini quilts: quilt-along |
• Simple quilts for beginner quilters |
• book: city quilts |
• whip up mini quilts: quilt-along |

Julie is a slightly unhinged fabric junkie! She is also stitching and crafting obsessed. As well as being addicted to tea. And cake. She is mumma to three beautiful little girls and cares deeply about the world they will inherit.  Julie blogs sporadically at Relish.

Modern Quilting

The “Modern Quilting” movement is happening around us and yet, what is modern quilting? What does that term mean? And how many people are actually aware of the movement? With the release of a number of books with the title “modern” recently, I have been thinking about what the term, in relation to quilting, really means.

When looking at art, there is a (reasonably) definitive period into which modern art fits. There is a generally accepted timeframe (from about the 1860′s to the 1970′s) and within the overall modern art movement, there are many styles (including impressionism, cubism, expressionism and fauvism). There are also many interpretations of the styles by many different artists but collectively, they form a movement that was an important turning point in the way we see art – these artists shifted art from being commissioned pieces for the wealthy, to being accessible to the greater population. Artists began to create for the sake of art rather than for a specific purpose (i.e. portraits of the privileged), they formed communities and practiced together, developing technique, discovering mediums and refining skills.

For me, there appears to be a great difficulty in defining modern quilting. However, when I began to think about modern art, I quite quickly drew parallels to the modern quilting movement. As modern quilters, we too are stepping aside of tradition, using colour in new ways, changing the rules if you like. We too have many styles within the movement and we too have developed communities, both online and in the real world. We are inspiring one another to push boundaries and experiment with our craft. Modern quilting, for me, is a movement that does not discard tradition but rather uses it as a basis to embrace change, to explore and to bend (and break) the rules.

While thinking about what modern quilting is, I have also been wondering about how popular or well known it is. A recent conversation with a quilter friend posed some interesting questions for me. My friend is very much a “traditional” quilter. The quilts she produces are stunning, technically precise and more than worthy of quilt show prizes. She is prolific in her crafting and belongs to both the local guild and a social quilting group. Yet, she knew very little of the online quilting community, did not understand what I meant when I mentioned modern quilting and was completely unaware of the style I was referring to. In addition, my local quilt shop stocks virtually no solids and certainly none of the fabric ranges that immediately come to mind when I think modern – certainly no Anna Maria Horner, Joel Dewberry, Anita Hoey – I do most of my fabric shopping online for this reason. When I have taken some books into the store looking for fabric that may be suitable for a project, the owner has not heard of the authors and is not aware of the blogging crafty community that I feel so connected to.

I want to know if this modern movement is known amongst quilters outside of it, are others aware of it? Can they appreciate modern the way I appreciate traditional without having to work that way? Or do they just not know that there are other options, because like me, their LQS does not stock the fabrics and books that allow them to branch out and they don’t follow the online quilting community? I wonder if modern quilting will one day be studied as we now study traditional quilting? Will it be recognised as a time of change, of inspiring a new generation to become sewists?  Modern quilting raises so many possibilities but what I’d most like to know is what you think? How do you define modern? Are you a modern quilter? And if not, how do you define your style? I’m really interested to hear your thoughts…

Two modern quilting books

I have so many books on the shelves that I just like to look at. I buy them and love them and am inspired by them. I also use them to get a creative fix when children and life get in the way of me actually stitching. Today I want to tell you about recently published ‘Modern’ quilting books which inspired the modern quilting thoughts above:

Book 1: Modern Mix by Jessica Levitt, (Stash Books 2011), features 16 sewing projects including quilts, pillows, bags and other projects (apron, camera case, table cloth, wall hanging) made using vibrant saturated prints and a range of Kona solids. The ‘modern’ aspect of this book centres on how the designer uses fabric and colour and the author offers advice on fabric selection and design and colour, which can be useful for building confidence in making a selection.

Book 2: Modern Minimal by Alissa Haight Carlton, (Stash Books 2011), features 20 minimalist quilts in a variety of sizes. I have serious quilt envy after coming across this book! While the design of each quilt is simple, the effect of the bold colour and contrast is stunning. The author provides two quilting options for each quilt and those who are more experienced can challenge themselves with the quilting detail as the designs lend themselves to showcasing stitches.

Comparison:  This is the hard part. Both books are beautiful and I am inspired by a number of the projects in each. I really like the layouts, Stash Books have achieved a clean and clutter free design (a modern essential) with lots of white space that makes these books easy to read. Both books contain projects that are straightforward and many would suit beginners.

In terms of ‘modern quilting’ I am more drawn to  Modern Minimal for the contemporary designs, use of colour and contrast and the move away from traditional blocks. It provides an inspiring platform of ideas from which to launch further creativity. It guides while encouraging exploration. In Modern Minimal I felt I was seeing something new, I enjoyed the improvisational piecing section and also the clever use of colour. This book is a beautiful example of ‘modern’ as it moves away from the traditional block assembly. The quilts are all achievable in terms of difficulty level and time – (which appeals to this time poor Mumma). In addition, as these quilts are made with solids, they are relatively budget friendly. While Modern Mix provides a variety of projects suitable for all levels of sewist, and the use of fabric and colour is bold and eye catching. By simply changing the fabrics and colours the traditional quilter would feel right at home with many of these designs — perhaps this will help to expose the modern movement to a broader audience.

Do you, like me, enjoy books just for the eye candy? Or do you purchase them because you will absolutely make a pattern you’ve seen? I like the tactile nature of a book so often I will purchase one that I see online because I just have to touch it, I just have to touch and flip those shiny new pages… Are you satisfied with reading online or do you like to touch too?Similar Posts:

• Guest blogger series | Photographing modern quilts |
• Blog tour: Quilts Made Modern {+ giveaway} |
• book: simplify – quilts for the modern home |
• Guest post | Colour | Book: Transparency quilts |
• Guest post | How Blogging has Changed my Craft |

This week I guest posted over at Ansie’s place while she is travelling around Australia. The theme of my guest blog are the colours of Australia so click over to see some colour palettes from images from my last camping trip with family. The colours of the desert, the sunsets, the earth and the flowers. The image below is a flakey painted door next to some rich red bricks — I love to make these colour palettes simply using photoshop but I also like to use online palette making tools such as Kuler. It’s fun and free – give it a go!

NEWS

• This week Anne has kicked off her five part quilting series and I am thrilled to be part of it – follow along!
• The printed bolt has started off their fabric designer comp with a bang — looks like its going to be a really fun series.
• Handmade olympics is on again – I am judging the eco section this year – looking forward to it!
• Pinterest has changed their terms and conditions and I am once again happy to be using. Highlights of the update include:  ”Our original Terms stated that by posting content to Pinterest you grant Pinterest the right for to sell your content. Selling content was never our intention and we removed this from our updated Terms.” Huffington post has a good article about the changes.
• Watch this video - best {and funniest} fashion video ever!

[Thanks to publishers and distributors for sending me books to review, I don't get paid to post reviews but I am an amazon affiliate] (Australians can purchase craft books online through can do books or booktopia or else browse booko for the best prices.)

Sign up here to receive our weekly email newsletter 

• My kids magazine Action Pack Magazine for kids [facebook page]
• My new book  Little Bits Quilting Bee
• Instagram [view: followgram or webstagram]
• Social: flickr :: facebook :: twitter @whipup
• Email: submit@whipup.net

Similar Posts:

• Just a quick one for today because … |
• Quilts, fabrics and more |
• Life, my friends |
• Out and about |
• Keeping it real and staying on track |