Christine's Color Connection, June 2015

Christine's Color Connection

A newsletter for quilters in love with color

June 2015

Join My Mailing List!

The Quilter's Color Club has lots of info on every aspect of color. You can find my book on my website

It's Summer!

June, already?? I have lots to show you this time, but first let me alert you to "Color Made Modern," a one-day workshop on Saturday, June 27, at Sugar Pine Quilt Shop in Grass Valley, CA. Email me for details. Above is just one of four designs we'll be doing, the Japanese X Plus block. This has become my favorite class to teach--come see why!

Raw-edge Collage: A New Vest

I love making wearables, but I don't often get a chunk of time to start and finish a garment. Alison Glass batiks, Marcia Derse prints, and a favorite Kaffe Fassett print,"Turkish Delight," seemed made for each other.

I had two choices in variegated thread, Mettler on the left or King Tut on the right. I went with the Mettler and am very happy with the result, though King Tut remains a favorite.

For the lining (also the foundation) I dug deep into my stash for this Gradations ombr?. The plan was to make the vest reversible, and I knew this fabric would give it a very different look.

Below is the "raw" collage, laid out on a layer of the lining (wrong side up), followed by a layer of muslin from IKEA to make the collage sandwich.

To get off to a good start, I marked vertical lines with chalk four inches apart and stitched in wavy lines. You can see the thread most clearly in the lower left.

The vest front surface-stitched but not quite ready to be cut out.

For the left front and back, I used the entire width of the Kaffe fabric to stitch close, wavy vertical lines. Once stitched, the pieces were washed and air dried, then very lightly pressed.

The right front cut out. It's starting to look like a vest piece, isn't it?

The left front.

Next I stitched the vest together at the shoulders and sides and bound the seam allowances using plaid bias strips and the Hong Kong seam finish. (Google it for tutorials.) This image is looking down on the inside of the vest, at the bound shoulder seam allowances. On the left you can see the seam allowances bound on one side.

Ta da, the finished vest!

Here's the "boy way" to wear the vest, in case I feel like showing off the Kaffe print instead of the collage.

The vest back.

I can fold the front edges back to make faux lapels, or . . . .

. . . turn it inside out for an entirely different look. (That's a gentle shaft of morning light shining on the upper front.) The stitching really shows up on the ombr?.

Another view of the Hong Kong seam finish at the shoulders and sides.

And finally, I can wear it inside out with the edges turned back to reveal the collage and the Kaffe print.

Have I exhausted you?! This vest wasn't a quick-and-easy project, but it was very satisfying to make. I'm teaching it as a two-part class at Sugar Pine Quilt Shop in Grass Valley, CA, August 22 (collaging and stitching) and October 10 (putting the vest together). Email me to be added to the list of those interested. Thanks for taking my "tour" of the process!

Lecture and Workshop Schedule

2015

June 11-13, Indianapolis, IN, "Color!" lecture, "Modern Color" and "Luminosity" workshops, Quilter's Guild of Indianapolis

June 14, Monroeville, IN, "Elegant Circles" workshop, Appleseed Quilter's Guild

June 27, Grass Valley, CA, "Color Made Modern" workshop, Sugar Pine Quilt Shop (530-272-5308)

July 15, Pleasant Hill, CA, "Meet the Teachers," Northern California Quilt Council

July 23 and 25, Manteca, CA, "Buying Fabric with Color in Mind" lecture, "Elegant Circles" workshop, Manteca Quilters

August 10-11, Sonora, CA, "Color!" lecture, "Color Camp" workshop, Sierra Quilt Guild of Tuolumne County

August 22 and October 10, Grass Valley, CA, "Collage Vest" workshop, Sugar Pine Quilt Shop (530-272-5308)

September 7-11, Artistic Alchemy Retreat, Zephyr Point Conference Center, Lake Tahoe. Click Retreat for info. I will be teaching "Transparency."

September 26, Roseville, CA, "Color" lecture, Sacramento Chapter of the American Sewing Guild

October 21-22, Torrance CA, "Buying Fabric with Color in Mind" lecture, "Elegant Circles" workshop, South Bay Quilters Guild

November 15, Grass Valley, CA, "Happy Jacket" workshop, Sugar Pine Quilt Shop (530-272-5308)

2016

April 15-17, Durango, CO, lecture and workshop TBD, Four Corners Quilt Gathering

May 5-7, Sammamish, WA, lecture and two workshops TBD, Block Party Quilters

June 11-12, Susanville, CA, two workshops TBD, Susanville Quilt Guild

September 27-28, St. Louis, MO, lecture and workshop TBD, Bits 'n' Pieces quilt guild

October 20-22, Las Vegas, NV, "Color!" lecture, "Modern Color," and "Sassy Circles II" workshops, Desert Quilters of Nevada

About This Newsletter

If you've received this newsletter, you may have attended one of my workshops or bought one of my books, patterns, or color wheels. It's easy to opt out, below, but I hope you'll stick around to see what's in store. It's all about color, using it, enjoying it, and sharing it with other quilters.

Thank you!

Contact Info

Christine Barnes

cebarnes@sbcglobal.net
www.christinebarnes.com