Doodle Quilting

I recently finished a new presentation "Pattern and Doodle" all about the exploration of pattern and creating pattern through 'Doodling'. Like the ZenTangle craze, doodling is all about simple lines and shapes repeated over and over to create a pattern. I doodle with my sewing machine on fabric as well as with ink on paper.
Here is a video talking about how...
Doodle Quilting with commentary from Nysha Oren on Vimeo.


Interested in a Free Motion Quilting class? One is scheduled for the beginning of March. Come and join us. Contact me for more information.

Doodling Around

I have always doodled. From the margins of notebooks in school to a quilt recently. I find myself with a pen or pencil in my hand making repetitive marks that turn into patterns or messes. I seem to do it a lot.

Not all of it was uninformed -- I have had inspiration along the way.
Especially from the new craze, Zentangle...
www.zentangle.com/ is the official site
another site with great information on various patterns is
tanglepatterns.com it is literally a clearing house of patterns.

Now just so you understand - the whole idea of Zentangles is a few simple marks repeated to create seemingly complex designs. And it is doodling with the intent to have a quiet, meditative moment.
And really it is doodling. So don't think you have to get a book. Of work on square paper like they do. You can doodle with purpose and have fun! THAT is the point.
Not to mention that I find it a great way to think about repetitive patterns and how they are created to then recreate them in thread...

 

If you have any questions or I can assist in some way. Please let me know.

other links...

zentangle.blogspot.com

www.patfergusonquilts.com

blog.suzannemcneill.com

Interested in patterns and how other utilize them...
www.patternprintsjournal.com

Sandy!

Last Fall I went to Baltimore Ohio to attend a three day quilting class at the Crow Timber Frame Barn. It was a terrific experience.
For those of you unfamiliar with 'The Barn' it is an ancient structure that Nancy Crow moved and rejuvenated into classroom facilities with a dining hall. Set on her pastoral and picturesque farm it is the perfect retreat from daily chores to focus on learning.
Sandra Palmer Ciolino is the perfect instructor for those looking to understand and master quilting. Patient, wise and focused she is not only adept at quilting herself she also has a background in education that assists in your learning! If you have quilted a little or not at all you can benefit from her instruction not to mention the scores of quilted sample she has for every idea. I had no idea what beautiful results could be achieved with a walking foot!
http://www.nancycrow.com/HTML/barnciolino.html

A great opportunity for learning AND getting away!

Above is a design I developed in Sandy's class in 2011.

Connect the Dot Design

Connect The Dot Design

Remember as a child doing connect the dots and pictures would appear. This is that simple.

From a couple of simple dots will come lines and from repeated lines will build blocks

Blocks that can be just a block, can be used in multiple to create layouts for a whole quilt.

Or perhaps they will be the inspiration for a whole cloth quilting design...

This is a simple workshop that will take you though the basics of designing; a block a layout for blocks or quilting. You choose!

All this with no math!

Quilting the quilt

I have been working on a huge service quilt. Huge for two reasons (a) I have been told my lap quilts are too small and (b) last fall after renovation I moved things around and now have a larger design wall. Larger space = larger work. Or so it would seem!

I though I would share some of what I have been doing in the quilting arena.

I created a stencil with my domestic machine.

There is no thread in the machine and an old needle is being used to perforate a piece of tracing paper. The paper has been cut the size of an area that I want to repeat the same quilting in several areas. Just a simple design that outlines some areas for circles and another for cross hatching.

Tracing paper is good if you want to see what is under the stencil. Newsprint also works - cheap, but no seeing through it.

This is after laying the paper down and using a pounce pad to mark. The chalk goes through the holes in the paper leaving a line of dots to follow.

The finished area.

Here is another area. It was my intention to do less quilting on this project. I didn't like the results so I did more.

Better!

If you would like to take a class from a great quilter I have news for you! My friend Sanrda Ciolino, who is an awesome quilter is teaching a class at the barn. If you are not familiar with The Crow Barn it is a beautiful facility to take a class at. Relaxing and invigorating! Sandra's quilting designs are simple and effective and her calm manner makes her a great teacher. (I know as she has explained several things to me in classes we have taken together when I was a little slow on the uptake...) Best it is a three day class so there is plenty of time to understand the ideas and try them out! Also this is contemporary quilting design. Check it out!

http://www.nancycrow.com/HTML/barnciolino.html

Happy quilting!