I attended a virtual class on improvisational quilt making with Irene Roderick this past weekend. Dancing with the Wall has me so energized right now I cannot even begin to explain it. The class was a two day class, and it has all of my juices flowing. I am having trouble sleeping now, because I can’t turn my brain off. I just want to be in the studio sewing things together. If you have the opportunity to take a class with Irene, do it. She is a wonderful, generous teacher.
On day 1 of class, I had to dial back my instincts and limit myself to two fabrics for my quilt. Not two color groups – two fabrics. I really struggled with that, but in the end, I decided to listen and learn, rather than go off on my own. I pulled yardage of Kona in black and white from my shelf. (Mom and I use a lot of black and white in quilts, and this has been a fantastic indulgence. We never wonder if we have enough, and there is no more “do you think this is Kona or muslin”). My rebellious nature had me determined to use some other colors, but I decided to wait until after class to add the colors.
Class began with 1/2 hour of instruction from Irene, followed by a 1/2 hour video of her describing the elements she uses in her quilts. This was the first time I have sat and listened to something intently for an entire hour without being distracted in a long, long time. I was particularly taken with her Peppermint Twist quilt. She made it using more of a grid than a free-style growth. I’m reserving that idea for later.
We worked on our quilts for 2 1/2 hours, then did a show and tell. While we all worked, Irene would periodically pin one of our screens, and talk with us about what we were doing. She was so supportive, even with a rather large group. Everyone seemed to be moving forward at a pace they were comfortable with.
After class, I finished up my composition, filling in the empty spaces. We were instructed to make a 24 – 36″ quilt. I squared mine off at 24″ square by pinning up some thread as a size guide. I was tempted to stay up all night and assemble it, but I decided to leave something to do in Day 2 of class.
I did pull out one of my solid bundles from Color Collective and prep a series of circles with my Applipops. Of course, I’m using more than two colors, eventually.
On Day 2 we followed the same teaching pattern. Irene explained how to engineer the quilt – different things to consider while putting our pieces together, and different techniques. Most of her quilts are 100% pieced, which can be super intimidating. I had planned to add some applique onto mine anyway, but it was nice when she said that applique was allowed. I laughed a bit – I’m such a rebel. Of course it is allowed! It’s my quilt! I must be a terrible student to have in class. After an hour of explanation, we got to work, with Irene checking in with us frequently.
I decided that any additional fabric I needed to add to the process would be white – I wanted more of an ethereal quilt. I definitely didn’t want something that read “half black/half white”. I managed to piece all of it, except for one little spot where I couldn’t get the set-in seam quite right. I finally gave up and did a little slip stitch to hold it together. I doubt anyone will ever notice that I cheated.
Since I finished my assembly during class, I did eventually pin on my circles and confess my final plan. I absolutely adore how this top turned out. It has to be set aside for a few weeks now while I get some work done, but it should be finished in plenty of time for our show and tell session in October.
My plan right now is to layer it, then do some walking foot quilting on my domestic machine. The top is about 24″ square, so it will be easily manageable. Once I get enough quilting down to stabilize it, I’ll be adding details with hand quilting. Probably a blend of big stitches and small stitches with different weights of thread.
One thing that I really enjoyed was seeing all of the other projects from my fellow students. They were inspiring, and it was fun to see how we fed off of each other. My curved checkerboard section was directly copied from Karen’s curved stripes.
If you have the opportunity to take a class with Irene, do it. Change your schedule, miss a wedding, whatever. She is worth the time. She also has a book coming out in March, and I’m wildly excited. You should go pre-order a copy on Amazon so it is in your hot little hands ASAP. Trust me, you want this book. Also, check out #quiltdance on Instagram to see what folks are making in Irene’s classes.
I’ll be talking more about Irene in the coming months – I signed up for a month long series of workshops with her focused on finding my creative voice. I can’t wait to see where this path leads. I also plan to do some more dancing with my wall on my own and see where it leads.
Other Improv Projects
Love the way this looks, Jen! I placed an order for the book – thanks! Will watch for a workshop, too!
Thanks, Wendy! And awesome – I know Irene appreciates the support.
I can see why you are “buzzing”. This is a fantastic composition
Thanks, Mariss!
Sounds like a really great weekend! I saw several other makes popping up on Instagram from the workshop as well. Looking forward to seeing this as you work on it more. 🙂
It was an excellent weekend. My classmates were all incredible. I’m really looking forward to our show and tell session in 8 weeks.
Wow Jen! Thanks for such a stunning review! You are a great student – I always want you creative-break-the-rules types in my classes. Great job and thanks again for the book mention and awesome blog.
Sounds like a great class and I just love your quilt. I find myself becoming more and more interested in improv as I read blogs and play aroung with fabric.
Improv is a very seductive process. I thought it looked uncontrolled and wild, but the more I try it, the more I fall in love.