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July 2023: Barely ThereSome years ago I saw an interesting quilt called MADONNA by Brittany Bowen Burton and it went a fair way to blowing my mind. Brittany combined areas of intensely coloured patchwork with similar shapes pieced in subtle shades of her background colour. THis gave rise to several quilts of my own, and a newsletter about "Ghost Blocks" as I termed them. Have a look at the APRIL 2020 Newsletter.Here we are some three years later and we are expanding on that theme with a selection of quilts and ideas for designs that fade in and out of view. Not just low volume or low contrast but the subtle change of tones that moves from one extreme to another. To achieve this look it does take some time to curate your fabric colours. Alternatively you will find that some of these effects have been achieved by cutting blocks from different sections of an ombre fabric so each one fades into the next in turn. However it is achieved, the colour fade draws the eye with it creating movement in the quilt and this makes a riveting piece from something that might look quite dull and static if made in a regular choice of fabrics - all the same in each block! This changing emphasis on adjoining blocks is something I like to play with to the point where sometimes I will use just one fabric throughout a block; I still cut the fabric up and piece the block but I rely on the texture created by the seams themselves to make a very subtle version of a block. Sometimes the piecing disappears entirely and clever quilting starts to form the shapes of the other blocks in the quilt - super subtle! We hope the images we have shared with you here inspire you to have a go at this interesting technique, even if you are just designing quilts in you head - nothing wrong with that. At the very least it keep you amused for an hour or two! Aitchbee and Helen Howes Contact us direct on newsletter@modernartquilters.co.uk Why not forward this message to your quilty friends who might enjoy our ramblings. They can CLICK HERE to go straight to our newsletter sign up page. HEADER IMAGE: SUNSET GREY by Helen Howes - available as a free pattern on HH's website CLICK HERE to visit the webpage |
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 This is NEGATIVE SPACE a subtle, improv, version of HB's BLOCK CAPS! pattern |
 These subtle beauties are HH's TWO SILK TREES, available to purchase from her website. |
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Click on any picture in this Newsletter to read more.
These are mostly links to external websites and blogs - have fun and enjoy looking!  |
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Part 5 of our Free Block of the Month - this month we look at Log Cabins, in some of their glorious varieties... |
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Quiltcon 2016 - lots of lovely minimalist and barely-there quilts - quilt shown is Shawna Doering's "Red Hot". It's interesting how much busier Modern Quilts have become lately, we do like the spareness and clarity of these earlier examples... | ||||||
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Cindy Needham's "Lexie" hexagons are made with lovely old linens and laces, both subtle and delightful, and what else do you do with grandma's doilies too ragged to use elsewhere? | ||||||
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What are Low Volume Quilts and Fabrics? Lea Louise has some interesting thoughts on the subject and shows some delightful examples. Her low volume fabric selections are just mouth-watering... | ||||||
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One of our favourite quilters is Victoria Findlay Wolfe - more of a Maximalist than a Minimalist in most things, but this gorgeous take on the classc Double Wedding Ring is a shining example of our favourite disappearing blocks. Create Whimsy blog has a fascinating spotlight on her work and workshop | ||||||
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Here's a really simple free pattern and step-by-step tutorial for an I-Spy quilt using low-volume fabrics | ||||||
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Inspirations - sadly the links don't seem to work from this page from IdealMe.com, but I'm sure you are all bright enough to work out how to do these from the pictures... | ||||||
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Brigitte Heitland, a most Modern German quilter, has made a whole series of patterns for Zen Chic - this one in particular appealed to our sense of the Disappearing Block idea... | ||||||
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Natalia & Brad Bonner of Piece And Quilt have made this lovely take on the classic Flying Geese block - "Northbound" - with hundreds of low volume fabrics... The tutorial is free and really really easy, just don't feel you have to make quite such a big quilt.. A real scrap-buster, and what you might do with those tiny pieces almost too precious to use... | ||||||
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Sunday 9th July sees the auctioning (and an evening of drinks, nibbles, other lots, local art, and music) of this lovely hand-made EPP quilt - the pieces were found after the first maker died and it has been lovingly hand-stitched together and finished to double bed size...
Raising funds in aid of the conservation of the medieval rood screen in St Andrew's Church Westhall. Tickets £10 from The Racehorse, Westhall or from liz@dfms.co.uk, or Helen (not one of we Helens, sorry) on 01986 781352 Card payments accepted on the day, and the sale and jolly evening will be at Belle Grove (Dragon House) Westhall IP19 8QU 6 for 7 pm... Please book by 5th July... | ||||||
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And finally, our old friend Lynne from the Patchery Menagerie does LV so very well - this is Wavelength Do explore the rest of her blog, it's an inspiration in so many ways | ||||||
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This month's Pinterest page is called "Barely There" - the usual inspirational selection and time-suck... This board was another that turned out to be remarkably easy to populate | ||||||
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