On Sunday, I attended an introduction to Sherri Lynn Wood's Abstract Piecing Scrap Play workshop, The replay is available for free. There was an introduction of the series' speakers and some good conversation about abstract piecing, using value to your advantage, and creating order out of scraps.
I've worked with Sherri Lynn before, testing a pattern in her book, so I didn't learn anything new, but it was really helpful to have things explained in a different way, because sometimes I need to hear things more than once to really get it. My main takeaways were to sort your scraps into like items - mostly by color and value. So light blue and dark blue, light green and dark green. It really helps bring order to the chaos of a scrap box. Then you can choose which stacks to combine.
The change is that instead of calling it improv, she is calling it abstract piecing. I think this change of terminology will really help, because sometimes it feels like improv should be spontaneous. At the end of my last project, I was thinking I shouldn't plan too much, and wound up with a spot where there was too much dark. Calling it abstract helps to see that the piecing is very intentional. You keep making decisions as you add each piece.
The other thing she said was that when you are finished, you should take the time to think about the project. She asked us to share a surprise, discovery, satisfaction, or challenge in our work. This takes things deeper so that you can articulate what you discovered, and hopefully this can help you take something when you work on your next project.
I cheated and didn't sort all of my fabrics, but I did choose pink fabrics and low volumes to make my practice play project.
This week's Project Quilting Challenge is All the Colors.
I am combining both of these projects and hopefully will have something to show you by Sunday.
5 comments:
I really like the switch from the term “improv piecing” to “abstract piecing”!! For many, the process is often more intentional and planned and not really improvisational. I wonder if this terminology will be picked up by modern and art quilters who make this style quilt?!
For those lucky who have a natural talent for colour combination and/or design, planning goes on unconsciously. For the rest of us I am sure a bit of planning is the best. Then it is good to have some guidance in the form of the right vocabulary and sorting techniques.
I am looking forward to your show and tell on Sunday.
Looking forward to seeing your first abstract project of the year. I struggle with the concept of abstract, I'm way too much of a linear thinker and need order when constructing something. But it's very fun to hear how you developed your themes for each of your Project Quilting Challenge pieces.
I wish I had the nerve to dive into sorting the scraps I have. I buy a lot at this quilt shop that has gallon ziploc bags, and you stuff them full for 5 dollars. some are nice sized chunks. But the thing is there are very few lights in them.
anyway, maybe one of these days I will feel like doing it. But right now, I just don't have the will power to start.
It is very hard for me to just grab any two pieces of fabric and put them together. Even with just sewing bits and pieces. I make myself sometimes, but others I just must have so difference in color or value...etc.
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