Maria Spiller
@mariaspiller
Maria Spiller
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Vendulka Battais wrote a new post, Use it or lose it – now more relevant than ever!! 4 years, 11 months ago
The long winter lockdown is over and retail has now been open for nearly three months. We are all happy that we can see our family and have a chatter over coffee with a friend. Unfortunately not everything is as…
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Vendulka Battais wrote a new post, Living Wild Quilt 6 years, 7 months ago
Have you ever heard of digitally printed fabrics?? The technology these days is moving forward in everything and the production of the fabrics is no exception. I had the opportunity to test a series of digitally…
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Helen Howes wrote a new post, Making the Pieces Fit – or What To Do With Those Eccentric Odd Blocks 7 years, 1 month ago
As requested…
These were left over from demonstrating Eccentric Log Cabins (not so much a Log Cabin, more a Pile of Sticks, see the image at the top for my Dusk quilt…) at Festival of Quilts in 2017.…
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nicely done!
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Loving your scribbles and the end result!
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Helen Howes wrote a new post, Thirteen – A Nother Digression, About Quilting Your Improv Blocks 7 years, 3 months ago
Now, as I have spent more time quilting, and as I have learned how to do it better, I find I want to make less and less of a statement with it. It’s really important to quilt your quilt, as it’s not complete…
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Helen Howes wrote a new post, Part The Dozen, Spiralling Nebulae 7 years, 3 months ago
Now, I was asked to make a quilt from a pack of Oakshott Fabrics Starshott, which is a slightly odd, subtle coloured selection.. I wanted something simple, and improvised, of course, and trimmable, without…
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Another brilliant tutorial. Thanks so much for sharing your knowledge and experience with this modern improv.
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Another class tutorial Helen. I love the way you gently describe things too, as if you were sitting beside us.
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Helen Howes wrote a new post, Part Eleven – Three Is The Magic Number 7 years, 3 months ago
This block (Three Becomes One) was probably the first truly “Improv” block I taught – and it is still a favourite
Sorry for the small images – I had these prepared, they vanished, I swore, these will Just…
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Bless you Helen. I needed to wake up this morning to a happy place & a person sharing such positive thoughts about how it’s great to be eccentric & wonky!
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Nina, was this the other thing you mentioned last Tuesday?, looks good
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Helen Howes wrote a new post, A Digression, or Slamming It All Together 7 years, 3 months ago
Now, you will have noticed that free-cutting and free-piecing can lead to what we might call inaccuracy, or I might call Interesting Variations Of Size
As you can see, the first set came out in all sorts of…
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As always, a complete joy, to see things put so simply, to help you achieve something that looks so great!
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A very effective method too. Thank you!
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Helen Howes wrote a new post, Improv for Beginners and Improvers – Part Eight – Stones That Float 7 years, 4 months ago
For this block I decided to work away from the more usual squares, and there are two variations – either make some of each or choose which you prefer. These make super borders for all sorts of quilts…
Cut
For e…
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I love your blogs – all so simple yet so effective
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gorgeous!!
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Another great modern block with easy to follow instructions. Thanks so much for sharing these, Helen
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Helen Howes wrote a new post, Improv For Beginners and Improvers, Part 7: Yet More Celestiality and a Mini Quilt to make 7 years, 4 months ago
Now, the nice little game of adding eccentric corners to squares can be taken a little further, like so
Cut a rectangle (this is a charm square cut in half, so 2-1/2 by 5 inches, but any size that…
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Helen Howes wrote a new post, Improv for Beginners and Improvers, Part Six, Celestial Happenings 7 years, 4 months ago
Last time, we did a regular Wonky Star, if that’s not too improbable.. This time I want to show you the more interesting version.
Start with a background square – mine is about 10 inches. If you need a…
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got the fabrics for my grey and red starry one, now I just need a kick up the bum to get started…
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Helen Howes wrote a new post, Improv for Beginners and Improvers Part the Fifth – Now is the Time For Starry Things 7 years, 4 months ago
Let’s start with the simplest version of my Wonky Stars
Cut 9 squares of equal size, in a variety of colours if you wish. I have used Oakshott Fabrics Ruby Reds, plus black and white, here
And 3-1/2 inch…
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Great fun and surprisingly simple ! Thank you, another on this list to do.
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This looked so simple when Helen showed us at the Bloggerati retreat last year. Thanks for the reminder and the images to refer to. x
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Helen Howes wrote a new post, Crossing the Eyes and Dotting for Teas… 7 years, 5 months ago
So, last time, we made simple crosses, and this time, a few extra ideas…
This time, I started with a background square, but I made a strip from three pieces, two white and one red. As before, I cut the…
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Just came across this! How did I manage to miss it the first time around! Lovely cross and interesting blog, Thank you.
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Helen Howes wrote a new post, Improv Blocks, Part the Third – Crosses of the Modern Persuasion 7 years, 5 months ago
Now, I fell in love with these slightly wibbly cross blocks, and one thing led merrily to another, and another, and yet more anothers. Thanks to Heather Hasthorpe, who was instrumental in leading me…
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Lovely clear explanation. And a sure fire way of taking the fear out of curved piecing.
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Helen Howes wrote a new post, Improv for Beginners and Improvers – More Tigers 7 years, 5 months ago
So, having made your Tigers (see this post for details) you will find that there are various variations..
Start by joining the blocks together with all the stripes going the same way – you will note that your eye…
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Looking forward to trying this out ! Thank you
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Another great inspirational blog. Can’t wait to get back to my sewing machines and try some tiger blocks.
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Helen Howes wrote a new post, Improv for Beginners and Improvers: Part the First, and an Introduction 7 years, 5 months ago
Why Improvise?
Well, firstly, why not? It’s much more personal, and the results tend to be as individual as the maker..
And because it’s actually easier than being precise, and the opportunities to fai…
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Thanks so much for that how-to. I’ve got a whole lot more excited about modern quilts and improv having seen a couple of demonstrations (including yours) and tutorials, and really looking forward to seeing what I can do with these blocks.
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Excellent… off to try this now.
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Fabulous. Thanks for sharing. Looking forward to the Tiger Variations!
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Thank you! I’m going to give this a try and looking forward to your next improv block
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Helen Howes wrote a new post, Ancient and Modern 7 years, 6 months ago
Hello there,
I’m Helen Howes, and this is by way of an Introduction and thanks-for-letting-me-play.
I’ve been a quilter for over 20 years, but I’ve been sewing for a whole lot longer – I have been a…
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I look forward to reading your blog.
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Yes, please! I’d love a series of modern improv blocks!
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Welcome HH! I would love a series on improv blocks please, looking forward to modern slant too xx
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I really like your quilt designs! I’ve just searched and found the magazine with your sailboat quilt design in it, Goodness knows why I didn’t buy it at the time! I bet a series about improv blocks would be inspirational!
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Improv blocks sounds interesting. Looking forward to what you share with us.
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Yes please! Seeing you in action at the retreat and how you made it all seem so easy, it would be great seeing even more! Thank you also for starting the modern movement within the guild.
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Vendulka Battais wrote a new post, How one thing leads to another 7 years, 9 months ago
Do you ever wonder how do people develop a body of work for an exhibition? How they come up with the idea in the first place?? I’m now working on a series of quilts for an exhibition which will travel with G…
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What lovely examples of your design process. Really great to see how designs can develop from a single idea and a common process.
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Fabulous work and great to hear how the theme developed over time. Thanks for sharing your lovely work.
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I’ve loved your work since I attended a short workshop at Harrogate earlier this year and will definitely look out for your exhibit in Harrogate!
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I saw your miniature at FOQ. Astounding. I could not make out whether it was the tinyesy applique or paint, it was so small.
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Stunning, wow
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Vendulka Battais wrote a new post, How to trace a design onto difficult fabric 7 years, 11 months ago
Did you ever wanted to stitch something onto your work, but needed the guidance of a drawn line and didn’t know how to get the lines onto a fabric?
There are lots of tools and pens which you can use to mark your…
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Great idea working freom the back! never thought of that. Have tried the tissue paper and it worked well, but a bit of a fag tearing it away after. Will definitely try working from the back – Thanks Vendulka x
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Yes, it’s tedious getting the paper out, but sometimes it’s better than risking the lines coming back. Glad my tip is helpful!
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I found working from the back really helpful in thread drawing
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Fab ideas, Vendulka – I really must get more inventive with my quilting!
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Great, simple ideas, thanks.
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thank you!
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Thank you
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jacqui_cole wrote a new post, Extremely Useful Newborn Gifts – Part Two: Wipe Pouch 7 years, 11 months ago
Welcome to Part 2 of Extremely Useful Newborn Gifts. For a matching Washable Change Mat to make a lovely pair of gifts, take a look at Part One.
My original Wipe Pouch and Change Mat
This post takes you…
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fabulous, shop listing updated to match!
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Vendulka Battais wrote a new post, Ball or Pin-cushion 7 years, 11 months ago
This is a wonderful project – following the same instructions you can make either a ball for a child or very pretty pincushion for your friend.
The ball is wonderful for children from very early age, as it’s…
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Maria Spiller
@mariaspiller
Maria Spiller