Gering Jacquie - Quilting Modern: Techniques and Projects for Improvisational Quilts

Writing Quilting Modern has been a collaborative adventure and the best and longest blind date two people have ever had. Long days, intense conversations, and nose-to-the-grindstone work have resulted in a book were proud to share and a friendship we cherish. The book is a product of our minds and hands and of each of you, our friends and family. You shared words of advice, put us in our place, propped us up, and sent us off to work with a smile and a cup of coffee. You know who you are, and we thank you.

People ask me if I come from an artistic family. I do. My sons, Ben and Jon, are musicians, but they didnt get their creative prowess from me, I got mine from them. Their out-of-the-box thinking, self-assurance, and willingness to dive into the creative process inspired me to become an artist. I can count on them for candid feedback, constant reminders to keep it modern, and not-so-gentle pushes out of my comfort zone. Standing right behind me cheering me on is my husband, Steve. I appreciate his strength, stability, calming influence, and listening ear. He would say he didnt get the creative gene, but he did. My mom and dad sent a few good genes my way along with some life lessons that have served me well. They taught me I could do whatever I set my mind to. Turns out, they were right. This book is for them.

Endless heartfelt thanks to my family. Roan, had it not been for you, I never would have discovered my love of quilting. Prefacing your questions with Mama, when you finish that... is hopefully at an end. Jeffrey, thanks for encouraging me to undertake this project, supporting me in every aspect of its completion, picking up where I had to leave off, and just plain loving me. You both are a daily dose of inspiration, and I promise someday to make the livudio more living room, less studio. Loving thanks to my parents for giving me my first sewing machine and for passing on your fondness for art and craft, including quilting. That love runs through my blood.

So many of you have supported our journey as authors and encouraged us to persevere and write this book. Alissa, Noelle, and Cheryl, thank you for keeping secrets and sharing your experience and expertise. Kathy Mack, what would we have done without you? Your support, encouragement, and fabric supply made our lives easier. Thanks to the Warm Company, all of our quilts have batting. We love Warm and Natural. Robert Kaufman provided us with both prints and solids for the quilts. Were Kona solids fans forever! Aneela Hoey, Jan DiCintio, and Kerri Horsley provided fabrics for experimentation and to use in projects in the book. Youre the best! Angela Walters, our longarm quilter, helped us bring our quilts to life. She is more than our quilter; she is an artist and our friend. When we asked, the quilting community responded. Its great when your friends have your back. Speaking of friends, thanks to our new Interweave friends for helping us realize our vision for Quilting Modern. We are grateful for your guidance and expertise along with some hand-holding and tough love. Its a beautiful book as you assured us it would be. Now, lets make some quilts!

The
Improvisational
Path

W e wrote this book to share our designs for quilts with a modern aesthetic and our enthusiasm for improvisational quilting techniques. Improvisation has various interpretations, but for us it means creating in the moment and reacting to ideas and our environment to make something new. Improvisation energizes our creativity and fosters an inventive spirit.

In practice, improvising can be as simple as putting together a unique set of fabrics for your favorite quilt pattern, changing a traditional block, or putting a unique twist on a design; it can be as complex as setting out on your own with fabric and quilting tools.

A repertoire of techniques encourages and supports improvisation. The improvisational techniques are the heart of this book. We provide detailed instructions for each technique, followed by quilts or quilted projects that use that technique in different ways.

In the spirit of improvisation, here are a few principles that we try to live by.

Honor the Past . Take time to learn the rules of traditional quilting. The more you understand traditional methods, the easier it is to manipulate the rules to your benefit.

Release Your Inner Artist. Even if youve been told, or told yourself, that you are not an artist, there is an artist in you that you can cultivate and feed so that it blossoms. Surround yourself with art. Become an observer. View the world through an artistic eye.

Embrace Serendipity. Accidents happen all the time in the studio and are opportunities to see things in a different way. Recognize those happy accidents and capitalize on them.

Fail. Improvisation is about trial and error. Cherish every mistake or misstep as a learning opportunity. Many of us dont start out of fear that we wont succeed. We recommend failing right from the start. Get it out of the way and move forward.

Savor the Moment. There are faster ways to make quilts than the methods in this book. Improvisation is about savoring every stitch, enjoying every moment, and making your own decisions. Its easier to let others do it for you, but the satisfaction from doing it yourself and making it your own is unparalleled.

Make a Friend. Through the process of writing this book, weve learned that neither of us is as good without the other as we are together. Open your process to the eyes of a friend. Enjoy the praise, but listen to the critique.

Free Yourself. We ask ourselves on a daily basis, what might happen if? Ideas are free for the taking. Grab one and take it where you want to go.

We will be flattered if you make the quilts in the book. We will be proud if you make them your own. Enjoy the journey.

Jacquie and Katie