Denyse Schmidt Class Souvenir Quilts

As you may know, Denyse Schmidt is coming to Spool! I have been a long-time fan of her work, so when Craig suggested that we visit her studio for a workshop last year, I jumped at the chance. We had a fabulous time as we loosened up our sewing while learning about Improvisational Patchwork. In class, we created 2 sets of blocks, and when we arrived home we wanted to use them to create something to remember our visit. Naturally, quilts came to mind!

We picked out coordinating background fabrics and enlisted the help of our talented staffer, Olan. Craig wanted to contrast one set of his bright blocks with a dark and muted background to create a simple lap quilt. Using the blocks as a stripe, he created a horizon line separating the cool charcoal “sky” from the warm chocolatey “ground”. I love the segment proportions and how the more traditional plaids play with the modern digitized pixel print.

Olan used horizontal lines of varying widths as the quilting, which I think reinforces the landscape feel of the quilt. On the back, Olan added a special sliver of a block that he had trimmed off of one of Craig’s original pieces. How cool is that?!

For my quilt, I wanted to use both sets of the blocks we made in class- one for the front and one for the back. I chose the same print in two different colorways from Denyse’s Hope Valley collection for my backgrounds. I just cannot get over my love of that amazing chartreuse color- I use it in everything!

I was amazed to see that the purple stripe I used in my second set of blocks (that I thought was SO bold) really receded and became more of a background when combined with super bright solids. It made me reevaluate how I could use prints of varying values and hue intensities. Thanks, Denyse!

For the quilting on my quilt, Olan added some special free-motion style! He stitched a circular, beaded pattern across the blocks, adding to the organic quality of my wonky blocks.

I adore my quilt and snuggle under it every night while I’m knitting, and I know Craig loves his as well. I feel so positive about our workshop time, and I am delighted to be able to bring Denyse to Philly to share the experience with you!

There are just 2 spaces left in each class, so if you are thinking about joining us, please give us a call to register. Be sure to enter our sweepstakes while you’re at it- we’re giving away a seat in one of Denyse’s classes!

Here’s how to enter:

1. Visit our Facebook fan page at www.facebook.com/spoolsewing.

2. Click the Like button to become a fan. (If you already Like us on Facebook, click the Sweepstakes tab.)

3. On the next page, click the Enter Now button.

4. Enter your name and email address.

That’s it! No purchase necessary. The winner will be randomly selected and announced at the end of the entrance period, which is February 29, 2012. Please visit the Rules page for details. Good luck!