Pat Sloan Are you Wild and Free?

 

Let's kick off the show and tell of my Wild and Free workshop with the Valley Forge Quilters of PA at Steve's Sew and Vac!

Wid and Free is about creating a more vibrant background for my "Ma-Ma's Garden". A background with some personality! Most people use very beige backgrounds.. or 'safe' backgrounds.  My workshop is to teach you how to think about your quilt fabrics in a whole new way.

The FABULOUS Chris was our guild host. She had so much to do and STILL got a background done! Woot woot for Chris! I had 22 people in the workshop and all had fabrics selected and cut by the end of class.. this group had their backgrounds pieced!

My buddy Dixie was able to get off from her day job to come play! Look at her amazing selection! Those seashells are calling me big time. And then the dark blue with the deep raspberry and purple... perfect.

First I must confess I didn't get the names of for each quilter for the following pieces. AND they ALL hid behind their quilts this time.. BLEH on me for not writing it down.. BUT .. I do have quilt tops to show you!

This spicy top started with the long center panel.. she did such a great job matching it with orange and browns!

My Ma-Ma's garden is fairly traditional folk art colors. And people love it and many want to make it just similar mine.

In this workshop I encourage them to use a little richer and more vibrant backgrounds for a folk art version (see my original at the bottom)

This piece made my heart sing!

The center started the blue/white. Then she added the teal grouping.

This is SO ADORABLE! She love gnomes, always has. So today was the day to put them in her quilt! She was redrafting the pattern to suit her fabrics and will change up some of the applique.. so this is just half the quilt.  I think it's going to be a winner! I may now start collecting gnomes!

This quilter wrote me on Facebook to tell me SHE WOULD BE THERE. A business trip took her out of town so she missed my presentation. BUT was making class.. what a woman!

As she was working the piece was not coming together. So I suggested the black and white.. it just make this background!

Another traditinal quilt that kicks it up several notches to spectacular!  that gold and black is amazing in person. GREAT job!

Another very spicy backgroud.

The purple in the leaf print is repeated very effectively

Totally love this! Great blending from the paisley

and note the cute featherweight! Apparently my camera focsed on the sewing machine... sorry for the blurry pic!

Auditioning of a very pretty and soft peach, purple and hot pink

This quilt is going to be amazing.

And my original..

I do have another 'in the works'..

And CLICK HERE to see more backgrounds! (there is a link on my left side bar for wild and free)

Would you like to learn how to take your fabric selections to the next level?

This is my event page with where I'm teaching

http://patsloan.typepad.com/pat_sloans_events/

And you can book me to come see your group..

I'd love to!

 

 

Comments

[Sarah in Houston]

One more thing - I don't think I could be this wild and free. Love the fabrics, but I'm not sure I could use them for backgrounds to this quilt.

[Sarah in Houston]

The sewing machine must have been jumping up and down saying, "I'm important, too", so the camera sympathetically focused on the machine. The mechanical objects have to stick together. :)

[Jane Bitz]

Great work on spicing up the quilt backgrounds. I wonder if you'll get to see the finished quilts. If so, please share.

[Sharon B]

Love these quilts - this would be wonderful for this newbie and I love your applique!

[SuzK]

when I started reading this, I thought they were doing backings! Oh my, these quilts are going to be amazing! Talk about going "out of the box"!

[Linda P]

I ohhhhhed and aahhhhhed over all of them, all completely different and wonderful!! I want/need to do a Mama's Garden!!! ...and NOW I want some gnomes too!! LOL!!!