A couple years ago my sis-in-law, Pattie, and I attended an Empty Spools seminar taught by quiltmakers Freddy Moran and Gwen Marston. A five day seminar held at the Asilomar Conference Grounds near Pacific Grove, California, it was an intensely creative combination of summer camp and sweatshop and a watershed moment for my journey as a quilt maker.
Gwen Marston and Freddy Moran in Freddy's studio |
Gwen Marston introduced her liberated quiltmaking techniques twenty years ago. She is the design half of the Collaborative Quilting team. I love her Liberated Quiltmaking book.
Freddy Moran uses color fearlessly, considers red a neutral, and her book Freddy's House introduced her color sensibility to the quilting world.
Together they challenged my classmates and me to look at old quilts, learn from them, and make our own using no patterns and no set plans.
Here's my Lady of Guadalupe quilt, made using collaborative quilting techniques I learned from Gwen and Freddy.
Gwen taught me how to make liberated stars.
Freddy taught me how to make houses for my angels and skeleton buddies.
And they taught me to be bold with both design and color.
In September Pattie and I will be taking a trip to Gwen's Beaver Island Quilt Retreat where we will learn about using solids and making little quilts.
i just bought freddy's house book because of your blog! i'm almost finished with my quilt top, for better or worse, and then need to do the border. easy! pattie
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for posting the link at our Lib-Quilters group. Liberated quiltmaking techniques gave you a special quilt; it's lovely. I have most of Gwen's books, but neither of the Collaborative books yet. Hope you have more time to join us in the future.
ReplyDeleteKathleen C. in CT
A beautiful quilt - will bookmark your blog so I can come back to visit!
ReplyDeleteJune in San Diego
from Lib-Quilters group
Thanks for posting your link on the group. I've got both Collaborative books and love them.
ReplyDeleteI'm green that you are going to BIQR in September.
I've added you to Google Reader and don't forget the group's blog badge :-)
Wow! That is so liberated - I love it! I especially love the houses. I am sure this is how the Virgen de Guadalupe lives. Great quilt - It will be my pleasure to follow your blog!
ReplyDeleteHow exciting to take a class with these fabulous quilters. wheee, your quilt is great! I'm envious that you get to go to BIQR - lucky girl!
ReplyDelete