Quilt making is often approached with a pattern in mind. The modern quilt movement and the influence of improvisational patchwork have opened up new technical ways to make quilts. Sherri Lynn Wood, an artist, quilt maker and craft therapist, approaches quilts as a improvisational process with a focus on color, form and line.
Sherri will be sharing this process in The Improv Handbook for Modern Quilters, which will hopefully launch at QuiltCon in February 2015. She will be lecturing and teaching three workshops based on projects and techniques in the book! Updates on these events and the book can be found on her Facebook group for the Improv Handbook.
I had the fortunate pleasure of hosting Sherri at the shop this weekend for her Get Your Curve on Workshop. After working with geometric elements most of the time, the curves of her Mod Mood Quilts really appealed to me. I felt like her process approach would be a great learning experience for our local modern quilters, and it was! Quilters were taught how to explore a modern approach to improv while learning innovative wedge-strip and curve piecing techniques. The most awe inspiring in the class was how she teaches the process of being creative in itself and helping students find their own “authentic voice”. She has a true gift for teaching people to access their inner creativity. Only half of the class had ever attempted improv before. A couple of those who had not were very linear, pattern based quilters. The pieces completed by everyone were absolutely stunning!
Sherri ~ daintytime
June 17, 2014 at 1:40 pm (6 years ago)Thanks Rhonda. I had a fantastic time teaching at Tabby Fabrics. What an amazing group of women. I was so impressed with their work and their courage to forge ahead in unknown territory! Also Beaufort was absolutely charming.
Brenda
June 23, 2014 at 10:39 pm (6 years ago)The class was wonderful!