Wow. Let me just start by saying this was tons of fun and that I have returned really motivated and inspired!
So, for anyone who hasn’t been following along, I just got back from a weekend in Portland where I attended a two-day Denyse Schmidt workshop sponsored by the Pacific Northwest College of Art. This two-day workshop was basically a combination of her two one-day workshops on improvisational quilting and advanced improv. There were 16 of us in the class, and it was really a great group of lovely and inspiring women who were there for all sorts of different reasons, but everyone was there to have fun!
If you haven’t heard about these workshops before, a large part of the first day centers around limiting your choices. So, to that end, we all had to create a quilt block by drawing fabrics randomly from bags. This was really hard for some people, but I loved it! I am one of those people who is frequently paralyzed by choices, so I found this process very liberating!
After we were done, we put all our blocks on the design wall together in one big quilt. Isn’t it gorgeous?
My block is the center one, second row up from the bottom.
After talking about these blocks, we repeated the process. It was fun to see how much more people were getting into it all, and interesting to see how for most people this translated into bigger blocks with bigger chunks of fabric.
If you click over to the photo in Flickr you can see the note I added about which block is mine.
In the afternoon, we were allowed to choose one of the fabrics that we had brought with us and incorporate it into the random block construction as we saw fit. Everything else had to be drawn from the bag at random as it had been in the morning. Most people made between 4-6 blocks in this fashion to create mini quilts. Here we are in action, putting blocks on the (huge!) design wall.
And here’s my mini quilt from the afternoon of day 1. My fabric was the bold graphic Prints Charming print with the big paisleys, or whatever they are. Everything else was drawn out at random.
On the second day, we chose a theme to work with based on the improvisational piecing from the first day, and planned out quilts to make. Many of us chose to continue to include improvisational bits into our quilts for this day, and even continued to draw randomly from the bags at times. I really loved the top left block from my mini quilt (the one with big strips of gray on both sides), and so I chose this at the basis for my quilt. In the end a lot of gorgeous quilts were created (or at least started!), and we spent quite a bit of time talking about each one of them. Here are probably 3/4 of them up on the design wall.
Here is Susan in action on her quilt.
And here are Rachel and Denyse doing a bit of rearranging.
Here is a look at my final quilt from day 2. I have to say that I really love this. That bottom right block has some extra bits of fabric tacked onto it to cover a piece that I didn’t think worked well. And I still am not crazy about that peachy solid color in that block, but it’s all fixable. 
I’m really looking forward to completing this quilt and putting more of Denyse’s ideas and theories to work. It was really amazing to me how well this class dovetailed with the graphic design, art, and photography courses that I’ve been taking lately. Really perfect timing for me to take this class!
So expect to see a finished version of that quilt coming up in the not too distant future, I hope!
As a final comment I will say that if you aren’t committed to being a control freak and are looking for some inspiration, I highly recommend Denyse’s workshops. They are fabulous!
By the way, if you are interested in hearing the lecture that Denyse gave on Friday evening at the Museum of Contemporary Craft, it’s available via podcast here. That link will immediately start the file downloading (right click to save it to your computer instead). It’s about 45 minutes long and does not include the Q&A at the end. And it’s too bad that you can’t see any of her images while listening to it, but she still has some inspiring words for us all, so have a listen!
While in Portland I did manage to check out a few fabric shops as well and buy some things at the big Fabric Depot sale (thanks Rachel!). Here’s the Fabric Depot (that place is outta control!):
And here’s Josephine’s Dry Goods, a sweet little shop with some beautiful Liberty prints, among other things.
My luck continued on this trip. I won a Denyse Schmidt-autographed version of the Summer of Making poster that I had won in the Summer of Making giveaway a few weeks back! So, I have decided to celebrate this awesome Denyse Schmidt class with another giveaway!
GIVEAWAY!!!!!
I’ll be giving away two items: a Summer of Making poster (not the autographed one!) and a Denyse Schmidt Quilt It kit.
This the Summer of Making poster. It is approximately 13″ x 19″ and will be shipped rolled up in a mailing tube.
The kit is also something I won in the Summer of Making giveaway. It’s really fun, but it just so happens that most of the projects included are in her Denyse Schmidt Quilts book, which I already have. So, I’ve decided to give this away! I have taken the plastic off and opened it up, but nothing has been used (or the fabric even unfolded!), and I have replaced it all as it was originally. Mint condition, just minus the shrink wrapping.
All you have to do to enter is leave a comment on this post and let me know if you are interested in the poster or the Quilt It kit or both. If you do not tell me which item(s) you are interested in, you will not be entered into the drawing. Deadline for entering is Sunday, July 26 at midnight Pacific Daylight Time. Winners will be chosen by random drawing, in honor of the improvisational blocks we created for class by randomly-drawing from bags (of course!). Good luck!
I would love to be entered to win the quilt it kit as well as the poster. Thank you for your awesome website and cute ideas.
i am so glad to hear that you liked it. your blocks look fantastic, amy. it makes me want to revisit mine.
Hi Amy! This post has been so inspiring. Looks like you had a fabulous time in Portland. I wonder if I just need to arrange my scraps by tone (bolds like you show above versus pastels) and just start grabbing scraps and making blocks.
And as much as I love your the real mccoy quilt (and the dishes you used as inspiration), your new header looks great!
I am going to sit this raffle out since I was the big winner in your last one.
I keep hearing about Denise and her quilting ideas, so thanks for filling me in on her techniques. I’d love to learn more with the Quilt It kit!!
Thanks for sharing your experiences in Portland. Sounds amazing! I’d love to be entered for both the poster and the quilt kit. Thanks!
Looks like the weekend was a huge success Amy! I’m so drawn to your color choices for the mini quilt…but I have to agree, I’m not much of a fan of that peachy color.
I’d love to be entered for the quilt kit
Thank you for the description of the class, the photographs and the bubbly enthusiasm. I’m glad you made it in the end. I would love the quilt kit, but understand if it’s only USA. Looking forward to seeing the finished quilt.
Carole
UK
Sounds like you had a great time! Love the mini-quilts, too!
If you have to give me something, let it be the kit!
That looks amazing! I had my first fabric depot experience yesterday, I felt like I needed some football pads to push my way through there during sale time!
I’d love love love the quilt it kit. Can’t wait to see your finished improv quilts!
Looks like so much fun was had. I am immensely jealous! I guess winning the quilt it kit will just have to do for my fix
Don’t enter me … just want ed to say how great your pics are …
))
(would totally love it if the fatty picture of me was cropped.
and your awesome explanation of the process and the class …
It was fun right?
BTW I got a total score on some FMF but no green dotty leaves.
Your workshop pictures look amazing. Thank you for posting about it and letting us live vicariously through you. I’d love to be entered for the Quilt-It book.
Love your blog. I would love the quilt kit. Thanks for your generosity!!
I would love to be entered for the Quilt It Kit. I’m a newbie so this should be just my speed.
This sounds like it was a fantastic class. Thanks for sharing all the pictures.
rsgrandinetti@yahoo(dot)com
I’d love to be entered for the quilt kit (don’t have wall space for the poster), I am in the UK, so don’t enter me if it will cause problems.
Thanks for posting about the class it looks really inspirational.
I just found your blog and it is so great! Thanks for the inspiration. I’m a new quilter and have been incorporating patchwork into my bags. I’d love to be entered in the kit giveaway. Thanks so much..
Sounds like you had a wonderful time. I’m taking the advanced improv class at DS’s studio in October and after reading your post I’m even more excited!
what a great class, I would love to take a workshop with her.
can’t wait to see your finished quilt
I would love the kit!
thanks for the giveaway and all the great inspirational pictures of the WIP’s
Kathie
I love your quilt blocks – they look so funky. That would have been very hard for me (but very liberating!). I would love to win the kit. Trying to re-decorate right now. Thanks for a great giveaway.
Wow…it looks like it was an amazing class and an amazing weekend in Portland! Thanks for sharing so many details of the class…I hope I get to take one someday soon
I love your improv quilt! I kind of like that peachy color in the bottom right block, but if you were going to switch it out, I think the green in the bottom left block would be a good choice. Ok, enough unsolicited advice…
That Quilt-it Kit looks like so much fun! I’d like for it to come home with me.
Thanks for hosting this awesome give away and for sharing your little morsels of quilty-goodness with us!
Wow. Thanks for sharing all the information about your class. What a wonderful opportunity.
I really like the Quilt-it-Kit and would love to be the lucky winner. How nice of you to share.
I just stumbled upon your blog this afternoon, oh my word how fabulous that class must have been! I love your quilt and will be stopping by frequently to check on the progress! I would love to be entered in your drawing for the quilt it kit.
Thanks!
Hi Amy,
Thanks for an informative blog. I enjoy your descriptions and quilt pictures. I would like to be entered in your drawing for the quilt it kit. Thanks for sharing with someone.
Marge
Great write-up of the class, sounds like a blast and I gotta try out that technique! Count me in tof the quilt-it kit drawing.
And a few questions about the quilting — when you chose random fabrics from a bag, were they pre-cut, or were you able to cut them to the size/shape you wanted? Did you end up having to sew set-in corners, or did you work to avoid those?
I would love the quilt kit!!!! Thanks!
Thanks for the class low-down. Alas, I heard about it too late to sign up, but fingers crossed she’ll come to the west coast again sometime soon.
Please put me down for the quilt it kit. Thanks!
Sounds like it was a great weekend. The quilt kit looks fantastic…Sign me up please!!
Thanks for the giveaway!!
Alli
Sounds like it was a great class! And a trip to Fabric Depot, too – I’d love to go there! I would love to win the Quilt It Kit. Thanks for the great give away.
I am so glad that you had a good time. Portland is always fun like that…not that D.S. is always there, but there is always something interesting to see or do. I would love to win the quilt it kit!
Gracias!
As a traditional quilter I would love to branch out and try the more modern approaches.
I’ve borrowed Denyse’s book from the library and it gave me tons of ideas. I’d love to have a chance to try the quilt kit.
The kit looks awesome, thanks for the giveaway!
Count me in please.
I love your Real McCoy/Plain Spoken Quilt. I love almost all the quilts in that book too.
I’m working on a Love Beads Quilt now.
I am so glad you had such a wonderful time! I need to watch out for one of her classes.
And you made it to the Fabric Depot! Yea! One of my destinations when I am in the area the end of August.
I’d love it if I could be entered to win the quilt-it kit!
Thanks so much!
Uh. That was supposed to be “Count me in please for both.”
Would love the quilt kit! I do not know whether overseas visitors are allowed in this giveaway but if they are please count me in.
Mystica
What an amazing weekend! I am so impressed with the techniques you learned and got to apply right away. The class examples are really fabulous to see, especially the differences. Your shopping excursions looked fun too. Welcome back home!
amy,
i read this post over and over…i’m just green with envy. i’m hoping maybe that her workshop might be in my christmas stocking. I love what you created!!