Mod Mood

The making of Mod Mood has been an interesting excursion, beginning with some twist of fate when I was asked to join Bee Sewcial at the beginning of the year. I wasn't looking to be in another bee, but this bee was so different. It was all about using solid fabric. It was all about improv. It was all about derived inspiration. And it sounded challenging in a new way that quite honestly, I just couldn't resist. As the months went by, we were given the most interesting inspiration cues - a Chihuly glass exhibit, poster blocks, transparency, curved shapes, a song(!). Along the way, I indeed was challenged, both by the prompts themselves, as well as the techniques (or lack of?) needed to actually create quilt blocks.

So when it came time for my month, there was alot to consider. I finally settled on the theme of "Bee Sewcial Goes Mid-Century", providing my bee-mates with a pin board which included mid-century modern shapes and patterns as well as my chosen palette. I asked for blocks that borrowed elements from typical mid-century modern graphics and boy did they deliver! Block size was left to their discretion, asking only that they equal the equivalent of 2 - 12 1/2" blocks, which led to a wide variety of sizes and the need for a unique block layout.

When it came time to put the quilt top together, it was a tad tricky, so I came up with a solution that worked for me, adding some order to the random-sized blocks yet preserving the improv feel and look. I made an 18"x22" frame of painters tape on my design wall, then pieced together a few blocks to fill the space, using other solids as filler as needed. And so it continued.

Backing is the very fitting mustard martini from Amy Butler's Midwest Modern collection. When it came time for quilting, I didn't think twice, as a few weeks before I'd happened upon an organic zig zag stitch when doodling in a free-motion class with Christina Camelli, and I knew it would perfectly suit this quilt. As the final finishing touch, I did a faced or knife-edged binding, using a tutorial by Anita/Bloomin' Workshop

To put it mildly, the entire process of bringing this quilt to fruition has provided alot of satisfaction. There is so much I love about it, from the opportunity to create with such gifted women to the challenges of piecing the components into a whole and free-motion quilting a quilt this size, to seeing it hang in our family room. It's totally put me in a mod mood.

Quilt stats:

Finished size: 62"x65"

Fabric: variety of solids

Thread: Aurifil 50wt - #2600 (light gray)

Collaboration: blocks were made by the amazing women of BeeSewcial

Quilted by: myself, freemotion

Binding: faced, using this tutorial

Category: Modern Quilts

Previous entries in the Blogger's Quilt Festival:

Room Temp, 5/29/15 ~ Keychain, 5/19/15

Red Hots, 10/27/14 ~ Unlocked, 5/16/14

Crazy Rainbow, 10/25/13 ~ Absolutely Mod Pop, 5/19/13 ~ HST Love, 5/17/13

The Stars of Summer, 10/26/12 ~ Hopscotch, 5/19/12

Mango Revisited, 10/28/11 ~ Supernova, 5/13/11

Feel free to create alongside Bee Sewcial by using the hashtag #inspiredbybeesewcial on Instagram. 
This quilt was on my 2015 Q4 Finish-A-Long list. Linking up with the Bloggers Quilt Festival, Finish It Up Friday, and Fabric Tuesday.