Flights Of Fancy

I didn't really set out to make this quilt, it just happened.  I have an idea in my mind at the moment, for a quilt that just needs a lot of free time to play around with.  To fill my time until I could start on it, I started playing around with stitching animals, and before you know it, this parrot just, well spoke to me!

DVD REVIEW: INSPIRED VELVET WITH ANGIE HUGHES

This DVD is produced by COLOURICIOUS.  It runs for 97 minutes and costs £18.  It is available from other outlets including Amazon.

I purchased this dvd, having been inspired by the trailers for it on the COLOURICIOUS website.

Given my lack of access to velvet, I know I am not going to use the techniques on this DVD exactly as shown, but it was immediately obvious that you could do everything Angie talked about on other fabrics.

Angie's work is rich in colour and texture and she uses a lot of really fun stuff that makes you want to go out and play.  She touches on painting, printing, foiling, using glitter (at last a use for it).  I am sure the sweet wrappers she uses are something I won't have trouble finding and for the pyromaniacs amongst us, she gets out her heat gun too!

Like other COLOURICIOUS DVDs, the format is a classroom setting with a few people sitting around watching and occasionally participating.  It did feel rather fake, as they tried to look engaged in the process, but this is just a small niggle about that type of format.  

On the whole I found this DVD a good way to learn about how you can start a surface design picture, and had me eager to get something shiny out and stick it on some fabric.  If you like shiny, and you like to play, this is the DVD for you.

DVD REVIEW: TEXTURE TRANSFORMATION - STICTH, ALTER, RECYCLE

If you long to use up your old dryer sheets, get out your pencils and do some colouring, oh and maybe throw in a bit of computing, this is the dvd for you.

Natalya Aikens sets about showing the techniques she uses, in a very straight forward manner.  She doesn't waste time with silly catch phrases or have her pet cat running around the set.  She has information to impart and she does so with no frills.  I have to say - I like that!

This dvd is produced by Cloth-Paper-Scissors a sister publication to Quilting Arts.  It is 67 minutes long and costs $19.95.  The link is here.

Now, you do not make a project with this dvd, it is an ideas format, something to get those creative juices flowing.  So if you want your hand held as you make something, this isn't the dvd for you.

DVD REVIEW: REBEL QUILTING - THINKING OUTSIDE THE BLOCK

On my quilting journey, I have not had a lot of opportunities to take classes with real live teachers, so last year I decided to invest in more quilting/surface design dvds and online classes, to expand my skills.  One thing I've realised is that not all quilting dvds are born equal and that just as the usefulness of a class may vary, so too will a dvd.

Today I am looking at Rebel Quilting - Thinking Outside the Block, with Jamie Fingal.  The dvd is a Quilting Arts Workshop dvd and costs, at the time of writing this, about $20.  I always try to buy my Quilting Arts dvds in their sales, so I probably paid about half of that.  To link to the dvd, click here.

I chose this dvd because I liked the look of Jamie's quilts.  They are fun and funky and brightly coloured.  Watching the dvd also made me realise that they are really simple to make, and that you could easily make yourself a quilt in a day or two.  I didn't like the whole 'stick a zipper in the middle of your quilt' idea, but then you could just leave it out if you hate it.