Carole Lyles-Shaw

 

 Parisian Curves

By Carole Lyles Shaw

 

Finished Size: lapquilt 57” x 69” or Baby Quilt (42” x 42”)

Parisian Curves: Improvisational Curved Piecing

This is a quilt created using only a few block sizes that will fit together easily. The multilayered freehand cut curves make the quilt look very improvisational. This one –day workshop combines two techniques for creating unique improvisational quilts. First, I will demonstrate how to cut and sew freehand multi-layered curve blocks. Secondly, we will combine these pieced blocks with blocks cut from the background fabric for a planned layout that looks completely improvised. You can create a quilt that looks random and improvisational quickly and easily! Using this approach, you will find there are many variations. Participants will develop confidence freehand cutting and piecing gentle curves, combining prints and solid fabrics, alternate grid layouts and incorporating negative space. Email any questions to me at carole@lyles.net.

SAMPLE BLOCKS TO GIVE YOU IDEAS FOR DIFFERENT FABRIC CHOICES—you could even use patriotic, Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanza or ethnic themed fabrics for your prints. Check my blog (www.carolelylesshaw.com) and Instagram feed (@carole_lylesshaw) to see what other students have used for this project.

FABRIC NEEDED FOR THIS PROJECT

I call this quilt Parisian Curves because I used a Paris themed fabric in my first quilt based on this pattern. The Paris fabric and a ‘bold floral’ were my two focus fabrics. The floral fabric guided my color choices because the Paris fabric had a very neutral palette. Parisian Curves Workshop Supply List

Make sure you have good contrast in your choices. Lay out the fabrics that you have chosen and stand back. Is there a value change? Is there enough variety or do all the prints and colors kind of look the same? You want to make sure the curves stand out when you put fabrics next to each other.

My focus print was a Paris themed fabric and I used a variety of prints. (The Paris fabric might be hard to find—just pick an interesting novelty print that YOU like as your focus print.) Amount needed for Lapquilt	Amount needed for Baby Quilt	TYPE OF FABRIC
Fat quarter focus print	Fat quarter focus print	Focus print #1 such as a bold floral. This should be a multi-colored print that guides your other color choices.
Fat quarter novelty print	Fat quarter novelty print	Focus Print #2 such as a Paris themed print or other novelty print of your choice
4 fat quarters in solids or tone-on-tone —ONE of each color	3 fat quarters in solids or tone-on-tone --ONE of each color	Coordinating solid or near solid colors. Select a range of light, medium and dark values. Instead of plain solids, you can use hand dyes, Moda Grunge or other tone on tone solids. See note below on batiks.**
3 fat quarters in other prints–ONE of each coordinating print	2 fat quarters in other prints– ONE of each coordinating print	Look for variety especially in scale of the prints, and look for light, medium and dark values. A stripe is a nice choice for getting variety in the ‘look’. A bold geometric print in colors OR in black/white can be a nice addition.
4 yards background fabric	2-1/2 yards background fabric	This can be a solid, tone-on-tone, Moda Grunge or a very low volume print. Low volume means that the print is so low key that the fabric reads as a solid from a distance. NOTE: Be sure to bring enough background fabric for this project. You will use it in many areas of the quilt.