This Fall, quilting friend Victoria Findlay Wolfe has released her first book, 15 Minutes of PLAY: Improvisational Quilts. The book is filled with colourful inspiration, project ideas and challenges. I have been admiring Victoria’s quilts and her fabulous use of colour for a few years now, and am thrilled she asked me to be a part of the blog tour for her book.
In the beginning of the book, Victoria talks about PLAY and how to overcome some common fears or roadblocks we quilters and artists all experience at some time in our creative journey.
The next section of the book focuses on “made-fabric”. To quote, “Made-Fabric is created by taking bits of otherwise useless scraps and sewing them together to make a usable piece of fabric that can then be utilized to make a variety of blocks and quilts. It’s a chance to make something from nothing that might otherwise not have found a home in a quilt.”
Here are a couple of the quilts from the book completed with “made-fabric”. Since I absolutely adore scrappy quilts, this style of quilting is definitely a favourite.
Victoria includes four techniques for creating your “made-fabric”, all based on 15 Minutes of Play. She’s included 16 traditional quilt blocks to inspire you and 11 challenges to get you playing with your fabric and creating. The book is filled with gorgeous quilts that will are sure to inspire everyone.
If you find yourself in a creative rut, love scrappy quilts, have bins of scraps but no idea how to use them, or just want to step outside of your own creative box, then I highly recommend this book. You will be inspired!
Be sure to visit Victoria’s 15 Minutes of Play blog for daily inspiration!
My Questions
Victoria sent us a couple of FUN questions to answer as part of the tour.
Do you have a favorite color to use and why?
Purple is my favourite colour, but that is not necessarily reflected in my quilts. I don’t really have any one go-to colour that I use. The past year, I have been mainly working on scrappy quilts with wild colours. I do like to use a neutral or strong solid colour to help balance with the scrappy goodness (my postage stamp quilt below is a good example). I do think every quilt can benefit from a hint of yellow, orange or red.
If you are not PLAYING in fabric, what else do you PLAY in?
Since September, I’ve been taking a very intense dog training certification course to become a pet dog trainer. Unfortunately, this has left me with little time to play, except with Milo. Here he is after school tonight:
I do love to needlepoint and crochet too, but it’s quilting and playing with fabric that really feeds my creative soul.
Give-Away
C&T Publishing is giving away a copy of Victoria’s book to one of my lucky readers. US winners receive a hard copy of the book and international winners receive an electronic copy. To enter the give-away, leave a comment below answering: What feeds your creative soul?
The winner will be chosen randomly on December 12, 2012.
Blog Tour
Increase your chances of winning a copy of Victoria’s book by visiting the other participants in the blog tour and entering their give-aways too.
Nov 26: Victoria Findlay Wolfe
Nov 27: Bonnie K Hunter
Nov 28: Alissa Haight Carlton
Nov 29: Pat Sloan
Nov 30: Fat Quarter Shop
Dec 1st: Karen Griska
Dec 2nd: Angela Walters
Dec 3rd: Generation Q
Dec 4th: Tonya Ricucci
Dec 5th: Michele Foster – you’re here!
Dec 6th: Scott Hansen
Dec 7th: Amy Ellis
Dec 8th: Rachaeldaisy
Dec 9th: Jackie Kunkel
Dec. 10th: C&T Publishing
And the winner is…
Congratulations to #200 Sandy. Check your inbox for an email from Victoria.
I really love to feed my creative soul by sewing. I love to get all my fabrics out of whatever I am working on and see the progress as it takes place. This helps me escape from my work world. I feel like I can do anything, but sometimes time restraints stop me from the creative process!
I had to think about this one, but quite simply…….music feeds my creative soul. I love fabric and creative crafts but I have been singing since I was a little girl. I developed a program that intertwines my quilts with songs I sing and poems I’ve written and yes, it “feeds my creative soul”! :-)
making things with my hands feeds my creative soul- I love making quilts and beading and even knitting… they all offer different things that are very satisfying.
Victoria’s book looks terrific- I enjoy reading her blog very much.
Regards from Western Canada,
Anna
I always needed to do something. Knitting, crocheting, bobbin lace and now it is quilting. Colour inspiration come with nice fabric.
Oh whow. i am every day playing with fabric. This book isn’t for sale in Holland. Thats why I want to win it here.
This books looks like a great tool for me to learn how
to quilt outside of the box. Each day I try to carve out
a bit of time for quilting or crocheting.
Seeing the works of others, as in this book or going to quilt shows inspires me! Would love to have this!
My granddaughter and I don’t have as much “time” to quilt as we’d like – the idea of incorporating “15 Minutes of Play” would help us make the best of the time we have. Just these few photos are very inspiring. Thank you.
Color, color, color.
what feeds my creative soul: postcards, window displays, flower bouquets, crayons, fashion, children’s art on the refridgerator, … color color color! thanks for the opportunity to win Victoria’s latest inspiration!
This book looks so exciting! My fingers and toes are crossed to win a copy! Thank you for a chance to win! I love the freedom of improv piecing, especially it’s outcome with mono chromatic colors! It is so exciting to see the patchwork that is created when different prints and solids meld together to become a new entity…
Blue is my favorite color to use, so sometimes I try to make quilts without using it. That challenges me.
When I am not playing in fabric: I play in paints, music and other creative art things–and I read- a lot!
My creative soul is fed by gardening during gardening season and sewing, crafting, painting and DIY projects the rest of the time. I love working with my hands and losing myself in the project. Thanks for the opportunity.
Sewing and making things feeds my soul. And beautiful, vibrant colors.
Many things! Nature especially but colors, fabric, pictures and my sweet dogs.
What feeds my creative soul? I think my creative soul is what feeds my life. Creating brings joy to my life which then brings joy to those around me.
Getting outdoors! It helps my mind get “simpler” and allows me to just “be”. I’m so surprised that while I’m walking down a trail (usually on the way back to the car) I often get solutions to “how to do it” problems that I hadn’t been able to solve on a conscious level.
Time in nature.
Oh my gosh. Quilting feeds my creative and spiritual soul!!
Besides sewing, I knit, crochet, and garden, so I have good veggies to freeze. I love to watch the sunrise and sunsets, and music also feeds my soul. Most of what I make goes to good causes.
Many things feed my creative soul, but fabric is a key for me. Whether sorting it, matching it, buying it, lusting after it, or just looking at it on a computer screen, the possibilities locked inside those threads really begin to speak to me.
My creativity is fed when I am creating….whether it be at my sewing machine or in the kitchen. I love to make things for my grandkids, to piece quilts, and to work with wool. I love to try new recipes. And I love to take walks and appreciate all the beauty God has made.
Thank you for a lovely opportunity. Using my needles feeds my soul. Sewing needles, knitting needles, embroidery needles . . .
Just love sewing! Would love to win the book.
Sewing or walking feeds my creative soul. Seeing other people’s work inspires me to try things that I probably wouldn’t have thought of. This book looks like so much fun!! Thanks for the chance to win a copy.
Looking through my fabric “collection” always bring new ideas to my head.
Looking at others’ creations really inspires me–literally–I know something is good when I want to right away go create, and this book will surely do that.
I have so many scraps that need this book!
Sitting on my back porch on a sunny fall day, cool enough for a sweater but not cold enough to make me shiver, hand quilting my latest quilt, that feeds my soul.
I’ve been doing various kinds of needlework since I was in grade school, but textiles of all kinds are my passion. I love to see the patterns in textiles from around the world and try to incorporate those patterns into my quilts.
Doing something with my hands feeds my creative soul, I like to sew, I like to cook, now and then I bake, I sketch and draw, and I’ve got several orchids and a lot of plants to take care of.
sewing does, especially finishing something! :)
I’ve always dabbled in needlework of some sort – sewing, knitting, crocheting, cross-stitch. But it wasn’t until I started quilting that I knew I had found what would feed my creative soul forever. I would love to win this book – Thank you!
The need to do something with my hands to give gifts to others is what feeds my soul. I love making things for others. I love seeing the joy in their faces when they receive something they did not expect. Thanks for the chance to win this book.
Terry
Reading and sewing are my creative get-aways. Thanks for the opportunity on the draw
Touching and browsing through (and yes buying) fabrics totally gets my creative juices flowing! Every time I come across a new fabric it gives me an idea. There’s never enough time!
My kids and pictures taken of things we see during our holidays. Love the chance to win this book. thanks!
I have been reading Victoria’s blog and really enjoy her colorful quilts. I would love to win her book!
All these wonderful books!
I love quilt shows and antique shops. Sew many ideas at both to either do myself, or, change and make my ‘own’. Thanks for the chance to win this book.
My favorite color is green — any shade, tone or tint — and there are so many choices in nature. …and, yes, my favorite “play” is with fabric, I just need more time in each day! That’s one of the things that appeals to me in the “15” minute of play idea.
My soul needs to play with fabric. I don’t have time to sew together every quilt idea I have so when I can’t actually sew, I enjoy planning in EQ. Thanks for sharing ALL that you do. I would love to win a copy of Victoria’s new book.
Looking at what others are doing- Pinterest has tons of daily inspiration!!
I think the more I sew and see what others have made feeds me.
Color and new fabric get my creative juices flowing. Yesterday at work a beautiful new aqua came into the shop and I just couldn’t stop looking at it and rubbing my hands over it (I asked to be alone with the bolt for a few minutes ;) … This color will work with my scraps of pinks and reds so now I’m sketching a new quilt in my head. Love the look of the book. Thanks for the giveaway.
I love fabric. Making yo yos are quit theraputic.
Fabric stores, books, magazines and great blogs always inspire me to create new things.
It’s all about COLOR for me! Thanks for the opportunity to win this book!
Jeanne
Other bloggers inspire me, of course, there are many creative people out there. But, I also find it very inspiring to take a walk and look at nature’s small wonders, whether it is in the forest or by the sea.
this book looks to fabulous. I spend a lot of time looking at natre and how its made. Both plants and animals. Sometimes even people