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.
Bright colorful fabric!
places I been, magazines, internet post, blogs, friends….almost anything!
I am inspired by colour! And Victoria’s book inspires me to find creative time every day! Thank you for the giveaway!
Looking at old quilts of different styles is always inspiring to me. Also, hearing stories from older generations.
blogs, internet,books feed my creative inspiration, trying something new, creating unique pieces gives me satisfaction, colors are related to the person I’m working for, babyquilts soft or bright if mama loves soft or bright, quilts for sofas depending of the home decoration, mostly quilts with a scrappy touch, I can’t throw away the tiniest pieces, so I will be thankful to win some extra inspiration, thanks for the chance to win.
Visual feasts of other’s inspirations always gets my juices running. I love the cover and the examples from this book.
Pictures always inspire, along with the help of fabric.
daily contemplations I’ll be day dreaming and inspiration just seems to come out no rhyme or reason.Thanks for the give away chance.Becky
Lots of sleep as well as other’s inspirational ideas!
Just a chance to relax helps feed my creative soul. When I slow down and just let things happen, I get my best results.
Decorated houses with beautiful Christmas lights and figurines
feeds my creative soul as well as the beautiful lagoon filled with geese and ducks, with a waterfall near my house.
My favorite color is green and by looking at my scrap fabric boxes that are separated by color it is the most used. Interesting question. debbie73521@yahoo.com
Pictures of quilts, colors of nature, stacks of fabric, decorating magazines and lots of other things inspire me. Taking those inspirations and spending time creating feeds my creative soul.
Seeing the work of others…whatever their medium is, it’s their artistic viewpoint. Sewing is my passion, but I appreciate all mediums.
Actually handling the fabrics and getting ideas.
By surfing the internet and looking at magazines! It always gets me excited about a new project I want to do.
Time alone to make some progress on a project.
That’s one I didn’t even have to think about! “The hunt” for FABRIC!!!!
Time…I need time to just browse books and sites, dreaming and planning.
I love to make color combinations. It’s all about the color and texture in fabric, yarn, paint, markers….etc!
Everything!!! Nature, architecture, sunsets, fabrics and colors!
Just about everything. My problem is more I have to be in the mood to create things rather than can’t think of anything creative to make. Nature is a real boost to creativity by making me feel good as well as inspiring ideas.
Color! Every time that I see certain colors together I get new project ideas!
My creativity is fed by photographs. These inspire the selection off my fabric and other materials. I love red. It has a major presence in my fabric stash. But through quilting I have learned to use colors that are not my favorite in beautiful ways!
I have to touch fabric – simple cottons to classy velvets, they all have a special feel to them. Once I touch the fabric, I pretty much know what I want to create with it.
All sorts of things feed my creative soul. Lots and lots of eye candy. I love to read blogs and pintrest and keep up with lotsof creative souls on facebook. And of course the fabric shops definitely feeds my creative soul.
Wow love the book shown above. I think there must be several great ideas worth trying. Love your blog!
i love red and would love that book thanks
Seeing the work of others and taking classes to explore new ideas and techniques.
Ideas, Ideas, Ideas, and scraps with a need for ‘shape’ and a home.
Fabric–sorting through my bins. The colors and patterns inspire me to put things together for fun designs.
I get my creative inspiration from fellow quilters at the Sudbury quilter & stitchers guild.
Thank you for the chance to win this marvelous book.
Kay
ktreve (at) hotmail (dot) com
Fabric is my fuel, time is my vehicle.
Nature is my inspiration, and quilting friends get me moving.
Just seeing the cover of this book gives me inspiration, since my first quilting was with crazy quilting.
Color! Whenever I see a color combo I take a picture and use that for inspiration.
I love fabrics and the more color the better- I am sure that Victoria’s book is terrific- she is one talented and generous quilter.
Thanks for the chance to win such a nice prize.
Regards from Western Canada,
Anna
I have been following Victoria for a few years now and love her quilts and patterns. I love all colours and is difficult to choose one. But if I have to then it will be yellow or green.
If I am not playing with fabric then I am playing with yarn. I crochet too.
Thanks for the giveaway.
Happy festival to all from India.
Sewing and playing with colourful fabrics feeds my creative soul. Thanks for the great book giveaway:)
I think learning new techniques helps feed my creative soul and keeps me inspired. Thanks for the chance to win!
I like to crochet on the go when it’s easier to take a hook and a ball of yarn. But my favorite playground is fabric!! Love the pic of Milo. He is so tuckered out, like he’s saying, “Now what do you want me to do?!”
The feel and smell of fabric, and looking at the wonderful quilts others create inspires me and gets me going…
The feel of fabric and visualizing all the ways the fabric color may be used.
Batiks! Any colors will do. I love the feel of them, the smell of them and they are a dream to sew with.
Finding time to be alone, outdoors helps me renew my creativity.
My inspiration comes from nature and texture which always ends up translated into quilts.
I found Victoria’s website and book a few months ago and she has inspired me to conguer the scraps. I love Colour and pattern.
In quilting, I see and admire what others have so beautifully presented. This inspires me .,
Nature and color inspire me.
Nature and life :)
I think making new flower beds and flower gardening feeds my soul.