As promised after my trip to Florida last month, I want to introduce you to my new friend Carla. She has a lovely home on the river in Labelle Florida.
Her business is called Kits by Carla. She has a shop/classroom in her home, and it’s also a quilter’s retreat.
Linda showed me Carla’s book the night before our visit, and I’m intrigued by her techniques. Once we arrived she introduced us to some of the lovely ladies from her sewing group. I told her I was interested in her “Shortcut Sheets”, and I wanted to purchase her book.
To view her video tutorials click here. In essence Carla has done all the math, and all you have to do is pick the basic block you want to make. You then follow her instructions to do some simple strip piecing of what she calls a “sheet”. The sheet is then cross-cut into oodles of the chosen block, and she gives instructions for how to make them in many different sizes. I’ve already watched a few of her videos and I’m looking forward to trying her techniques in the near future!
As we entered her living room to see some of the quilts she’s made with these blocks, I was impressed with her corner quilt.
Why didn’t I think of hanging a quilt around a corner. What a fun perspective!
I’ve always loved the Hunter’s Star pattern, and have made a few of my own quilts using Deb Tucker’s ruler (this is one of mine).
I can’t wait to try Carla’s method because it looks even easier, and it yields extra blocks that make a great border. She’s also discovered that the Hunter’s Star blocks can be rotated to make maple leaves (be sure to notice the fun border made from the leftovers):
or a pattern she referred to as No Star Hunter’s Star (also with a leftovers border).
She calls this quilt pattern “Mosaic”, and it contains all of the different basic blocks that can be made with her technique.
It was a wonderful visit. I think I have some fun and playful piecing in my future. Thanks Carla!
PS Carla said that if you book a retreat with her she cooks the meals. I wish I could have stayed long enough to try it out.
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And one more thing…
The ThreadBenders have an exhibit of work hanging at the Wauwatosa Library through the end of February. I’m sure you’ll enjoy it! If you are unable to attend, you can see some more photos on our site by clicking here!
S says
I’ve met Carla, bought a couple of her sheets, took a class from her. But I found her method to be unnecessarily difficult. I’ll be curious to see if you have the same reaction.
judy raddatz says
Always fun to see new ways to do squares. Smart lady! Well that was so interesting. I spent time on her site. Thanks