Kathy Doughty's Quilting Journey with Appliqué
Posted by Kathy Doughty on Aug 23rd 2019
Welcome to the world of Organic Appliqué, the new book by me, Kathy Doughty of Material Obsession. This is the sixth book I have written and times have certainly changed since the first one in 2006! In the early days as the shop owner of Material Obsession it was a new concept to work with easy techniques and colourful fabrics! Now patchwork and quilting has moved rightly into a style that reflects our lifestyle…full of colourful fabrics, easy techniques and quilts that reflect the times we live in today. Call it Modern, Contemporary, Traditional or anything else you like but it is all about the same concepts used by our quilting sisters of the past…its an opportunity to be passionately creative in our craft.
I am a dedicated quilter. I live and breath ideas about quilting so when I write a book my goal is to share the myriad of techniques and ideas discovered in my roles as a shop owner, teacher and designer. Its not enough to do it myself, I want to persuade everyone I meet to join me in my complete obsession! So…when I sat down to write a book I wanted it to be really inspiring…to initiate action. I chose applique because it is has the potential to be the most creative of all the patchwork styles. Anything is possible with appliqué…except that some of us are afraid of the techniques.
Over the years I have grown from being frightened and frustrated by applique to loving it! The discovery of Wash Away Appliqué Paper (water soluable adhesive paper) changed everything. When I realised I could master the technique my mind was free to explore ideas. I can now think creatively about my outcomes and at the same time relax when considering the preparation and sewing techniques. Organic Appliqué offers several options that experiment using patterns or ideas using the paper. I outline simple techniques for creating designs from patterns or your imagination in great detail.
When the projects were done, it occurred to me that when I teach people always ask me the same question…how do you select your fabrics? So, the first chapters cover how I select fabric for a project…the actual thoughts and considerations that go into understanding line, shape and forms made with textiles. The beginning of the book is a permanent reference for your library. It is my intention that this information be used as a spring board for taking self control into the mix of your next project.
Over the last year I have been teaching from the book. It is with great pleasure that I hear people are enjoying the concepts in the book. There are a variety of different styles presented including needle turn, broderie perse, Boro Appliqué and quilting with perle 8 threads. From start to finish you are invited to mix them up and personalise them in any way you choose. Take creative control of your quilts…express your voice…work organically reacting to what you see and how you feel about your work.
To help share the ideas in the book I have invited some of my favourite quilters to show how they might interpret a project from the book.
Join us over the next week on Instagram as these special people show how they might work a project from my book:
Instagram Tour:
Monday August 26: Wendy Williams @flyingfishkits
Tuesday August 27: Natalie Barnes @beyondthereefpatterns
Wednesday August 28: Becky Goldsmith @beckygoldsmith
Thursday August 29: Rachael Daisy @bluemountaindaisy
Friday August 30: Scott Hansen @bluenickelstudios
Saturday August 31: Maria Shell @talesofastitcher
Sunday September 1: Anna Maria Horner @annamariahorner
Giveaway now closed.
