Today I am reviewing the Free-Form Fabric Art: Cut, Piece, and Create without Rules DVD with Rayna Gillman.
From the publisher:
Get past your creative slump and dive into a fun, refreshing, no-stress approach to pieced quilt design! Learn how to screen print fabrics using Thermofax screens. Explore Rayna’s methods for free-form cutting and piecing. Play with commercial fabrics, hand-printed fabrics, and hand-dyed fabrics.
By combining colors without worrying about what goes, you can create a stash of one-of-a-kind units you can use any time! Even create a design wall to arrange and rearrange your units into a pleasing composition. Finally, find out Rayna’s technique for finishing quilts with a facing.
Revive your creativity with Rayna’s fun and freeing methods!
This DVD is divided into six lessons:
- Introduction
- Thermofax Screen Printing
- Slicing and Sewing
- New Units and Color Variations
- Working on the Design Wall
- Facing The Quilt
First of all, I absolutely love Rayna’s humor! She admits that she loves to IRON!
She calls this process her “therapy” sewing as she cuts up fabric – even ugly fabric – into strips and sews them together. According to Rayna, anything can be saved or used.
She “slices and dices” her fabric strips, adding and taking away and giving us tips along the way. This is not your usual strip quilting video, but then if you have any of her other work, you know she’s not a traditional quilter. One of my favorite books is her Create your own hand-painted cloth she published back in 2008. If you are at all interested in fabric surface design, check it out.
Well, let me get back to this DVD. I love how she puts fabrics together. Once she shows you how to cut the fabric, then you are watching how her process works. At the beginning I thought there was no way I was going to like that piece she was playing with, but then she’d add another strip or move one out and it would be beautiful. Or it was for me. But she wasn’t happy so she’d move and add strips until she was satisfied. I was seeing her creating in real time. Wow!
I was brought up with lots of quilt-piecing rules. This video gives me the freedom to just let them go and create. If you need to get your muse fired up, this may be the DVD for you. I really enjoyed it and will be trying some of her “therapy” sewing in the new year.
Free-Form Fabric Art: Cut, Piece, and Create without Rules DVD is 65 minutes long and can be purchased here for $19.95. It can also be purchased as a download here for $14.95.
Disclaimer: I received this DVD from the publisher for review purposes. The opinions expressed here are 100% my own. I was under no obligation to offer a positive review and received no monetary compensation.
I’m a big fan of Rayna’s, and have both her books. I’m sure the DVD is a marvelous view! Thanks for reviewing it…
Judy, I’ve not seen her other book. It looks like maybe what she does in this dvd. Love her attitude!
LOL– thanks, Lynda! Would you believe I have not watched myself?? Guess I will have to see what your generous review is talking about. I am so glad you enjoyed watching my process and hope you have fun experimenting. The DVD is based on my book, Create Your Own Free-form Quilt, but takes it a bit further.
Thanks again for your kinds words.
Rayna, I thought that it might be based on your book. You are so welcome. It’s a great video. Now I just need to take some time and play.