Wonky, Free Pieced, or Liberated Quilting: Free Patterns, Tutorials

 



What is Liberated Quilting?


The term was first introduced when Gwen Marston published her iconic Liberated Quiltmaking and opened up the world of quilting to the ideas of process quilting.

Unlike traditional quilting where one simply followed patterns and used templates, liberated  or improvisatlional quilting is more about the free piecing of non-traditional elements without sacrificing our quilting roots of the patterns we have loved in the past.

By showing the process she was using to create her non-traditional quilts, she discovered a variety of new quilting ideas involving piecing.

The idea of liberated or wonky, free-pieced houses and liberated stars was born and it has only continued to grow in leaps and bounds since that day.

Below I will share my own collection of ideas, links, and process 'patterns' and tutorials from liberated quilters everywhere to give you a jump start into the world of Liberated Quilting, as is opening up and continuing today.

Thanks to a whole new generation of quilters, as well as the wonderful world of the utilitarian quilts as demonstrated by the Quilters of Gee's Bend and others ideas and techniques which now being taught, written about. It has been great fun to be among the first wave of bloggers who not only researched this quilting style but one who shared extensively about it with free information and personal quilts and quilting examples. 


Welcome to the Wonky World of Liberated Quilting!

wonky: adjective
1) rickety, shaky, wobbly, wonky; inclined to shake as from weakness or defect;
"a rickety table"; "a wobbly chair with shaky legs"; "the ladder felt a little wobbly"; "the bridge still stands though one of the arches is wonky"
2) askew, awry(p), cockeyed, lopsided, wonky, skew-whiffturned or twisted toward one side;


Great List of Wonky, Free-Pieced, or Liberated Quilt Block Patterns, Techniques or Ideas:

(Please note:  As quilters get book deals, some of these tutorials may end up being removed from the free realm of their blogs in order to fulfill publishing obligations)


A is For Alphabet by Lynne of the Patcherie Menagerie...learn the ABC's of piecing letters!


*All Red Letter Challenge and Learn Alphabet Letters Posts from Lynne


Asterisks by Tonya Ricucci


Baskets from Basket Full of Scraps by Sujata

How to Construct a Wonky or Liberated Basket Block


Be Still My Heart Quilt Tutorial by Jacquie Gehring of Tallgrass Prairie



Birds, Free Piecing Tutorial by Lynne of Patchery Menagerie

Broken Cogs Quilt Tutorial by Jacquie of Tallgrass Prairie

Butterflies, Wonky Free Piecing Tutorial by Lynne

Butterfly BlockTutorial by Mrs. Schmenkman Quilts

Charming Butterfly Blocks by Ferne

Chickens1

Chickens 2 Chickens3 and Rooster ideas for making them, from Joyce of J's Quilts




 



Cross Blocks, Quilts, Directions and Tutorials! From this blog With Heart and Hands


  Cross or Plus Quilts: Free Patterns

  Designing a Liberated Cross Block and Quilt

  Making Mary Lou Weidman's Cross Quilt














Our Dear Liberated Friend, Rosalyn Manese's Churn Dash Quilt for her Grandson Jacob. We miss you, Roz! 

Churn Dash..liberate that block!

Churn Dash by Sew JOY Creations








A wonky square ..cross or plus...is this easy! 

Cross or Plus...from this blog..With Heart and Hands at post:

Basics for Making a Cross, Plus, or "Arithmetic" Quilt


And Look how easy it would be to then create this!









Make your own wonky nine patches this easily!

Crazy Nine-Patch Lattice Quilt by Oh! Fransson

Wonky Cross Block Sew-Along « Sew,Mama,Sew! Blog

Cross Blocks by Lollyquiltz

Crumb Chaos from Patti at Quilting... is Still My Passion

*Crumb Quilting from Jo with astart to finish tutorial

Crumby Heart Tutorial from Tonya

Curved strip piecing tutorial by Brenda of Strips and Strings

Disappearing 9-Patch with Pieced Hearts by Block'n Swaps





Liberated Flying Geese Tutorial



Pieced Chevron...A Tutorial by Jacquie of Tallgrass Prairie

Free Pieced Flower by Sarah (Kromama)

Free Pieced Heart by Sharon of Indigo Threads

Free Pieced Letters by Brenda of Scraps and Strings




Free Pieced Rose Tutorial shared With Heart and Hands

First shown here, "borrowed by others.



*Free Piecing People/a girl

Fungly Challenge from Tonya Ricucci

Goats,Cows and Pigs from Joyce

Gwen Marston's Variable Star quilt block pattern:

Printer Friendly Version


Hand Quilting without a Hoop

Heart by Tonya Ricucci

Heart...Liberated and Wonky by Sharon of Indigo Threads

Heart...Another technique in piecing by Sarah, House of Krom

Houses by Tonya Ricucci, the Unruly Quilter

*Houses, wonky and liberated ideas from free web images

*Japanese x tutorial: Setsuko Inagawa quilt

*Lego Quilt Tutorial by Tonya 
*Liberated and Wonky Flying Geese by Michele With Heart and Hands
*Liberated Pineapples from Yarn, Dogs, and a Few Weirdos....see photo below for wonky pineapple
Letters. . . We've Got Letters by Sharon of Indigo Threads


 Liberated Amish 2010 Get Together


 Liberated Basket ..Gwen Marston idea, now in lovely baskets of all kinds!


 Liberated Spiderweb block - no paper



 Little House by Rachel Daisy, a version of the  s Swoon quilt designed by Camille Roskelle






Mary Quilts Wonky Rails from Maryquilts.com
Modern Quilt Guild: Free ideas, tutorials, challenges and fun!


Tutorials from the Modern Quilt Guild.
(see farther down below for more links, etc)


 Modern Monday Quilt Along by Carroll...ongoing block tutes , great fun!
Modern and Other Generation X Quilt Block Patterns and Tutorials  from GenX Quilters
Monkey Wrench or Churn Dash or Shoo Fly...

http://blocksnswaps.blogspot.com/2010/03/three-ways-to-wonkify-traditional-quilt.html


 http://blocksnswaps.blogspot.com/2010/03/three-ways-to-wonkify-traditional-quilt.html











Wonky Fly Directions

BlocknSwaps































Sophie's Wonky Fly Block #7


























 






Churn Dash..liberate that block!
Orphans Blocks Tutorial by Finn, Pieces from My Scrapbag

 http://nurseknits.blogspot.com/2011/03/free-pieced-pineapples_27.html http://nurseknits.blogspot.com/2011/03/free-pieced-pineapples_27.html
 People from Sarah House of Krom











Pocket Change Quilt Pattern download from Jacquie Gehring
Red Cross Block Tutorial by Camp Follower Bags

 Scrappy Heart (6 inch) Quiltingabout.com

 Scrappy Pieced Heart into a Liberated logs quilt



 

Liberated Shoo Fly Block courtesy of
Debbie, The Traveling Quilter

(The 'Shoo Fly' is the same as the
Monkey Wrench and the Churn Dash..see how to links for them or just
wonkify this pattern above and right)


Debbie writes:
"Purposely uneven triangles, giving each block a different personality.All Shoo Fly blocks have the same star fabric in the center, which provided the color scheme.
I designed the quilt to be male-appropriate, and it turns out boys'quilts are in need at the orphanage where the quilt is headed."


 Pick Up Sticks Quilt


From "Happy Sew Lucky ...pick up sticks, learn the pieced strip technique and how to make cross cuts over and over.
https://happysewlucky.wordpress.com/2015/05/10/pick-up-sticks-quilt-block-tutorial/


 Star, Wonky or Liberated!...The Silly BooDilly: Wonky Star Tutorial thesillyboodilly.blogspot.com/2009/02/wonky-star-tutorial.htmlString Fish Aquarium by Ruthie

Strings ~ Hearts from Mary at MaryQuilts.com

Sarah London's Selvage Star tutorial is a 28 page PDF

Selvage Spider Web tutorial by Jacquie of Tallgrass Prairie




Bee Friends tutorial by Marit


Bee Friends tutorial 
 

Selvage Spools...The Tutorial! by Jacquie

 Slash and Stack Wonky Blocks from Blocks n Swaps

 Spinning Spirals of large flowers

Square in Square by Quilt Dad

Use the "Square in a Square and watch it get turned into those boxed up Bentos by Michele of With Heart and Hands


With Heart and Hands: Bento Box Quilt Tutorial

with-heart-and-hands.blogspot.com/.../bento-box-quilt-tutorial.html

 Wonky Box in a Box, Cut up and Rearranged as photo above


 (Star) Wonky Star Tutorial

Starry Forest Christmas Tree Skirt by Jacquie Gehring of Tallgrass Prairie

 Strings ~ Marys Patriotic Star from Maryquilts.com

 String Quilting:Tutorial and Free Patterns

 Taking the Leap Challenge from Tonya Ricucci

 Teapots from Tonya


Tic-Tac-Toe BlockSophie's Tic-Tac-Toe Block #4 Sophie's Tic-Tac-Toe Block #7



Tic-Tac-Toe (8 inch) from Sophie at Sophie's Junction

Tiny Wonky (Maverick) Stars by Bonnie Hunter

Tic-Tac-Toe Quilt Block

TIc-Tac-Toe Directions

Trees - easy freestyle trees by Jean Sophie

Trees 2 - adding complexity

Twinkle, Twinkle, Wonky Star from Sew Take a Hike

Urban Chicken Block  from Michelle Freedman

Wacky Nine Patch...Allsorts uses a cutting technique like the one on Georgia Bonesteele

Wavy Nine Patch by Debbie, The Traveling Quilter

Waverunner by Victoria at Bumble Beans

Wavy Seams Log Cabin from Pink Chalk Studio

Whacky Baskets by Sara from Sara's Scraps

Wonky butterfly by Lynn at the Patcherie Menagerie


Wonky or Liberated Churn Dash Block 

Wonky Cross Block Sew-Along « Sew,Mama,Sew! Blog

Wonky Cross by Elizabeth of Oh Fransson!

Wonky Flying Geese by Michele Bilyeu 


*Wonky heart by BModern

Wonky heart by Tonya Ricucci

Wonky Shoo Fly by Sophie

Wonky Scrappy I Spy log cabin by Sarah, Kromama

  Wonky Star Tutorial

Wonky Squares by Deborah at the Pilgrim's Quilts

Wonky Drunkard's Path from Quilting About.com

Wonky Houses by Tonya, the Unruly Quilter pdf

Wonky/improvisational log cabins from Jenny at Blempgorf

Wonky log cabin by Jacquie at Tallgrass Prairie

Wonky or Maverick Star by Victoria The Silly Boo Dilly

*Wonky Stars by Beth

Wonky, Wacky Nine Patch

Wonky RWB Rails (PDF file) by Maryquilts

*Wonky Seams block from Pink Chalk Studio

Wonky Star Block from The Silly Boo Dilly

*Wonky Star Ring Tutorial by Zonnah

Wonky Shoo Fly from Sophie's Junction

Wonky Spools from Quilter's Cache

Wonky Squares-in-Squares Block from Quilt Dad

Wonkytown from Tonya Ricucci




Houses, wonky and liberated ideas from free web images

WonkyTown - UnRuly Quilter 

unrulyquilter.com/tutorials/wonkytown.pdf

 Tonya Ricucci Tutorials
Liberated Links:Liberated Quilting Challenge has now ended, thanks to one and all for the donation of over 640 quilts to the Alzheimer's Art Quilt Initiative!!!

Liberated Quilting Blog

 Liberated Quilters Yahoo Chat Group

Liberated Quilters Blog & Liberated Quilters Message Board Quilt for AAQI

 Houses, wonky and liberated ideas from free web images
Wonky Tidbits:

 Tonya Ricucci, the Unruly Quilter

 Bonnie K. Hunter, Quiltville: Strings and Crumbs

 HeartStrings Quilt Project

 Advice from Tonya Riccuci, The Unruly Quilter:

UnRuly Piecing Basics - UnRuly Basics Pdf

 Advice from Sophie's Junction:

 Three Ways to Wonkify a Traditional Quilt BlockButterfly block tutorial



Dori's Alphabet is paper pieced, but the same idea can be used with free piecing. Dori posted her alphabet at the Quilter Community back in 2006 and I loved it before I even knew what wonky liberated free piecing was! Click on the her name above to link up to that series.



                     Rumi now sells the patterns for this set for a small fee of less than $10

http://www.etsy.com/listing/87118587/alpabet-pdf-sewing-pattern-paper-pieced?ref=shop_home_active

 I've seen a number of people copy the look above in different colors and not offer the directions or even the pattern. Be smart about what you are looking for on the internet or pinterest!!
Strip Piecing Letters:

Learn by watching the Progress:

 Letters. . . We've Got Letters by Sharon of Indigo Threads

 Strip Pieced Letters by Brenda of Strips and Strings

Letters by Lynne of the Patchery Menagerie

*Wonky Alphabet Letters Lynne's fabulous work...check her letters in progress

*Strip Piecing Blocks: Learn from Sarah and Molly..liberated block a month



Quilting Tips

Organic Line Quilting by Jacquie of Tallgrass Prairie


Photos and ideas:

 I Have Become an Unruly Humbug!...join Tonya's challenge

Splat!...free pieced fly swatter

 Wordplay...word play

 Flickr: Free Pieced Quilting Pool

Liberated Amish Challenge 2010

 Tonya Riccuci's Fall/Winter Class of 2007

 House, Home and Pantry - Fall 2008


Want to try some letters but not sure how to start?


 Check out some liberated quilting of the alphabet from other quilters in the past: Dori Hawks created a liberated letters Alphabet Quilt

Become even more liberated with Tonya Ricucci's creative approach her new book Word Play.

 Tonya sets the standard for making pieced letters, words, and quilts by
simply getting the idea on graph paper but cutting out, and free-piecing
the letters! Her books shows just how to do it!

 Want to see Lynne putting her words into action as she makes the "Red Letter Alphabet"?

 Check them all out at her site, or just look up the letter you're having trouble with for other ways of making them..one by one.


The Patchery Menagerie



 However, if you need that in between place for the concepts, you can
look at or try other 'starter' ideas to get you going. Again,
foundation or paper pieced....but try just looking at it and making it
without using any kind of pattern for the letters:

Denyse Schmidt's Hope Bag

 Free download!

From Sujata Shah: The Root Connection

 Click on imagea:

Zig Zag: Tutorial 

Victorian Hexagon Quiltalong


Victorian Hexagon Quiltalong 


  Books of Interest:


Liberated String Quilts: 20 Foundation-Free Projects

Liberated String Quilts

Gwen Marston


READ Liberated String Quilts on Google Books For Free:


Liberated String Quilts: 20 Foundation-Free Projects
Liberated Quiltmaking

 Gwen Marston

Liberated Quiltmaking II

Gwen Marston

Collaborative Quilting

Freddy Moran, Gwen Marston

Freddy & Gwen Collaborate Again: Freewheeling Twists on Traditional Quilt Designs

Freddy Moran, Gwen Marston

Ideas and Inspirations: Abstract Quilts in Solids

Gwen Marston, Gregory Case

The Quilts of Gee's Bend: Masterpieces from a Lost Place

William Arnett, Alvia Wardlaw, Jane Livingston, John Beardsley


Word Play

 Tonya Ricucci

Word Play sets the standard for making pieced letters, words and quilts.



Mary Lou Weidman...learn to make pieced chickens, cats, cakes, ice cream cones, princesses, angels, purple cows and so much more!
Free Modern Quilt and Quilting Patterns:


Visit www.themodernquiltguild.com



Tutorials from the Modern Quilt Guild.


http://themodernquiltguild.files.wordpress.com/2012/01/octagonal-orb-quilt-block-tutorial.pdf

http://themodernquiltguild.com/2012/01/22/100-days-week-of-blocks-octagonal-orb-block-tutorial/
 Modern Monday Quilt Along by Carroll...ongoing block tutes , great fun!

 Modern and Other Generation X Quilt Block Patterns and Tutorials  from GenX Quilters
Bow Tie Required - a free pattern!


Modern and Wonky Bow Tie from Freshly Pieced Modern Quilts
Half Rectangle Block by Latifah Saafir

 Improv Pineapple Log Cabin Block by Jacquie Gering


Knee Socks Quilt Block by Elizabeth Hartman

Octagonal Orb Block by Elizabeth Hartman

Overlapping Squares Block by Alissa Haight Carlton

Missoni Inspired Quilt by Latifah Saafir

Target Practice Quilt Block by Latifah Saafir

Wonky Star Tutorial by Silly BooDilly












Nine Patch using “Map of the States” technique by Oh, Fransson

Churn Dash by Sew JOY Creations

Cross Blocks by Lollyquiltz

Square in Square by Quilt Dad

https://happysewlucky.wordpress.com/2015/05/10/pick-up-sticks-quilt-block-tutorial/

MY Blog Post LINKS:

Liberated Quilting

Liberated Quilting Challenge

Liberated Quilting: Free Patterns, Blocks, and Tutorials

Word Play (Quilts)


Please update your link lists from my blogspot address to www.with-heart-and-hands.com

With Heart and Hands

My most popular links to patterns and tutorials:

shown as linking photo: my bug swatter for Tonya Ricucci:

SPLAT !



Google Liberating Quilting and get: 

  1. With Heart and Hands: Liberated Quilting: Free Pieced Blocks ...

    with-heart-and-hands.blogspot.com/.../liberated-quilting-blocks-letter...
    Sep 5, 2010 – See all of our quilts at: Liberated Quilting Challenge. Great List of Wonky, Free-Pieced, or Liberated Quilt Block Patterns, Techniques or Ideas: ...

  2. Wonky or Liberated Quilting..Free Patterns, Tutorials, Ideas

    with-heart-and-hands.blogspot.com/.../wonky-or-liberated-quiltingfr...
    Unlike traditional quilting where one simply followed patterns and used templates, liberated quilting is more about the free piecing of non-traditional elements ...

  3. Liberated — Fresh Lemons Modern Quilts

    www.freshlemonsquilts.com/?tag=liberated
    Jul 17, 2012 – Sarah has since developed a fantastic quilt pattern using these liberated churn dash blocks! Her pattern is 22 pages, full of color photos and ...


  5.

    Free Quilt and Quilt Block Patterns: Liberated or Improvisational ...

    freequiltpatterns.blogspot.com/.../liberated-quilting-free-ideas-pattern...
    Aug 25, 2012 – Liberated or Improvisational Quilting: Free Ideas, Patterns, and Tutorials. wonky: adjective 1) rickety, shaky, wobbly, wonky; inclined to shake as ...
    You shared this

  6.

    AAQI Liberated Quilting Challenge

    liberatedquiltingchallenge.blogspot.com/
    3 days ago – Sharing thousands of links to Free Quilt and Quilt Block Patterns and encouraging others to join in the Liberated Quilting Challenge and make ...
    You shared this

  7. Liberated Quiltmaking: Gwen Marston: 9780891458784 - Amazon.com

    www.amazon.com › ... › Crafts & Hobbies › Quilts & Quilting
    REVIEW: "Her 'liberated quiltmaking' is the making of utility quilts (quilts meant to be used, not just exhibited) without templates or patterns or even necessarily a ...

  8. Quilt designs - Making Scrap Quilts from Stash

    blog.maryquilts.com/category/quilt-designs/
    Nov 24, 2012 – Archive for the 'Quilt designs' Category ... Hopefully having a plan for the next quilt will motivate me to finish the log cabin top but I've also got ...



Note:
My little "Liberated Rose"art quilt may be only 9" x 12", but it carries great personal meaning in its quest for freedom from all the losses that confine us. On display this fall at the 2010 Houston International Quilt Festival, as just one among many, it was part of the Alzheimer's Art Quilt Initiative display and earned $45 for Alzheimer's research.

This rose was made in memory of my mother who has advanced Alzheimer's, but will now be viewed in Houston as a tribute to my father, who just passed away. May we so honor all those we love, by making and donating a quilt in their honor.

Learn more and see our quilts here: Liberated Quilters Blog & Liberated Quilters Message Board
and the AAQI home page here: Alzheimer's Art Quilt Initiative

AAQI web site closes down at the end of 2013 after reaching theur $1, 000,000 + goal

MY LINKS:

 Liberated Quilting

Liberated Quilting Challenge

Liberated Quilting: Free Patterns, Blocks, and Tutorials

 Word Play (Quilts)

Please update your link lists from my blogspot address to www.with-heart-and-hands.com

 

With Heart and Hands

My most popular links to patterns and tutorials:




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