Sunday, August 26, 2012

Improv Development

Don't think for a minute that I'm not knee-deep in Polaroid blocks! They are neatly filed, just waiting for the last few packages to come in so the swapping can begin in earnest!

While I wait, I thought I'd try and squeeze in some improv, with the goal being a small quilt using the blocks from the improv class I took with Katie Petersen last month.

With my Quilting Modern book open to the "mod TV quilt" for inspiration, I began by taping a grid on the wall in my sewing room. One by one, I hung up the improvisational log cabin blocks I'd made (the smaller three since class), standing back after each to gauge how I liked it. Finally deciding on a basic arrangement I liked, I started piecing them together with Essex linen in Putty.
 It was kind of like doing a puzzle - measure, cut, sew, trim, repeat.
 As I finished each quadrant, I pinned it back up on the wall.
Until I finally had a finished top, measuring about 34"x30". Though not coordinating as well as the front blocks, I repeated the process with the remaining class blocks to make up the backing. I was out of Essex by this time, so I looked in my bin of solids (now neatly sorted and labeled), and chose a new Kona solid, "mushroom". I chose it for three reasons - one, it almost perfectly matched the linen on the front; two, I wanted to see how it played with the Coal in my blocks; and three, because it was a color I hadn't used before. Seriously, this will be a new staple for me. I really like it.
The only real change to the back blocks that I brought home from class was that where I had just a small sample of the "stitch and flip" technique, I added to it to make a wonky star.

So, this quilt is a tad unusual, but serves as a souvenir scrapbook of sorts of improv techniques I've tried and want to keep playing with. (Thanks for the idea, daughter dear!)

12 comments:

  1. Looks great Debbie! And can I say, I think I like the back just as much as the front. :)

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  2. Mushroom is a great match and goes well with gray. The two have the makings of a guy quilt.

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  3. Kona mushroom sounds like an interesting colour! I wonder whether it might 'change' slightly, if it is against brown or grey? Great piecing!

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  4. Interesting experimenting! Do like the results a lot.

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  5. Oooo squealing with delight here looking at those polaroid packages!!! So much hard work all wrapped into dozens and dozens of envelopes!!! And I love your improv quilt - I am HUGE improv fan :)

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  6. Great quilt, Deb! I love the colors in the front blocks and I'm intrigued by the mushroom. Definitely need to look into that one...

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  7. Wow, so much work for you with these polaroid-blocks :( hope you have a helping hand?!
    "Mushroom" looks so perfekt with your blocks, like them a lot!

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  8. oh, I love this little improv quilt, it looks wonderful!

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  9. Wow that's a lot of envelopes!
    So great to improv once it a while =D

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  10. What a fun quilt, I love both sides!

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  11. glad you are having so much fun. it's nice to see practice samples go into something.

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