Improv Under the Influence

When I heard that Krista Hennebury/Poppyprint was going to be in town teaching a class on her Improv Under the Influence quilt, I just couldn't resist. To make a good thing better, the class was to be held at Drygoods Design, a delightful Seattle quilt shop that had recently moved to a larger, light-filled location that I was eager to visit. Perfect.

Our 'homework' before class was to choose 5 cool and 5 warm solids and do some pre-cutting. I chose all Kona Cotton Solids in gold and turquoise.

from top to bottom, Curry, Grellow, Corn Yellow, Sunflower, Banana, 

Mediterranean, Turquoise, Lagoon, Bahama, Aqua

First off, we made our center 'checkerboards', using both our warm and cool colors. I added a skinny strip through mine, because I could. (improv, right?)

The space was really lovely to work in, and one of the great features about taking a class at Drygoods is you only need to bring yourself and your fabric and thread. The machines and all supplies are there in the shop for your use.

I was pretty pleased how much I got accomplished! Most of us were able to surround our checkerboards with the first of three borders, with lots more pairs sewn and ready to go.

Here's a photo of our class with our projects at the end of the day. See Krista with hers on the far right? That's the goal! 

A special treat was being able to learn and sew with 4 of my SMQG buddies, Michelle, Sandy, Chandra, and Rachel. 

All in all, it was a really fun day. Krista is a terrific teacher, and just a delightful person.  I'm glad I made the time to take her class, and am anxious to keep working on my improv!