Me Neither

It’s kinda funny when you (or others) say “I couldn’t do what you do” referring to my improv work. Five years ago NEITHER COULD I! 😉 I was a very traditional quilter – like what else WAS there? But just trying things like cutting fabric up to see where it takes me – that’s all I do. I've gone back in time to show you a bit about my improvisational progression. In other words, to prove to you that you've gotta start somewhere!

Here's one of the first improv pieces I could find.... a little quilt from 2012. Improv lines are a fantastic way to start - letting your eye and your rotary cutter direct you as you go.



A wonky cross, also from 2012, and another terrific way to start.



It was also in 2012 that I took a class with Katie Pedersen, where we explored every technique in her and Jacquie Gering's book, Quilting Modern. The result of that class was this two-sided quilt that hangs over my studio desk as a reminder to try new things.

The techniques, even guided by Katie and her book, felt foreign, and it would be another year before I attempted improv again. This time, in another class with both Katie and Jacquie, we explored the cut-and-insert method further. It's still a pretty controlled style of improv. and the outcome was Fissures. which coincidentally went on to win 2nd place in the modern wall quilt category the 2014 AQS. Talk about affirmation.



I began to dabble a little more on my own, and in Unknown Journey, I incorporated scraps, an uncertain path, and carried the design into the quilting. Note that at this point in time, I was still using a ruler to guide me.



Making Red Hots in 2014 was the first time I used improv curves, and it was earth-shattering.



And so it went.... occasionally you'd see me come up with an improv quilt design. Just as often, not so much. There is no doubt that joining Bee Sewcial in January 2015 was a turning point. I saw other makers doing things I'd never seen and certainly never considered. A door that had been opened a crack opened much wider.

In most of my own quilts, the improv I do is relatively simple. But with my Bee Sewcial blocks, inspired this year by the themes "linear", "stretch", 'layers", "triangles", "direction", "lake country", "transition", "self love", and "circles", oh my, it's been a different story. I've tried new things again and again, most often just walking up to my cutting table with rotary cutter and a stack of solids and getting to it. That's the crux of improv for me - the exploration of it all. If it's not you, fine. Do what you love. But if you are curious but just intimidated, I encourage you to test the waters. Just start - anywhere - and give it a try.