spiky

Seems like lately, once I try a new improv technique or 'shape' if you will, I need to use it in multiple projects. It's a form of seeing what it can do I guess. At least it's certainly been that way with improv spikes. I discovered them early this year in Gwen Marston's Liberated Quiltmaking II and they brought my Improv Alliance all together, and were the starting off point with EverGreenery. Then I set them aside for months, in favor of improv stripes, but in the continuing effort to empty my scrap basket, I started in with them again.



And that's why you see so many different fabrics and colors in this quilt. There was some palette editing as I pulled and sewed scraps together, but not much. And the crazy mix was half the fun.



For the first time, I used Quilter's Dream Orient, "a luxurious blended batting of silk, bamboo, tencel, and cotton". I actually had won it at our guild retreat, and thankfully so. Donated by Sassafras Lane, it was the perfect size for this project (Craft size is 36" x 46"), and I'm admittedly not very exploritive in my batting choices. But I found the Dream Orient basted and quilted beautifully, was very soft, and had very little creasing.



I have a pin board where I keep oodles of machine quilting ideas, and it was there that I happened upon Radio Static from The Free Motion Quilting Project with Leah Day. You know free-motion isn't really my thing, but this design seemed perfect for the spikes, so I mustered up my courage and dug in. Perfect it's not, but overall a success I'd say. And, um, the texture is delightful.



After mulling over options, a faced binding really seemed the way to go, and I definitely don't regret that decision now that the 32" x 44" quilt is completed.



I took the finish to work yesterday to see if I could catch some photos on my lunch break while the light was good, and even though that didn't work out, one of my friends saw the quilt. I told her it was all made of scraps, and she said the darndest thing. "Creating this out of scraps must make you feel like you made something wonderful out of chaos." Exactly.

My only regret, and it's fairly inconsequential, is that I didn't keep going and make the quilt larger. I'm that fond of it. Then again, enough felt like enough, and I'm good with that.

This quilt was on my Q4 2017 Finish-A-Long list!