A Quilter's Table: Regatta

Today is my day to share on the Stash Statement blog hop, inspired by Kelly/My Quilt Infatuation's new book. I love that the book is a mix of beginning improv technique, scrap-busting, as well as sharing patterns that combine the two. For me, improv and scraps go hand in hand.

As often is the case in a blog hop, I got to choose which pattern I wanted to make from the book, and I chose Regatta, though I did make just a portion of the pattern into a baby-size quilt. And because of the quilt's theme, I pulled greens and blues from my scrap basket for the 'water' background.

I chose to use the panel method for my scrappy construction, where I basically kept piecing scraps together until I had two slabs each about the size of a fat-quarter. Then I cut out the squares I needed to continue on with the quilt top. With the 'scraps' from that process, I pieced them together to make more larger pieces. Such is the way with scrap quilts - use the little bits to make larger bits.

The 'boats' in my little regatta are made from Kona Cyan, chosen after I pieced all my scrap blocks. I couldn't resist using my few extra blocks to piece one last 'boat' into the back of the quilt.

I quilted a loose (about 1" apart) grid using the bold and beautiful Aurifil 50wt #2810 (Turquoise). Then the quilt was finished with a print+solid scrappy binding and measures 36" x 42", where the book's original version measures 60 1/2" x 60 1/2". Most of the book's quilt designs have a flexibility of sizing for using scraps one might have on hand, which really is a bonus.

The genius of Kelly's book is that it takes improvisational piecing and makes it very approachable. And as Kelly points out, her designs in Stash Statement are definitely scrappy, but without the overwhelm that sometimes results. The quilts here provide some uniformity, making them appealing to a wide audience. 'Structured' improv is definitely a good way to become comfortable with it.

Here's a list of all the blog hop stops. Where projects have already been posted, links reflect that. Enjoy the tour through Stash Statement. You can also check out Kelly's version of Regatta!

4/16- Grand Bazaar

Shelley @ Cora's Quilts + Connie @ Freemotion by the River

4/23- Louvered

Lindsey @ Primrose Cottage Quilts + Diann @ Little Penguin Quilts

4/30- Precarious

Jess @ Quilty Habit + Myra @ Busy Hands Quilts

5/7- Beach Retreat

Sarah @ Sarah Goer Quilts + Liz @ Savor Every Stitch

5/14- Fire Pit

Alison @ Little Bunny Quilts + Preeti @ Sew Preeti Quilts

5/21- Detour

Laura @ Slice of Pi Quilts + Shelley @ The Carpenter's Daughter Who Quilts