Quilting

• 6 Comments

•

Welcome to my stop on the Scrappy Improv Quilting blog tour!

In 2018, I created Citrus Beach Retreat, my version of Kelly Young's Beach Retreat pattern from her first book, Stash Statement. Today I'm sharing a mini quilt from her latest book, Scrappy Improv Quilting. Both books are available from Kelly's Etsy shop or from large retailers like Amazon and Barnes and Noble.

One of my favorite ways to use fabric scraps is to sew them together into what I call a Scrappy Slab. My newest guild offering is a live lecture/demo on Zoom demonstrating my technique. In August, during my presentation for Tuleburg Quilt Guild, I sewed together my turquoise scraps which was the beginning of this quilt.

I chose to make Positivity, a 20" x 20" mini quilt. Mine features turquoise and navy scrappy improv paired with Kona Peapod for the background. I quilted with a variety of colors and weights of Aurifil in irregularly spaced vertical lines.

 

Kelly's book features 22 mini quilts in a variety of styles, all using her scrappy improv as the feature of the design. This is such a great way to get some of your fabric out of the scrap bin and into a finished quilt! And the book is packed with tips and tricks for every step in the quilt making process.

 

Scrappy Improv Quilting Blog Tour Schedule

8/31

Intro, Single Block Beauties, and Simple Shapes- Kelly @ My Quilt Infatuation

9/7

 

9/13

 

9/15

 

9/20

 

9/22

 

9/27

 

9/29

 

10/4

 

10/6

 

10/11

 

10/13
Sunset Crossing- Kate @ Katie Mae Quilts
Positivity- Sarah @ Sarah Goer Quilts (you are here!)

 

10/18

 

10/20
Sweet Bee (a bonus thank-you pattern), Finishing, and Wrap-Up- Kelly @ My Quilt Infatuation

 

Be sure to visit Kelly's blog, My Quilt Infatuation, as she is sharing all her versions of the quilts she made for her book.

• 4 Comments

•

Today was the first day of the last 100 days of 2021. Time sure flies. I've mentioned in recent blog posts that I did #99DaysofWIPs this summer, from Memorial Day to Labor day, focusing on WIPs that were started in classes. I finished three small bags, two pillow covers, and five quilts in that time. Plus progress on a handful of other projects.

Today I started #WIPsBeGone2021 with Leanne of Devoted Quilter. We're spending the last 100 days of 2021 working on WIPs (works in progress). This time I'm not limiting myself to class WIPs. And I'm aiming for larger finishes. First up is my 60" x 60" Tic Tac Toe Quilt (free block tutorial by Alyce of Blossom Heart Quilts). I have 25 blocks made for me by my old quilt bee, The Solid Seven. In August 2020 I asked them to make blocks in their choice of these Kona colors:

  • Breakers
  • Limelight
  • Lapis
  • Cabbage
  • Spruce
  • Pool
  • Blueberry
  • Cactus
  • Steel
  • Leaf
  • Spring
  • Cypress
  • Celestial
  • Nightfall

Today I took the pile out, put them up on the design wall without overthinking their placement, and started sewing them together. The first two rows of 10 blocks are all together now.

I absolutely love the interaction of the color combinations. My plan is to focus on this project until completion before I dig out my next WIP. I'm also working on a couple other things at the moment. :-)

•

Four years ago this week, I took an improv piecing workshop with Karen Foster of Capitola Quilter. She taught Improv Abstraction, using two methods of improv curves, for the workshop with Bay Area Modern. In my #99DaysofWIPs this summer I focused on projects that had been started in quilt workshops such as this one.

I used the remaining solids in these two colors, Kona Pewter and Nautical, to fill in and add to the blocks I'd created in the workshop.

I added smooth curve walking foot quilting, inspired by my recent walking foot class with Jacquie Gering. I started with a smooth curve across the quilt and then echoed that curve with more walking foot quilting. On the other side of the initial curve I created two sections and similarly echoed the gentle curves to fill the space.

I'm making an effort to us fabric from my stash, so I chose a yard of grey Moda Grunge fabric from my stash for the backing and a grey and white print for my binding. I machine bound the quilt. This baby quilt finishes at approximately 29" x 29".

Me daughter assisted me for a quick photo shoot at the park. I chose the orientation of the first three blocks I pieced (in the lower right center), because they reminded me of an AT-AT from Star Wars.

Have you tried smooth curves with a walking foot?

Thanks for visiting!