Sunday 3 April 2016

a touch of improv


Nothing like a bit of retail therapy to get inspired!







I initially didn't have any plans for my 3 new fabrics- a pretty Riley Blake floral and a couple of matching geometrics. I was simply going fold them up nicely and look at them sitting all pretty on the shelf for a bit. But instead, I began to pull out some scrappy bits of fabrics from my stash, ones that blended, ones that highlighted... and suddenly, I got totally carried away trying out a bit of improv sewing!




I've had a picture of an Amy Butler quilt pinned up on my noticeboard for a little while now, colourful & energetic, made using an eclectic mix of fabrics, just the sort of quilt that I love! There were no measurements or pattern. Feeling creative apprehensive brave, I had a little play, my quick unpick on standby! I started out small, making a little centre section, and then made bigger components as I progressed outwards.

Here's a few progress pics taken over a few days...











my favourite tool has to be my 'design floor'
... I still see a few gaps... now where did I put that initial little centre section...












A fun challenge, making up sections, and finding a way to put them together. It wasn't what you would call' free form' improv, as I did use a ruler, rotary cutter, and I measured each completed strip as I went, to make sure I was keeping within my self-made boundaries.

And of course, things certainly changed along the way, but here is what I ended up with
... h-m-m- what do I call it?
... maybe 'my moderne utility quilt'?



Linking up this week to:
 'oh scrap' here
to 'sew can she' over here
 to #brave quilter here
and to Needle & Thread Thursday here

a bit more #46
*EDIT: just spotted this
Improvisation category from the QuiltCon 2016 exhibitions
part 1 here, and pop over here for part 2
Such a stunning range of styles!


19 comments:

Robby said...

I think you call it 'lovely', as it's quite nice.

Heather said...

It is very lovely, and turned out so harmonious. Hope you are free sometime to bring it along to one of our meetings.

Mystic Quilter said...

Love it!! I have the blue and orange Loominous in my collection and have been pondering how i would actually fit into a quilt - beautifully is the answer after seeing this photo!

Julie said...

A very pretty quilt. I like that Riley Blake floral - do you have the name of it?

Linda @ kokaquilts said...

Thanx Julie. Yes, it's Chatsworth Cream Main, Emily Taylor Design for Riley Blake Designs.

Linda @ kokaquilts said...

Thank you Maureen! It's a lovely fabric, heaps of potential!
In the end, I decided to use it to help the colour flow from one area to another, especially with the orange highlights in some places.

Linda @ kokaquilts said...

Thanx Heather. It was actually lots of fun to make – never mind that we had to step around it, with it all spread out on the family room floor, for several days!
Decisions take time, yes?

Megan said...

I love how you rustle up a new quilt so quickly! This looks really pretty.

gayle said...

Well, you could call it "Fun", because that's what it looks like from here!

Claire said...

The time you took at decision making paid off well. You have a wonderful flow of color and print. My favorite feature is the diamond repeat supplemented by the flying geese. claire aka knitnkwilt

Jennifer Fulton Inquiring Quilter said...

Lovely result! The mix of colors and tones is just perfect. And to think it was unplanned! Wow.

LIttle Penguin Quilts said...

The Riley Blake floral is so pretty, and I love the other fabrics that you put with it, too! Looks like you were very inspired!

Cynthia Brunz Designs said...

Very fun! I love the colors and fabrics. So glad you shared with Oh Scrap!

Kaja said...

This has worked so well! I love the mix of floral fabrics with the big check - an inspired combination, and the bits of dark red hold everything together. I like to work by making sections and then seeing how they fit together too.

Julie said...

I'm enjoying how you're using some of the bigger floral prints with plaids, solids, and low volume fabrics. Not an easy recipe, but I think they all play together nicely here. I can imagine an evening covered up with this beauty. Lots to look at, and I'm sure a joy to sew with so much color and pattern.

Thank you for linking up with #BraveQuilter, Linda.

pandchintz said...

Love it, Linda!! It looks fabulous and what fun you've had. Go girl!!

audrey said...

So interesting! Love how you put this together, piece by piece!

Anonymous said...

If you all saw all those sitting in a pile, you wouldn't think that they would go together! It looks like you had lots of fun putting it together.

Béa said...

Wow, love it ! piecing & fabrics +++