At this point I have sewn two sides of the improv round. It’s looking so cool! I love the wildness of this project. The colors always felt like summer to me and now the patchwork has a busy, brash summery buzz too.
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I am so, so happy with how Pastelly turned out! This couldn’t have happened if I had forced myself to finish the project before I was ready and before my mood matched the energy and colors of the work. These days I am feeling so much lighter, and this quilt is a manifestation of that joy.
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I am a member of the European/Dutch circle of do. Good Stitches. We collaborate on charity quilts throughout the year and donate them to various good causes. Now we’re starting a new quilt again after the summer break. The assignment? Improv Floating Squares blocks, as inspired by the first score of The Improv Handbook for Modern Quilters.
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It is very nice about improv that you can end at what seems like the intended destination, even if you usually did not know where you were going along the way. Is life like that too, I wonder? I think we mostly make it so, for our peace of mind.
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The first time that my boyfriend Floris visited my sewing room, he appreciated that pastel cluster of wonky patchwork. At the time I was considering abandoning the project, but his attention sparked something. Now, several months later, I have room in my head and in my creative schedule for messing around a bit. Yesterday, I invited Floris to join me in the creative process.
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This is Kale and Carrots because the colors and energy remind me of a late summer garden. The big, leafy greens are bolting in every direction and the earthy orange carrots are ready to be plucked. Everything is a bit topsy turvy, but in a healthy sort of way that indicates life and abundance.
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Sometimes sewing that first block is the easiest. You begin with so much energy, so much enthusiasm. But sometimes the first block is the hardest. To improvise is to welcome change, answer challenge and celebrate the serendipitous. With such a project I know that I am growing too.
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It is the first day of August, the warmest month, when the wild days of summer burn themselves out. I have begun a new quilt with green as my mental starting point. Lively, living green. It brings the energy of growth and the relaxing cool of the shade.
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The other day I found myself between projects and decided, on a whim, to dive into a box of orphan blocks. If I feel like facing the challenge of making do with such elements, I shouldn’t waste the opportunity! Here we go.
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Today we wrap up the After the Rain sew-along with some tips for creating an improv quilt back using your leftovers. It’s time to get this work-in-progress ready for quilting!
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I loved the making of this quilt at every stage: squaring up crumb scraps, puzzling together quilt blocks and watching my Confetti collection grow and grow on my design wall. If I liked it almost too much to finish, that obviously means that I should make another.
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Across the world parents are suddenly finding themselves crisis homeschoolers due to Coronavirus protocols. With no preparation, no research, no support groups or choice in the matter. No surprise that it’s been a tough transition. Here’s a confetti of basic homeschooling tips to make next week go a bit better.
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This month I’ve been catching my in between moments like drops of water in a jar. Drip by drip, my efforts seem small, but over time they gather themselves up into something more. Would you like to see more of my process?
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Sometimes it’s best to stop everything and indulge in a little fabric play. My teeny tiny crumb scraps beguiled me with their miniature, boxy ways.
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Cutting and sewing ruler-free just doesn’t feel good right now. Perhaps it’s because my life has been a bit freeform for much too long. I miss strong rhythms that work for us to shape and support our days.
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After reflecting on the quilts that capture moments of Eleni’s story, I felt inspired to start something new to reflect this time of transition in our lives. The immigrant experience sets everything topsy turvy.
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When I make a quilt like this, I become more free to be myself. I choose to put myself out there in a tangible way. It takes courage to even try to make something that embodies strong feelings…
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When we first told our family about our dream to relocate overseas, their response was shock, confusion, skepticism and deeply hurt feelings. It was one of the only times in my life that I wondered if being honest was best.
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