improv quilts

Improv Finish

April 10, 2020

Having teased you long enough with photos of green plants and green strips, I have an improv finish to show you today. This was a definite DrEAMi project for me. Not much else got done while I was working on this. It all started with this book . . . 

This book is fast becoming a favorite - piecefulthoughts.com

Inspiring Improv by Nicholas Ball has become one of my favorite books on improv. He shares some fun techniques which leave room for plenty of inspiration and play. The book is available through Amazon (no affiliate). You can see my green leaves peeking out behind the book in this photo. 

My initial plan was to make a similar quilt as that in the book. However, as I was working on the leaves, I noticed mine were turning out different sizes, running smaller to larger. That got me thinking, so I played a bit. Here’s my quilt, Hosanna. 

Hosanna, an improv piece inspired by the book Inspiring Improv by Nicholas Ball - piecefulthoughts.com

Using the leaf technique in the book, I pulled green strips from my scraps and sewed them together. I didn’t plan to make 15 leaves, I just made them until I ran out of green slabs. 

Once the leaves were done, I put them on my design wall in an arrangement I liked. Then I pieced the stem, once again using my green scraps. The stem width was 2 inches, unfinished. 

I used the bottom two leaves as my baseline for the width of the quilt. For the other leaves, I added additional pieces of background fabric so I could get the width of the block while still lining up the stem. 

Detail photo of the quilting on this improv quilt - piecefulthoughts.com
More detail views of the quilting on my Hosanna improv quilt - piecefulthoughts.com
Close up detail of the quilting on my Hosanna improv - piecefulthoughts.com

Using my walking foot, I first outlined and echo quilted the leaves and stem using my favorite Aurifil Spring Green thread in my needle with Aurifil Dove Light Grey in my bobbin. I continued the echo quilting around the leaves in the background using Aurifil Dove Light Grey in both needle and bobbin. 

I had intended to give this piece a faced binding, but in the end I thought a little outline of green would frame the quilt nicely. 

Here are the details for this improv piece: 

  • Size: 16″ x 37″
  • Improv leaves from green scraps using Inspired Improv technique
  • Background and Backing Fabric: Kona Dove Light Grey
  • Binding Fabric: Moda Grunge Lime Punch
  • Thread: Aurifil Spring Green 50 wt. (#1231) and Dove Light Grey 50 wt. (#2600)
  • Batting: Hobbs 80/20
  • Quilted with walking foot. 

My family and I will be celebrating Easter this weekend, here in our home. Hosanna, my improv finish, is not only representative of God’s love for us, but also of the promise of spring and good things to come. Enjoy your weekend, my friends! Thanks for stopping by! 

I’ll be linking up today with: 

Wendy

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