Scrappy Improv Quilt : :

This weekend I finally finished up my Scrappy Improv quilt! I'm sooo excited!! It took me a little longer than I thought it would -- beginning Friday, continuing into Saturday, with a nice walk and lots of picture taking on Sunday. It feels really good to be finished with this one!



The final measurement is 68" x 80"! This quilt was made using a quilt-as-you-go method, so for finishing I simply added a few long stitches, running both ways, a 1/2" from each of the quilting seams. I chose to leave the pieced backing large and did an easy peasy roll-over binding to finish. If you look back through the posts for this particular quilt, you can see how it all came together. It was quite the process!



The front of my quilt is made up entirely of the scraps I've accumulated from all the projects I've made over this last year or so, and I finished off the back with five different one yard cuts of aqua & red fabrics pieced together randomly. I chose the aqua & red since from way back when I first began sewing I've wanted to make an all aqua and red quilt. Finishing this one with some of the fabrics I've saved for that quilt just seemed like the perfect thing to do.

Here we have two prints from Riley Blake Designs new collections Apple of my Eye, one from Millie's Closet, all from Skye Reve Fabrics. The others are a Riley Blake Red solid and a Michael Miller Red & Aqua Dumb Dots.



Now that's it's finished, if I'm being honest, there are several things I would have done differently with the overall design. Of course there always will be, but if I just look back it really was such a fun project! I didn't plan anything about it, not even the Improv girl in the corner. I just had an idea and decided to give it a go. It was great to have a project that didn't require much thought,  just fun! Now I have this beautiful, large quilt for my family to use, a lot less scraps taking up space in my studio, and a keepsake that is very special to me.



I see a hundred different projects when I look at it, it's wonderful!



 ♥ Maureen

Scrappy Improv Quilt Top : :

Hooray! It's finished!!! But first I want to say a BIG Thank You! to those of you who shared your sewing stories with me yesterday. It was fun and very touching to read how and when your own sewing adventure began. No matter how you started out, I am so very glad you've found me!



In between reading and responding to your comments, I was finally able to finish up my Scrappy Quilt top! I did quilting-as-you-go, so I'm not at all far from having this one completely finished!! Here's a big, messy photo of that last panel of my four newest scrappy blocks, just before I added them to the quilt.

Oh, the fun I had making this quilt! Let's look back, shall we!

I had lots of help! From little improv block designers...



To those eager and willing to show off their quilt holding skills.

I had the most fun making up my "Improv Quilter Block" and the response I received when I shared her was amazing!! I still can't believe it!



I'm excited today to add this project to the Festival of Scrappiness happening over at Stitched In Color! The scrappy creations to be seen are marvelous and very inspiring!

If I'm being honest, there are several things about my scrappy quilt that I would love to change, but today I'm letting those thoughts go. 1. Because the deadline to join in the festival ends today. :) 2. Because there will always be new scraps that can be made into something new and beautiful. It's true!!



There are also a few things I do really love about this quilt as it is.

This corner, there is just something about it that I really love!



This photo, of my daughter helping her best friend up the ladder, while mine is holding my quilt for me!



We put in a great effort to get those outdoor quilt photos yesterday, but the indoor ones just turned out better. I'm learning that taking the perfect quilt photo is an art form all on it's own. One that is not so natural for me. :)

Most of all, I love seeing all of the many little projects that went into making this quilt. It's like a scrap book in quilt form, that only I (and maybe you too, if you closely follow my daily makings. lol) can really see. It makes all that went into making this quilt seem enormous and that's pretty special.

Happy Sewing, friends!!

Scrappy Improv Quilt : :

Boy was this impossible to get a photo of! Mr. Cracknell Handmade wasn't home and because I did quilting-as-you-go with this one, it is much too heavy to hang with washi tape! Here's how it went...

On the floor? Nope!



Remember my improv lady quilter?



On the table? Not good!



On the sofa? Alright, at least you can see the size here.



From the side? I do like it with my Anthro bolster!



With Jacob's help? He's very excited about this quilt!



Better, but honestly just look at this photo!? If you can't tell that I absolutely LOVE fabric and sewing by this image alone, well then... Really?

Just after my poor child whimpered, "Mom, my arms are hurting!" lol My husband was home, walked in and said, "I think it needs to be bigger!" And so...what I thought might be my finished scraps quilt top remains a wip and believe me, I'll be sure to get those perfect pictures for when it's D.O.N.E! Stay tuned, friends!!

p.s. Be sure to enter my Stubby Pencil Studio Easter Giveaway right here!!

Improv Blocks -- I Love You : :

I finished up two more scrappy patchwork blocks yesterday by early afternoon. I thought I was done sewing for the day and had planned to share them today. I made some tea, and then I had an idea that I had to try right away! With my tea in hand, I headed back up to my room, I did a little sketch, and then I started piecing.



I know that my other scrappy patchwork blocks are considered improvisational quilting, but this felt SO much different. It was the most fun I have ever had sewing! I couldn't believe it was coming together just how I had hoped. And, it looked good? And YES!, I was doing it all on purpose! LOL



If I wasn't working from just my scraps, it would have been much easier, that's for sure. Finding enough white-ish colored scraps for piecing around my girl was a challenge. I used every last one! Good news, I still have a few more Bottled Rainbow Quilt Blocks to make, so I should have a few more soon.



My new (new) plan is to have this block be the bottom left corner of my Scraps Quilt. So, the quilt corner she's holding becomes the quilt itself?



Now I am wondering if I should just leave this as a mini scraps quilt and keep my other all scrappy patchwork? I am quilting as you go, so it's already quilted. I would just have to figure out how to finish off the back if I were to leave this a mini? And, I am seriously in love with improv quilting now, so this certainly won't be the last time I make something like this. What do you think? What would you do?



I wish I had better pictures to share today, but it's a dark and rainy day here, so these are all I have. I look forward to hearing your thoughts! I really appreciate all the comments on my scrappy progress post from yesterday! You guys are the best!!

p.s. I have a giveaway (here's a peek) starting tomorrow, along with a few others throughout the next couple of weeks in celebration of my two year blog-iversay on January 30th!!! Be sure to stop by for a chance at some gorgeous bundles of fabric!!

Take care, friends! ♥ Maureen

Scrappy Progress Pics { and a little rambling } : :

I had so much fun, working late into the night on my Scraps Quilt. I had shared this photo below on my facebook page last night and got some wonderful positive feedback, which felt so great!! And, I have almost two more blocks finished since these were taken.



This project is just so perfect for me right now, I am really loving it. As someone who admittedly struggles with quilting, I feel like I am finding my quilting niche with this project. And that feels really great!



I've learned, in these last almost two years of sewing, that I am not a pattern follower. I've tried and I just never get it right. I'm that way with sewing, knitting, cooking... It's really best for me to just read the directions and then go for it without following the rules exactly, but to just use them as I guide. Most of the time it works, or it forces me to create my own patterns and projects, which is good. But sometimes it's a little frustrating, too.



There are some patterns that I really, really want to tackle this year -- Anna's 241 Tote pattern, a Swoon Quilt, and lots of Jeni's Lined Drawstring Bags, to name a few. I know I'll get to them eventually!



Today, the scrappy mess and progress continues!



I'm linking up at Freshly Pieced for Wip Wednesday! How about you, what are you up to today?

Happy Wednesday, friends!  ♥

Noticing : :

I was really excited to read that so many of you are loving the tangerine and teal as much as me. My hubby even noticed the stack and commented that they were "nice." YES! Pillowcases here I come! Finally. I've been hoarding my Outfoxed with hopes to turn them into new cases for us, but since my stack from yesterday has a few in there, I think it's meant to be! I already have a lampshade that will match perfectly, too!

Yesterday, I made my first birthday crown orders of the New Year and I'm finally getting ready to re-list them in my shop. While I "worked," I took notice to a few things myself...

-- My little studio collections. I guess I have never shared all the different things I do collect here. There are quite a few indeed, but that deserves a separate post. These are my clothespins, spools, and some of my needles. They looked so nice yesterday sitting in the sunlight.



-- How much I love my new Anke Wechmann calendar. I should probably open it to January, eh? It's just so pretty!



-- That I subconsciously match my surroundings. alot. And I'm not sure if I do this before I begin working and choose fabrics to match me? Or that I know what I'll be working on/with, so I dress accordingly? Either way, it definitely, accidentally, always happens.



And today, I plan to make some major progress on my Scraps Quilt. I haven't touched it since Friday night when it looked like this. I was trying to catch some pretty light coming through my favorite window, but I'm sad to say I missed it.



My new plan is to make 9 large 20" x 20" (ish) blocks. I will be quilting as I go since they'll each be different and so very, super scrappy.

I'm hoping for a great sewing day! How about you?