Improv Piecing and Quilting for the Off Season Project Quilting Challenge

Spontaneous or Improv Piecing is a way of creating by piecing strips and pieces together in a random method to form a quilt block and/or a quilt. I made a table runner.

I started with a colorful center and rounded it with various strips and pieces of cream fabrics to form rectangular blocks. 

Then I randomly put it together lengthwise to make a table runner.

It is ready to quilt.
A photo "Before the Improv Quilting" and...

... a photo "After the Improv Quilting".

It's almost quilted.

After the quilting was complete I stitched the binding.

Several years ago, I created my Textures Quilt Pattern. It is an organized way to create an artsy quilt. It is available on Craftsy.com in My Craftsy Store.

Visit Marcia Wachuta - Crafty Sewing and Quilting's Craftsy Pattern Store »




I used the same construction method to create my Spontaneous or Improv Quilted Table Runner.

A few photos of the backside.

What a fun challenge!  Thanks again Kim for challenging me!

I am linking up my quilted project at Persimmons Dreams for the April Off Season Challenge.  We have the whole month to create during the off season.  Click on the link to see all of the completed projects so far .... and then go back at the end of April to see all of them!  Click HERE.

Remember to take time for you during the May for Me Celebration!

Click here!

and 

Click here for the Pre - Giveaway!

Enjoy!

Marcia

My Indepence Challenge for Project Quilting

It is very typical for me to start out making a quilt and then come up with another idea and change it all around!  That is why this quilt, that I created is perfect for the Independence Challenge. 

I will be publishing a PDF Quilt Pattern in August on Craftsy.com using charm blocks for the quilt, instead of doing a transformation on the Rainbow Quilt. That is the quilt made from 6 fat quarters. The PDF Quilt Pattern will have all the exact measurements, so you can make the quilt too.  I will post when I share it in my Craftsy Pattern Store.

If you missed the first post about my Rainbow Transformation for the Independence Project Quilting Challenge click here and then come back to here for this post.

Yes, I did make several changes.

First, I made five large 4-patches using the 7 inch squares and a couple of the small 4-patches.

Then I cut some of the 7 inches squares into 6 inch squares.

Spread them out on the guest bed. Time to pause and view.

I liked the white spaces in between the blocks. So, more pausing and viewing and brainstorming.

I stitched a white strip to one side of the large 4-patch blocks and the 6 inch and 7 inch and small 4-patch blocks.

Next, I stitched a white strip to the bottom side of each block.  I stitched the smaller blocks together to form a rectangular block that measured the same width of the larger block.

I spread them out on the guest bed again and stitched them together in 3 vertical rows.

Next, I stitched the 3 rows together and added white borders on one side of the quilt and top side of the quilt.

I found the perfect backing fabric - a blue checked fabric.

I quilted it.

I selected a lite blue and green for the thread for the Two Color Ribbon Quilting.

Here are some up close photos of the quilting and the quilt blocks.

The Ribbon Quilting looks like windy roads!

This quilt will be given as a gift to a new baby! I quilted in his name and birth date and Made with Love by Marcia and Ritch.

I used a Zig Zag Stitching for the all machine stitched binding.

Here's a full view of the quilt.

I folded it up. It is ready to take to the new parents for their new baby.

I will linking up this post over at Persimmons Dreams for the July Project Quilting Challenge.

Here is a sneak peak of the same quilt made with charm squares.

I will be publishing a PDF Quilt Pattern in August on Craftsy.com using charm blocks for the quilt. The PDF Quilt Pattern will have all the exact measurements, so you can make the quilt too.  I will post when I share it in my Craftsy Pattern Store.

Enjoy!

Marcia

Rainbow Transformation Quilt

I started my quilt for the "Indepence Challenge" for Project Quilting for the month of July.

Click here to read the challenge.

How am I inspired by the word "independence"? 

Recently, a friend of mine said I always change quilt patterns when I make them. I guess I do! But I like to add my creative spin to them. 

She was making a quilt that I really liked and I said, I would like to make it too.  She said, "you will just change it" and she laughed. I smiled... I think that was the first time I realized, I really like to switch things around.  I don't think I have ever made a quilt following the pattern exactly.

I have wrote and published several quilt patterns and all of them give you the freedom to make changes.  

For example, The Easy to Sew Quilt Pattern is a pattern, I designed to create a unique quilt every time you make it. It is a step by step way to create "Artsy" quilt blocks in an orderly fashion. It places five fabrics in a balanced position in the quilt block and it looks great every time you make it.

Recently, I designed the Rainbow Quilt Pattern.  This pattern uses six fat quarters to create a fast and easy baby or lap quilt. It efficiently uses the whole fat quarter.

Both of the patterns are available as a PDF Downloadable at Craftsy.com. Click Here.

Yes I like to make changes.

Yes I like to create unique quilts.

And Yes for the Independence Challenge I am going to use the Rainbow Quilt Pattern and make changes.

I selected eight fabrics - not six fabrics.

I did not have a fat quarter of some of the fabrics. I selected plaids, blenders, and one novelty print.  I used the novelty print as the focus fabric to choose the other fabrics. I cut the pieces following the instructions for the Rainbow Quilt.

I started to lay them out in a scattered pattern, but you know how I am, I will probably come up with another idea tomorrow!

We have a whole month to create a quilted project for the Off Season Project Quilting Challenge. Hop over and check it out.

 Thanks for following along.

Enjoy!

Marcia

A Star Panel with my Daisy Fabrics

 All my daisy fabrics... how do you choose?

Maybe blue?

Yes to yellow!

More yellow.

And I love the blue fabric too!

Peel off the heat and bond paper.

Press/ iron the panel unto white fabric. I adhered it to white fabric as I changed my mind on chopping up the star. I was going to chop and scatter on fabric and press them in place and then quilt.  Going in another direction means I need a backing on the panel.

Where should I cut?

I think right in the center --- I can cut four sections there.

I started cutting, but I did not cut each piece exactly the same, but kind of close to the same section for each one. 

Where should I cut the next pieces?

I cut the pieces right into the border.

I think I can get a small piece from the last sections.

Now I have 16 blocks. I love the blocks with the yellow fabrics!

I randomly stitched yellow fabric strips on all four sides of each block.
The strips were all 1 1/4 inch.

I put the quilt blocks together like I constructed my Denim Quilt Block, but for this quilt I used strips all the same size. The PDF Downloadable Pattern for the Denim Quilt Block is only $1.00 at Craftsy.com 
Here is the direct link: Click Here.

I had to add more strips to the smaller blocks on the corners.

I like it, but I had laid it out on the blue fabric and then another idea came to me.

I should add blue border strips!

So I did! I like it!

It is ready to quilt.

I selected to quilt it somewhat traditionally with a small meandering and lazy daisies.  It's my favorite quilting next to thread painting.

I embroidery stitched a blue floral print on for the binding.

I placed it on my dining room table with some of my blue dishes and glasses.

I flipped it over so you can see the backside.

And the corner where I stitched my name and you can see the embroidery stitched binding, up close.

My Star Daisy Quilt is ready for my table and ready to link up for the Off Season Project Quilting June Challenge. Click Here for the link to that post where all the quilt projects are linked up there.

Enjoy!

Marcia