Circle Play
Circle Play is the result of a weekend of relaxed stitching in my quilt room. Having just finished two projects that required much thinking and concentration, I rewarded myself with some fun play. For me, that means improv.
As I started looking for fabric, I found this bold print in my stash. I have had this fabric for years and used it in this and that. I cannot recall the name of the designer or line, unfortunately. These pieces are the very last that I have, so why not have some fun?
I had small pieces of each of these fabrics, with the exception of the orange, which was a one-yard piece.
I chose improv curves, cutting the curves freehand, stitching them together, and then fracturing them. There is something incredibly fun and freeing to just cut and stitch at random, without really knowing how the end result will look.
I just enough of the low volume print to use as background for the quilt top. I had just enough orange for the backing, with a little tweaking, which you’ll see below.
I get so involved in the sewing, I completely forget to take progress photos, so here is the finished runner.
Our locust tree was kind enough to provide the confetti leaf backdrop for the runner. Fall is coming! Even in the shade, the sun washes out the green in this photo. The blocks are much more vibrant than they look here.
The orange fabric was just a little short, so I made my first pieced backing.
I haven’t done wavy quilting in awhile, and I had forgotten how much I enjoy the texture it creates. It really pops on the back of the quilt. For something a little different, I used Aurifil 50 wt in olive green (#2910) for the quilting.
Circle Play measures 16″ x 46″. I have no plan for this runner; I just made it for fun. It will either stay with me, be gifted, or possibly sold.
I do have some tiny pieces of scraps left, so maybe I’ll make another improv project, like the one in this post.
How about you? What did you sew over this weekend?
Wendy
I Like Thursday #44
23 Comments
marissthequilter
I can see you had fun! You certainly have put that lovely fabric to good use. Your mentioning of fall has prompted me to say that there is a feeling spring in the air here and I have been planting seeds
Cindy P
What a fun looking piece! Fall can hold off awhile longer.
karenfae
nice and bright – will make a great runner. I notice here too a couple trees that tend to have an early fall – an elm in the back always starts to get faded leafs early it seems and one in the front almost always has a branch or two that will start to turn way before other. I didn’t get a lot of sewing done this weekend but a little piecing as always
Katherine Duquette
Wendy, your sewing for fun weekend was successful. The fabric choices of autumn/fall colors, so pretty and the little leaves dropping from the tree in your photo is a reminder fall is on the way. My quilty weekend was spent making tomato jam and basil jelly.
Happy sewing.
Nancy Bekedam
Fractured circles! Wow!!! So much fun! I love the leaf confetti in your photos, too. I’m always clearing those leaves away before photos, but I might have to try and use them for the confetti effect in future photos.
Helen
Always, always a big fan of your improvs!
catpatches
That turned out super cute. You’re very creative with your improv. When I try something like that, I sound like David Letterman, asking “Is it anything?”
Yvonne @Quilting Jetgirl
Wow, you had just the perfect amounts of fabric! It looks like a fun weekend of sewing and quilting. 🙂
Vicki in MN
I am jealous of your playtime and your ability to do improv. Love your end result! You really need to do play-by-play photos for me LOL.
Diann@LittlePenguinQuilts
Wendy, that is really neat! I liked your fabric pull for it right away – the inspiration floral is great and I really like the orange, too. When you say you cut the curves free hand, do you mean without drawing the curve, just with scissors? I haven’t experimented enough with curves yet, but keep thinking I want to! Love your finish!
Needle and Foot
Really pretty!! The size of your pieces is so proportional even though free hand. Great finish. Love seeing those tiny leaves. – I am more than ready for fall!!
Victoria Clendenon
I love it! You created a wonderful masterpiece!
ROCHELLE SUMMERS
love it all. The fact that you rewarded yourself makes me smile. The colors are great, the design is great, the quilting is great, and it all comes together to make a beautiful runner.
Cocoa Quilts
Great piece Wendy! I do love that orange and the pieced back is perfect. I would say it is a keeper.
quiltinggail
Looks like you had fun and made a beautiful runner! 🙂
Sandra Walker
Deadlines and requirements are fun, yes, and gratifying, but sometimes even more so, because it feeds our soul, is the joy of just creating something, anything, just because. And with such beautiful fabrics too. Lovely fun piece!
lapaylor
good design!!! You’re using your creative spirit !
since you asked, I did a mock up piece of a new to me technique… turning one of my line drawings into little pieces to make a quilt… I like how it came out and now I know what to tweak before doing the more important piece.
another important thing was that I actually used my materials and made something. I used my head to design it.
All good, right?
LeeAnna
rl2b2017
Hi Wendy! Wow – you really have this circle piecing down pat now. This is a fabulous piece! I just LOVE all the fabrics you chose and especially your design. And your staging is really spot on – you have a true design eye. ~smile~ Roseanne
Quilting is in my Blood
What a great improv project! And the curves just add to the fun. I definitely want to do more improv playing, but it will have to wait until I cross several projects off my list! Take care, Mary.
Kathleen McCormick
I love the way you play and come up with such fun projects. This is no exception. The wavy lines are perfect, too.
Louise Hornor
This is a particularly fun one, Wendy! I love the bright colors and the happy, free-form circles. Makes me want to sew curves again soon 🙂
helen
I saw this on instagram and loved how such a busy vibrant pattern looked so different when it was cut and chopped yet still shone out
Carol Andrews
Ooh! This is a fun, vibrant piece of improv work Wendy. I love it!