Improv Finish
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 . . .
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.
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.
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
I Like Thursdays #28
35 Comments
marissthequilter
You must be feeling pleased with yourself Wendy at finishing this lovely quilt, a real symbol of hope. You have inspired me to start on that orange and green tree quilt that I have been thinking about for a while now. Easter blessings to you
Cindy
Hosanna was worth the wait to see. Well done I love it!!
karenfae
that is a neat piece it will make a lovely wall hanging
Julie Holleran
Perfect Spring piecing–your improv is lovely…HAPPY EASTER to you and yours…~ ~ ~ Julierose
Nancy Bekedam
What a wonderful finish, Wendy!!! Great use of green strips. Perfect timing–Happy Easter! He is risen!!!
katyquilts
This is beautiful! And so totally appropriate. Lovely work. Happy Easter!
Barbara
Great finish! I love it!
My Sewful Retirement
What a stunning finish Wendy — definitely worth the wait ! Blessings to you and your family this Easter!
Vicki in MN
You have this improv stuff down really good! I love the beautiful spring greens, perfect for the beginning of our spring. The perfect quilting for it also. Happy Easter!
Jayne
Love it! It reminds me of the sprouting plants (and weeds) coming up everywhere. Fresh and springy! I agree on the binding too! It’s the perfect frame. Well done! I may need to get this book. I’ve seen so many amazing projects inspired from it lately.
Linda
I got goosebumps when I saw your improv and the title. What a beautiful quilt. I love the green outline, and the “slab leaves” are all gorgeous together!
Sandi
Your little quilt is so cute!! It’s so fresh looking too. Hugs,
Helen
I love the improv quilt, its title, and the reason behind making it. Happy Easter. He is risen!
StoriedQuilts
Wendy, I’m loving all your improvs!
Needle and Foot
So pretty and vibrant. Green is my favorite color so this is just lovely to me. You will love using it each spring as you tire of wintry weather and look forward to green growth. Have a wonderful Easter Wendy.
Kathleen McCormick
WOW! I totally love this and this is such a great quilt and really says Hosana! I wish I had it for my door for Palm Sunday! Perfect!!!! You are a pro at improv.
Yvonne @Quilting Jetgirl
The green frames the piece nicely. I find improv satisfying because it’s easy to know when to stop (no more fabric)! Beautiful and timely finish. Happy Easter!
Diann Bottrell
That is really wonderful, Wendy! I love how you were inspired to play, and ended up with something that says Spring and hope. The lime green binding is so perfect for framing this quilt, too! Happy Easter to you and your family!
Maureen
So flippin’ cute!
lapaylor
woohoo what a finish! I love it!
and looks like zoom is on for tomorrow, don’t know if I’m over worried or they are underworried but I loved meeting people last time!
Dawn Tornes
Great job with your Improv piecing! I love the name of your quilt…so perfect for this time of year! I also really enjoy Nicholas Ball’s Inspiring Improv book!
Quilting is in my Blood
This improv project is wonderful. It truly is the essence of spring and growth.
Zenia Rene
Bravo Wendy! It’s fantastic and the name is awesome! Hosanna! I watched his Triangles sewalong. It looks so fun! I’m definitely going to be making a triangles quilt some day.
Mickie
Very cool Wendy!!! Love it!
thedarlingdogwood
Wow, this is beautiful! I am admittedly not a big improv fan but this looks like fun and came out gorgeous! I love your placement of the leaves and all the greens in both the leaves and the stem. The quilting is a pefec echo! And I agree that the green binding is a great one-more-touch-of-green. What a lovely finish for spring!
Cocoa Quilts
Wendy those green are beautiful. They really make me thing spring is here. Lovely quilting around those leaves. Hope you have a blessed Easter.
rl2b2017
Hi Wendy! What a wonderful finish and an even better story behind the finish. I hope you are truly feeling all of God’s love this weekend as you celebrate Easter with your peeps. {{Hugs}} Happy Easter, my friend. ~smile~ Roseanne
Preeti
It is a lovely finish, Wendy. Love all the greens and the echo quilting is a perfect complement to the improv pieced leaves. Hope you are staying safe and sane. Hugs from afar.
quiltedblooms
Love everything about this…the greens you chose, the varied sizes of the leaves and especially the title!
knitnkwilt
Nice! I like the echo quilting and the binding is perfect.
Turid
Such a beautiful and cute quilt. I love scrappy quilts like this.
Jocelyn Thurston
Your improv finish is just wonderful. I loved seeing all the greens and fabrics up close. Wonderful, Wendy!
Dione @ Clever Chameleon
Hi Wendy – how good and refreshing this little project is. I love how it evolved, and what it means and just the lovely green freshness to it. I hope you find a lot of uses for it. Thanks for linking to Colour & Inspiration Tuesday.
Katherine Duquette
I liked your piece so much I ordered the Improv book.
Wendy, thank you for sharing your work. I will post the piece I get Inspired to do from reading the book.
Sandra
Wonderful work Wendy! I’ve been seeing something similar to this, trees, leaves, with my overflowing strips in all colours to do as my main RSC this year. It reminds me of the sprout blocks Diann did last year. I love the green binding! Thanks for linking up with DrEAMi!