Improv Quilting

Improv Quilting

Sarah Ashford, obsessive quilter and fabric lover shares how to embrace the freedom that comes with a more organic approach to quilting and ‘letting go’ of the traditional rules!

Mismatched points, irregular widths of fabric and total disregard of measurements are enough to strike fear into many a quilter’s heart. But improvisational quilting, better known as ‘improv quilting’ can be a thing of beauty and a liberating process too. It’s my belief in life, as well as in quilting, that you should learn the rules first before you break them.

Precision quilting and knowledge of traditional blocks are without doubt important and valuable skills to learn, and the majority of the quilts I’ve made conform to this, but now that I know these ‘rules’ I sometimes like to have fun with Improv, and see where the creative process takes me.

What are the differences?

One of the main differences between improv quilting and traditional blocks is the process. When you piece a traditional block, you plan your fabrics and colours in advance and have a fairly good idea what the block is going to look like before you’ve stitched it. With improv quilting the process is more organic making design decisions and fabric choices, adding in whatever feels ‘right’ or pleases the eye as you go along. Sometimes it might be a case of choosing the fabric that’s nearest to you!

The great thing about Improv is there really are no rules. So I really encourage you to have a play, do what works for you, work organically and most of all have some fun with fabric!

How to get started

But if working this way seems a little daunting, why not use a traditional block as a starting point and go from there. A log cabin block is a good one to start with and a great opportunity for some fussy cutting too. Start with an irregular square (yes you can use a ruler and rotary cutter, but don’t do any measuring!) and slowly add strips around the square as you would for a traditional log cabin block. But rather than trimming them straight, vary the widths within the strip, make

The fabrics shown here are from the ColorMaster Designer curated collection by Amy Sinibaldi for Art Gallery Fabrics

them get wider or narrower – just have a play! When adlibbing, always make a block a good few inches larger than you need, and then trim it down to size. For example, if you’re making 12in blocks (as I have) make it up to 14in and then trim the block down accurately to 12½in.

I’ve worked in a similar way for the chevron block – adding irregular sized strips and choosing my fabrics as I go along, without planning too much at the outset. I’ve then trimmed up each half into an accurate 6½in x 12½in rectangles before stitching them together to create a 12½in block.

In the final block, I have made four smaller blocks, two with a central motif and two by stitching strips together and trimming down to size, before joining them all together.

If you want to maintain some regularity within your work, why not make a series of improv blocks, and sash them in a neutral colour and give them a border to create some structure and order. It can be useful to have a resting place for the eyes amidst all that irregularity.