07 September 2024

Ad Hoc Improv News! Improv Art Quilt Fun with Borders!

My Improv Rail Fence Blocks Medallion with Border small art quilt top.

Sunflower Panel with Borders top finish.

 Hello quilt friends!

Improv art quilts with borders have been on my to do list and quilt tops are getting finished.

Do you have any Improv borders or art quilt tops finished?

I entered 3 of my small improv art quilts in the Washington State Fair for the first time.
And one of my quilts won a first place blue ribbon for its class. I am excited, the fair will finish in a few weeks and then I'll get it back, photo will follow.

What quilting adventures have you been up to?

I'll be by to visit!

13 June 2024

Improv Bramble Blooms 2 Quilt Along Design Decisions Progress

I added sashing and sawtooth borders here, using fabrics from my BB1 project and older fabrics.

I started with 4 'Old Italian' type blocks at Audrey's prompting.

 
Hello quilt friends!
Here's my quick progress report on BB2 QAL from Audrey at quiltyfolk.
Visit my post for more info at crazyvictoriana.blogspot.com

Happy Quilting!
 

19 May 2024

Finally, a finished SAHRR

 Finally, after a sewing mishap (see what I did to myself), a trip to the machine doctor, and loss of courage, I finally got back my machine and I finished quilting my SAHRR.


Made it into a baby quilt for St. Anne's Sewdality - our church group which makes baby quilts for low income first time mothers. I hope they like it.  Your quilts were spectacular! 

05 April 2024

Update on Improv BoM

Hi all, just a quick reminder that the new improv block comes out on the first Friday of each month, so April is now available.
Here's a review of what we have so far: January's Scrambles
February's Stripbusters
March's Skinnies
April's Floating Dots
If you're playing along, don't forget to post pictures on the Facebook group site. Have fun creating dots, Mary

19 February 2024

Always Late, but Still catching Up With the Prompts

 A little catch up post here for the latest challenges that I've been working on! I finally got the Positive Thinking quilt finished up. You can read more about it here if you like. This was an amazing outcome for a little seed of an idea that didn't seem super promising right at the beginning. For one thing, the color palette felt a little iffy to me!

And look at it now? It's the sort of thing that makes me so resolved to always try and meet these challenges, slow though I might be. It's just a good thing in terms of stretching ourselves! Just can't believe some of the quilts that I end up with by giving a little time and effort to an idea that maybe didn't feel genuinely inspiring at first. You know, because it didn't come from the heart. More like determination to see it through by hook or by crook? 
The free-spirited Sun of My Life quilt!
This quilt top is a result of working with the AHIQ:Sun prompt. Had to use up few yellow fabrics in another quilt before my mind would give me permission to start in on the 'real thing'. It's been quite the journey and yet, I'm so, so, so happy with the way it turned out. And with barely any yellow included? Isn't that interesting? These colors mixed with the improv. background, larger scale applique flowers and a funky sun? Too much fun. I find myself wanting to make more of these. Yes please!

Another sun 'cuz apparently one isn't enough!
Of course, I can see all the things that should've been done differently with the improv. pieced background, but how to successfully plan that part out  beforehand? Obviously more experience would help. You can read more about this project over here if you want. This has become a very late night for me trying to get these posts up so gonna have to keep this short and sweet!

I still intend to start a quilt with intended improv. borders like Janie has suggested for a new challenge. It feels like a good one! Really, really looking forward to this one after contemplating a half dozen possibilities.  Have to clear up my list a little bit and also, give time to one or two more starts before I dive into the brand new prompt. Just can't quite let a couple other ideas go in the event they languish too long and fizzle out on me....

p.s. I'm pretty sure these small, darker brown hourglass blocks were the abandoned parts from an earlier AHIQ prompt. I did eventually meet the challenge, but these hourglasses were the wrong size and had to be discarded. Love that they ended up in another AHIQ challenge attempt! 

05 February 2024

AHIQ News! Progress on Bramble Blooms QAL, Design Decision 3 Coneflowers with Raw Edge Applique, Borders Next..

Auditioning my design layout....

Raw edge machine applique started..

Ready for first border...

 

Hello AHIQ'ers!

I'm posting my progress on the Bramble QAL hosted by Audrey at Quilty Folk

Linda @ kokaquilts inspired me to get going and make some progress. I found a couple of tutorials that made sense to me on raw edge applique and gave it a try. 

Stop in to my blog and get more progress report. Check in to Quilty Folk for more tips on the project.

Have a great day, I'll be by to visit.

24 January 2024

The Peace Quilt

My sister and I both have December birthdays.  We are 11 years and 11 days apart.
My little sister is no longer little.  She made this quilt for her 37 year old daughter with ovarian cancer.  Alexis is autistic with TBI and daily migraines. She has always lived at home.  She loves peace signs.
Improv with love as my sister and I collected peace sign fabric.  I found the flannel backing at JoAnn's for $4 a yard..Bingo. I have not visited this site in forever.   Happenstance had me find it and a place to post Alexis' new happy...peace..quilt. xoxo