Improv Like a Boss - TGIFF! & A GIVEAWAY

Welcome! So glad you could drop by for a little TGIFF! action... I have a special finish to share today (and...just maybe a prize...)


This year my Guild hosted their very first Executive Challenge. We picked three paint chips out of a brown paper bag and then we tried to make a quilt out of those colors. I'm here to tell you, I got lucky on my choices. Green, yellow, blue. No challenge there since they are my go to colors. I decided I needed to make this a wee bit more challenging and set some personal goals.

First, use only fabric and supplies from my stash. Success! I started with a Kona to match each color and then pulled some prints and low volumes.

Then I challenged myself to Improv. That's right people. I did not use a ruler for this entire project until it came time to bind. I know right. Take a deep breath. Its all over now and I did great!

If you are new to my bog here is a secret - I don't do improv. I worship the pattern. Oh sweet patterns. BUT I was determined. Armed with a sparkly new copy of  The Improv Handbook for Modern Quilters by Sherri Wood I read every detail and then started cutting squares. With no Ruler!  I have to tell you I am in love with this book. If you are a pattern girl but want to branch out? Start here!

Even though my focus was imporv, I still wanted the star to be the colors, since that was the challenge. So I kept it simple with the color grading from blue to yellow. I joined squares to make small units, joined those units together, then again into bigger units (you get the point) until I ran out of fabric.

I did really random straight lines for the quilting. I admit I am not thrilled with the quilting on this. I was in a time crunch and quilted it on an older machine that just does not have the quilting chops of the Janome. So there is a lot of distortion going on. But, overall I am super happy with how this challenge turned out. I even hung it in my living room!

I revealed this quilt last week at the Maritime Modern Quilt Guild meeting along with 19 other members who made some amazing pieces.

I know some of you like a good backside, so here it is...

The guild is running an on-line viewers Choice Contest over on their blog. You can hop on over and see the other fabulous quilts! So much talent in our group. Have fun trying to pick just one to vote for!

So this was fun! Thanks for stopping by TGIFF! If you are new to Chezzetcook, please stay and take a look around. If you are a regular visitor...hey! Thanks for coming back :)

Now it's your turn!  Link up your finishes and link back to the TGIFF! party so your readers can find us and link up too! I can't wait to see what you've finished this week!

AND

If you have made it to the end of this post you deserve a chance to win your very own copy of  The Improv Handbook for Modern Quilters.  Simply leave a comment and tell me if you are partial to improv or patterns. I'll announce the winner next Friday!

Finish on!
Adrienne

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