Quilt Improv Blog Hop & Giveaway!

This post is brought to you by my guest blogger + best friend + maid of honor + new Operations Manager for Jaybird Quilts, Rachael P. She has a couple previous guests posts for Jaybird Quilts from way back in 2010. Welcome back to the blog, RP! {I like her so much, I let her throw in a giveaway at the end. Keep reading!}

When Julie presented me with the opportunity to review this book, as soon as I laid my eyes on it I had to do it. At first look, it was so aesthetically interesting I wanted to know more. I am more of a wordsmith than a designer. I have immense respect for a designer’s talent and skill, they have a toolkit I did not come equipped with when it comes to colors, shapes, space and style. Luckily, I can appreciate the craft and artistry of design, and find the words to discuss that appreciation. And with that, we jumped on board the blog hop for Lucie Summers's new book, Quilt Improv. 

The cover of Quilt Improv by Lucie Summers

Here's a bit about Lucie and Quilt Improv from James Brooks of Stitch Craft Create: Lucie runs her own blog, Summersville, and has designed a range for Moda fabrics. Her book Quilt Improv is all about quick, modern quilts and block designs pieced in an improvisational style.

Here’s what drew me into Lucie’s book:

Great design elements: fonts, layout, photography & sketches 

Content: considerable range, eclectic designs, beginner friendly techniques, British English quilting terms (batting=wadding)

Flipping through Quilt Improv was like an English quilting vacation in book format. A cup of Earl Grey tea made the experience complete.

Chain Pieced Strips block from Quilt Improv

I find that there is a major differentiation between books like Julie’s Skip the Borders & Lucie’s Quilt Improv.

Skip the Borders = precision and step by step techniques from start to finish

Quilt Improv = beauty in irregularities and encouraging your personal creative process

Crazy Triangles block from Quilt Improv

The challenge and the beauty of improv quilting is you truly have to make your creations your own - from fabric selections, yardage, and placement. This is a practice in unleashing your creative energies when it comes to colors, shapes and sizes. Surrender to your fabric cutting, piecing and quilting muses.

The more I paged through Lucie’s book and learned about improv quilting, the more analogies to traditional vs improvisational quilting kept coming to me:

It’s like making a 90 degree turn off of the highway onto a twisty, windy country road. 

It’s like sewing & quilting cross training for your mind & machine.

Baking vs cooking.

Puzzle solving vs puzzle creating.

This is for the (quilting) rule breaker types (you know who you are! ;-).

Inspiration for the Railings Quilt in Quilt Improv

Railings Quilt from Quilt Improv

Quilt Improv is heavy on inspiration and technical guidance, yet it's light on the rules and exacting details. For example, you’ll find great clarity on how to design and piece your projects, but you won’t find much in the way of step by step by step measuring and cutting directions. You’re not going to find material lists or cutting requirements for each block or quilt because this is about the process, and creating something that is entirely your own. You will find excellent design and layout planning guidelines.

Skill level: adventurous beginner and confident intermediate quilters looking to stretch your design legs

P.S. Quilt Improv is a brilliant coffee table book for design junkies who appreciate the craft of quilting.

Check out Stitch Craft Create's blog if you'd like to learn more about the book Quilt Improv and see some of the other posts along the blog hop.

Now, for the give away! Stitch Craft Create is offering one lucky commenter drawn at random to receive a free copy of Lucie’s book, Quilt Improv.
Details on how to enter the giveaway are below.


THE RULES

1. Leave ONE comment to enter. Make sure your contact info is in your profile or that you leave it in the comment.
2. In your comment tell us, have you ever tried improv quilting? What draws you to it or away from it?
3. Comment entries must be left on this blog, www.jaybirdquilts.com, to be valid. Comments sent via E-mail, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or any other social media will not be counted.

4. Simple as that!!

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You have until 9PM PST time Friday, January 17th to enter!
Winner will be selected by True Random Number Generator.

© Blog post written by Rachael Pannepacker
For more information visit http://www.jaybirdquilts.com/