Ride the Waves
50'' x70''
Improv curves are fun. In a fit one day last year I pulled out a playful and lovely combination of fabrics and made a whole bunch of blocks. It was just one of those quilts that came to be with no rhyme or reason. I'm pretty sure I had it done in just a couple of days. Then it sat. The moment passed and there was little motivation to finish it.
Then you realize that someone needs a pick me up, a hug as much as possible. And in your head you kind of realize that these fabrics are so her. So her, in fact, that you may have picked them with her in mind. You may have stuck with this size of quilt because it is the perfect size for her.
And then you finish it with big lines of loops because they are fun and everyone deserves a bit of fun. And she deserves a finished quilt so the loops make that happen too. So does binding it among a stack of quilts you feel you just have to get done for Christmas. That way you can give it to her when she most needs it.
Then she texts you that night to say how much it is helping in the dark and lonely moments and you realize that this is indeed why we work hard to make quilts for people we love. This way, love is all around them.
Even her dog approves. Then again, there is no accounting for taste.
The improv curves are easy to do and totally take any mystery out of curved piecing. There really are no mistakes with this technique. You can see that sometimes I doubled up the curves and other times they are just simple. All together they echo quarter circles. Which means you can use them like you would any other Drunkard Path block. I chose a setting that creates diagonal lines of movement across the quilt. Simple, fun, and effective.
Overall, that's what the quilt is - simple, fun, and effective. Design wise, yes. but also in spirit.
All year I am going to be posting more and more circle techniques. This is some time to play with circles and there are so many things to do beyond the basics. Join me for the monthly series, Playing with Circles in Quilting.
If you want more details on making circles or any of the techniques I introduce here, check out my Craftsy class: Inset and Applique Circles by Machine or my workshop in the book, Lucky Spool's Essential Guide to Modern Quiltmaking.