Scrappy Improv Quilting Kickoff and a Giveaway!

Whoop, Whoop!  It's time, y'all.  Time to properly introduce you to my brand new book, and celebrate its release!  The publication process is a marathon, not a sprint and I have been patiently waiting for this day.  In fact, this book has been over a year-and-a-half in the making, and I am so excited to finally share it with you in detail.

Scrappy Improv Quilting is written with all of the information you'll need to complete the projects from start to finish,  so even a newbie quilter will be successful.  To kick off the blog tour, I'm going to give a little overview of the way the book is structured.

Before you even get to the 22 fun projects, Scrappy Improv Quilting starts off with a whole section dedicated to the many ways to use mini quilts.  Then, quilting tools, helpful tips, and techniques are covered, which are useful not only for mini quilts, but for quilting in general.  And, most importantly for this method, a full step-by-step tutorial is included showing exactly how to sort and piece your scrap fabric using improvisation.  There are lots of pictures to help you on your way, and you'll be shocked at how easy it is to create scrappy "fabric" that will create tons of texture and depth in your quilt.  It really is a comprehensive guide!

If you're a pro at improv, you might be comfortable with your own scrap piecing method, and that's fantastic, but it is always helpful to get a different perspective.  You might even pick up a new trick or two for your improv arsenal!  But if improv is brand new for you, this book walks you through the process and lets you dip your toes into it with all of the information you'll need for success.  It really is for everyone!  After the foundation is laid, the book begins with Single Block Beauties.

Each of the six quilts in this section is made with just one big quilt block!  A single block is the perfect way to start out if you're apprehensive.  The minis here offer a wide range of scrappy opportunity.  You can choose a project where scraps of different colors are mixed, one with a specific color palette, or one where the scrappy improv creates a textured background.  And one of the best things about this technique is that it is easy to customize to your own scrap color preferences!

The second section is Simple Shapes, and it contains five designs, which have simple repeating shapes that come together to make super fun quilts.  Once again, this section gives plenty of options for working with your unique scraps, and the patterns show a variety of colors and backgrounds.

There are lots more quilts to share with you and the blog tour will be following the schedule below.  I've been getting sneak peeks of projects from all of the amazing blogger friends and I know you're going to love the minis they've been creating.  I know they're excited to share them with you too!  

Because this book has so many projects, and because I want to finish the blog tour well before the holidays, we will be highlighting four projects each week beginning on 9/13- two on Monday, and two on Wednesday of each week.  For the duration of the blog tour, NTT will be posted on Thursday mornings, rather than the usual Wednesday evening, just to make sure that the posts don't get crowded. 

Scrappy Improv Quilting Blog Tour Schedule-

8/31- Intro, Single Block Beauties, and Simple Shapes (here!)

9/7- Seasonal Sensations, Standards With a Twist (here!)

9/13- Summer Blossom- Lori @ Crossquilt

           Up, Up, and Away- Sandra @ mmm...quilts!

9/15- Flutter- Rose @ Something Rosemade

           Botanics- Diann @ Little Penguin Quilts

9/20- Face the Sun- Laura @ Slice of Pi Quilts

           Full Spectrum- Jayne @ Twiggy and Opal

9/22- Prismatic- Anja @ Anja Quilts

           Downpour- Nancy @ Grace and Peace Quilting

9/27- Funkytown- Vasudha @ Storied Quilts

           Cherub Wings- Michelle @ From Bolt to Beauty

9/29- Chapel Window- Kris @ Sew Sunshine

           Winter Frost- Leanne @ Devoted Quilter

10/4- Heartstruck- Rebecca Grace @ Rebecca Grace Quilting

           Star Spangled- Christine @ Triangles & Squares

10/6- Birds of a Feather- Preeti @ Sew Preeti Quilts

           Fall Foliage- Susan @ Quilt Fabrication

10/11- Ornamental- Gail @ Quilting Gail

            Churn, Churn, Churn- Cynthia @ Quilting Is More Fun Than Housework

10/13- Sunset Crossing- Kate @ Katie Mae Quilts

             Positivity- Sarah @ Sarah Goer Quilts

10/18- All Dressed Up- Linda @ Flourishing Palms

             Shockwave- Anne-Marie @ Stories From the Sewing Room

10/20- Sweet Bee (a bonus thank-you pattern), Finishing, and Wrap-Up (here!) 

Signed copies of Scrappy Improv Quilting are available in my Etsy shop HERE, or ask about it at your local quilt shop.  It is also available on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and other major booksellers.  

And shop owners, you can get it from any of the major distributors- Checker, Brewer, United Notions, and EE Schenck.  :) 

Okay y'all!  To kick off this blog tour properly, I'm giving away a signed copy of Scrappy Improv Quilting to one reader.  To enter, just take a moment to enter a single comment on this post.  I'll announce the winner next week on 9/7, where I'll also highlight the other two sections in the book.  Happy scrapping and good luck!

This giveaway has now ended.  Thanks so much to all who entered!

NTT- The Official Release!

Happy Needle and Thread Thursday, friends!  I'm almost finished with the Halloween Spiderweb quilt I shared last week.  I just need to finish up the binding and get some great photos, but today, I have bigger news!  The official release of my new book, Scrappy Improv Quilting, happened on Monday.  YAY!

The official blog hop to celebrate the book release begins next week, but today I want to give you a quick overview of everything the book has to offer.  Scrappy Improv Quilting is the perfect way to dip your toes into improv if it's new to you, or if you're well-practiced, the book is a fun way to add to your improv repertoire.  If you already have my first book, Stash Statement, it is a great companion book, and this one has some extra tips and tricks to make it worth your while.

It contains a step-by-step tutorial with lots of photos to show you just how easy it is to sew your scraps using the scrappy improv method.  There are 22 complete mini quilt patterns using the method, and it even has full instructions for finishing your mini, including adding a hanging sleeve or turning your mini into a pillow.  In case you're wondering how to use mini quilts, Scrappy Improv Quilting even has plenty of ideas for that too!  This book really is perfect for newbies and seasoned quilters alike.

Signed copies of Scrappy Improv Quilting are available in my Etsy shop HERE, and you'll also receive the Sweet Bee digital thank-you pattern for purchasing (pictured in the second row).  The book is also available on Amazon, or ask about it at your local quilt shop.

Is your guild looking for a fun workshop for 2022 (or beyond)?  Now that the book is officially out, I am scheduling classes and trunk shows with Scrappy Improv Quilting. The scrappy improv technique is easy and SO much fun.  Because the technique is similar, and because minis don't take up much space when traveling, my trunk show will also include all twelve quilts from Stash Statement!  That's a lot of eye-candy!  Reach out to me via email (link on right sidebar) to schedule something for your guild.  I promise we'll have a blast!

As I gear up to fully celebrate the release of Scrappy Improv Quilting, it is very clear to me that I couldn't travel to teach or write successful books and patterns without the support of all of you, and for that, I am truly grateful.  :)

Last week's party did not disappoint (of course, they never do).  Jayne at Twiggy and Opal linked up this gorgeous quilt.  The colors just glow against that dark background.

This simple, cute table runner is by Cindy at Stitchin' At Home-

This beauty is by DonnaleeQ.  It is scrap-happy!

And Nancy at Grace and Peace Quilting linked up this pretty patriotic quilt-

Alright y'all, it's time to get our party started!

1. You can link finished projects or WIP's , but just keep it about quilting and sewing!

2. Link to your specific post (not to your home page!) to make it easier for others.

3. Please remember to spread the word and post my button or a text link within your 

    post.  

4. Spread the comment love far and wide!

5. Following me is not a requirement to link, but is so very appreciated!

*If you're new to the party, here's a helpful tip for linking up- select "Auto Crop"  when selecting your thumbnail photo.  For some reason, trying to crop your own image results in the dreaded "white question mark box," and we definitely want to see your awesome work!  :)

NTT- A Halloween Quilt

Welcome to Needle and Thread Thursday, friends!  If you guessed I was making a Halloween quilt from the strip sets I showed last week, you were right!  We are squarely in the dog days of summer around here.  It's the kind of heat and humidity where the air is thick and soupy and it feels like you're getting slowly braised every time you walk outside.  It's also the time of year where I start thinking/hoping/praying that we only have to hang on a little while longer before the temperatures will come down a little bit.   So, with this Halloween quilt, I'm trying to bring cooler temperatures into existence with sheer will.

I've only made one other spiderweb quilt, and it was actually a Christmas quilt.  This was long before my blogging days, so my photo is really not great, but I was so happy with it at the time.  It was a gift for my son's first grade teacher- 11 years ago!  

I made this Christmas version with a completely different method that I vowed I would never do again, and as a PSA, I'll fill you in so you don't make the same mistake.  I cut 16" Kona Red squares in half diagonally, measured and marked every single kite shape on each triangle, and then sewed scrap strips to each of the "arms" of the triangle.  I trimmed the triangles to size and sewed them together with the kite shapes pointing toward the center of the block, creating the spiderwebs in horizontal rows.  That means that this entire quilt has Kona Red as a foundation fabric, and it was SO heavy.  I didn't own a really great sewing machine then, so I wasn't even sure I could quilt through it, which is why it is tied instead.
 

Even though I love the look of spiderweb quilts, I had put off making another one because the first one was such a pain.  And also because I decided that a Halloween quilt would be perfect for the pattern, but I never got around to settling on a fabric collection.  Well, I've been in a little bit of a quilting slump lately, and decided to give the Creative Grids spiderweb ruler a try.  I decided that I didn't need Halloween fabrics, just Halloween colors, so I raided my stash for lots of orange, black, purple, and gray.  The ruler made the process SO much easier, and this time, I sewed the blocks in a way that would arrange the spiderwebs on the diagonal (the ruler gives you the option).   You can see the individual blocks in the photo below.  ps- I'm not affiliated with Creative Grids, I just liked this ruler!  :)

It's amazing how simply changing the construction method has changed my whole perspective on this pattern.  It's still not a super fast and easy quilt, but using the ruler made it much simpler.  I'm planning to get this one all basted tomorrow, and then it will have to wait until next week.  I have family coming in for a visit tomorrow afternoon.

Before we party, take a look at some of the awesome projects from last week. Kat at Scrapbox Quilts linked up this pretty quilt-

 

This cutie is by Vicki's Crafts and Quilting-

And this sweet and cheery table runner is by Nancy at Grace and Peace Quilting-

Okie dokie, ya'll!  It's time to link up the latest happenings from your sewing studio!  

1. You can link finished projects or WIP's , but just keep it about quilting and sewing!

2. Link to your specific post (not to your home page!) to make it easier for others.

3. Please remember to spread the word and post my button or a text link within your 

    post.  

4. Spread the comment love far and wide!

5. Following me is not a requirement to link, but is so very appreciated!

*If you're new to the party, here's a helpful tip for linking up- select "Auto Crop"  when selecting your thumbnail photo.  For some reason, trying to crop your own image results in the dreaded "white question mark box," and we definitely want to see your awesome work!  :)

NTT- Lots of Strip Sets

Happy Needle and Thread Thursday, friends.  Sometimes I work on a quilt and I can immediately see it come together.  Other times, there are several units that have to be pieced before I can even start sewing the blocks.

Such is the case with this quilt.  I have been sewing this big pile of of strip sets, 43 of them to be precise. Now that they're all finished, I can't wait to actually see the quilt take shape! 

Until then, let's take a look at the highlights from last week.  I love this quilt by Kris at Sew Sunshine-

This quilt by Anne-Marie at Stories From the Sewing Room is so much fun!

And the transparency effect in this quilt by Yvonne at Quilting Jetgirl is just fantastic.

Okay y'all!  Let's party on!

1. You can link finished projects or WIP's , but just keep it about quilting and sewing!

2. Link to your specific post (not to your home page!) to make it easier for others.

3. Please remember to spread the word and post my button or a text link within your 

    post.  

4. Spread the comment love far and wide!

5. Following me is not a requirement to link, but is so very appreciated!

*If you're new to the party, here's a helpful tip for linking up- select "Auto Crop"  when selecting your thumbnail photo.  For some reason, trying to crop your own image results in the dreaded "white question mark box," and we definitely want to see your awesome work!  :)

Sweet Bee and NTT

Welcome to Needle and Thread Thursday, y'all!  I'm super excited to announce that I've received my first shipment of books, even though the official release isn't for another few weeks.  I’ll be hosting a blog tour toward the end of this month to kick it off right, but having the actual books in hand has gotten me so excited that I can barely stand it!  So, today I'm sharing Sweet Bee, the bonus "thank you" pattern for the book!

Honeybees are so sweet ;) and have significance in several cultures.  The bee and laurel is even believed to be one of the oldest symbols of French royalty.  I'm a Louisiana girl, so I've grown up with French influence all around me.  I have always loved art prints that show a bee with laurel wreaths, and decided that recreating it in a quilt would be lots of fun!

I did some serious quilting on this sweet girl!  The wings are pebbled with a variegated gray thread (Aurifil Silver Moon Gray #4060), which adds really neat dimension, though it was difficult to see my stitching at times against the gray improv.  Sweet Bee herself is quilted in yellow and black with the tiniest crosshatch I could manage, and in the laurel stems, I quilted lines following the shape of the stem and leaf veins.  The background on this quilt is Kona Bone, and it's quilted with a dense stipple, which allows the improv and the more intricate quilting to take center stage.

Because the quilting is so dense, and because I quilted with colors that match each section in the quilt, you can really see the pattern of the quilt on the back side.  I just love that!  This tiny, black and white pebble print shows off the quilting on the bee so well, and I love the extra little pop that the yellow polkadot adds.  The finished Sweet Bee quilt measures 20" x 25".

Sweet Bee is an exclusive PDF pattern, available only with the purchase of my NEW book, Scrappy Improv Quilting.  I designed it as a little show of thanks for purchasing the book, and it cannot be purchased separately.  Signed copies are available from me now, and it will be available everywhere else in a couple of weeks (the perks of being the author is that I get my books first!).  You can find it in my Etsy shop HERE, or by clicking the book at the top left sidebar.  You're going to love it!

Last week's party was filled with awesomeness!  Check out this beautiful quilt by Maggie at Making a Lather-

I love this barn quilt by Jayne at Twiggy and Opal. I have wanted to make one of these forever, and I'm so glad that Jayne shared the steps in her process.

And this little koala from Anne-Marie at Stories From the Sewing Room is just precious!

Okie dokie, friends, let's get our party on!

1. You can link finished projects or WIP's , but just keep it about quilting and sewing!

2. Link to your specific post (not to your home page!) to make it easier for others.

3. Please remember to spread the word and post my button or a text link within your 

    post.  

4. Spread the comment love far and wide!

5. Following me is not a requirement to link, but is so very appreciated!

*If you're new to the party, here's a helpful tip for linking up- select "Auto Crop"  when selecting your thumbnail photo.  For some reason, trying to crop your own image results in the dreaded "white question mark box," and we definitely want to see your awesome work!  :)