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Monday, September 13, 2021

Summer Blossom and Up, Up, and Away!

Here we go, friends!  It's finally time to start showcasing individual projects from my new book, Scrappy Improv Quilting, and I just can't tell you how excited I am to start really showing them to you.  You're in for a ton of eye-candy, so let's jump in!

The first section of the book is called Single Block Beauties, and these quilts pack all of the improv fun you could want into a single block design.  The first one is called Summer Blossom.


Summer Blossom is full of tropical colors, and the scrappy improv gives the flower so much texture.  I originally envisioned this blossom with a lighter blue background, but when I saw how the Kona Delft Blue set off the warm colors of the flower, I knew it was meant to be.  I also love how the orchid and white stripe binding just pops!


Dense lines fill the petals, stem, and leaf, while the magenta center is set off with tight crosshatch quilting.  And the swirls in the background offer a nice contrast to all of those straight lines.  With mini quilts, I often quilt each section separately, rather than an allover design, and that usually means that I opt to quilt with blending thread.


I pulled this Anna Maria Horner print from my stash for the backing, and it picks up the colors from the front really beautifully.

Lori at Crossquilt has made a version of Summer Blossom and it is fantastic!  Be sure to head over there and check it out.


The second quilt being featured today is Up, Up, and Away, and I really had fun with this one.  Since the hot air balloon has all of the scrappy improv in one spot, it's a great place to curate your scraps and use all of your very favorite bits.  The Kona Prairie Sky background is the perfect shade of blue for a cloudless day.


I specifically designed this quilt with the hot air balloon offset so it would look like it was floating off into the distance.  With the addition of the wind quilting, it looks like it's doing just that.  I left the quilting on the balloon itself a little more open, and that, along with the gently curved lines give it a puffy, rounded appearance.  And a super dense crosshatch gives some dimension to the basket.


The back of this one is finished with a simple gray polkadot, and I picked some of my favorite scrap strips for the binding.

Sandra at mmm...quilts! is sharing her own Up, Up, and Away quilt on her blog today, and she really made it her own.  Don't miss it!

I'll be back on Wednesday to share the next two quilts on the tour, but you can check out the full schedule below!

Scrappy Improv Quilting Blog Tour Schedule-

9/15- FlutterRose @ Something Rosemade
           BotanicsDiann @ Little Penguin Quilts

9/20- Face the SunLaura @ Slice of Pi Quilts
           Full SpectrumJayne @ Twiggy and Opal

9/22- PrismaticAnja @ Anja Quilts
           DownpourNancy @ Grace and Peace Quilting

9/27- FunkytownVasudha @ Storied Quilts
           Cherub WingsMichelle @ From Bolt to Beauty

9/29- Chapel WindowKris @ Sew Sunshine
           Winter FrostLeanne @ Devoted Quilter

10/4- HeartstruckRebecca Grace @ Rebecca Grace Quilting
           Star SpangledChristine @ Triangles & Squares

10/6- Birds of a FeatherPreeti @ Sew Preeti Quilts
           Fall FoliageSusan @ Quilt Fabrication

10/11- OrnamentalGail @ Quilting Gail
            Churn, Churn, ChurnCynthia @ Quilting Is More Fun Than Housework

10/13- Sunset CrossingKate @ Katie Mae Quilts
             Positivity- Sarah @ Sarah Goer Quilts

10/18- All Dressed UpLinda @ Flourishing Palms
             ShockwaveAnne-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.  I hope you'll consider adding it to your library or carrying it in your shop!  :) 




6 comments:

  1. Congratulations on your new book! This looks like my kind of book and I'm very excited to see all the projects that have been made by these bloggers!

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  2. I'm not much a mini quilts person, but that balloon is just begging to be put on a larger background for a sweet baby quilt. What a terrific design.

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  3. Thanks Kelly, for asking me to be part of this celebration! ALL the quilts are fabulous, and I particularly love how you've shared the backing of each one. So happy to see your success as an author and quilt teacher!

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  4. I'm sure looking forward to seeing all the variations of quilts from your new book Kelly. Summer Blossom is quite cheery and colorful. Wishing all the best.

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  5. I have a feeling I'm going to continually be whispering "Oh, I want to make that one" when I see each of these. Good thing I have the book! :-D

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  6. I love the dense, varied FMQing on these pieces. It adds another layer of personality to the scraptastic flower and balloon shapes. : )

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Thanks so much for your comment and for visiting! I read and appreciate every single comment, and I reply to each one as soon as I can. If you don't hear back from me, you might be a no-reply blogger. :)

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