Craftsman Improv Quilt // Finished Modern Quilts

Katie Blakesley New Horizons Quilt swimbikequilt.com

In November (of 2014!), I wrote a bit about an improvisational quilt I was making.The Portland Modern Quilt Guild, of which I was briefly a member, challenged its members to make an Improv mini quilt (each size less than 36''--this quilt barely fits)  in January 2015. This quilt is currently hanging on the wall in my sewing room. Out of all of the quilts I have made, I'm not sure why its the only one that is hanging there. Perhaps it is because I made it during a rough time in my life, because I was proud of what I had learned, and because it was a quilt that really stretched me. Also, I think spiral quilting is just about the coolest thing.

Katie Blakesley New Horizons Quilt swimbikequilt.com

I used Robert Kaufman Yarn Dye (in Denim) for the background, and a variety of solids and favorite fabric scraps. This is the first time I have ever done spiral quilting, and after the initial difficulty, I loved it! I used five colors of thread (gray, blue, orange, purple, and aqua), which I thought was a fun addition. Basically, I was just trying to use up *almost* gone spools of thread. I would love to try it on a bigger quilt in the future.The title, Craftsman Improv Quilt, has nothing to do with anything, other than it was one of two small quilts I made while we lived in our beautiful 1912 Craftsman home in Portland. We have landed in a good spot, but I miss that place. A lot.I was inspired to make this quilt after finishing  Jaquie Gering’s excellent Craftsy class, Online Quilting Class: Improvisational Piecing, Modern Design.  It isn't a quilt from the class per se, but I enjoyed watching it and it just made me want to sit down and sew. I have done some improvisational piecing in the past, and I enjoy it quite a bit. The Craftsy links are affiliate links.