Improv Quilts Week, Day Three

What happens when you decide to put something other than a solid square in the center of a Log Cabin? Glad you asked!

Remember this little quilt from Tuesday (Day 2)? Sometimes you put a square on point

A second class developed which I called Improvisational Adventure. I had 9 log cabin blocks in my class sample (with a whole different set of notes).  Here she is in Modern Patchwork.

Improv Adventure as show in Modern Patchwork Magazine

Let's look at a few of those blocks:

Begin with a square. Add different sized logs. Change out the colors, too.

 This one is the most regular with balanced colors, but the log sizes vary.

Block 3 in my 9 Block Improv Adventure quilt

As we did in my No Sneaky Peeky class, students had bags of fabric and we worked through various exercises. Block #1 is top left and Block #3 is top right.

Look at Block 6 (second row, right side). We strip-pieced a variety of colors and then cut squares and swapped with our neighbors. From that brown and orange center of 4 strips, I continued to add logs.

Block 6

This is from an orange and black strip set. Chop it up and insert it in a variety of places.

Same thing in the bottom center block, only this time it wasn't a square, it was a rectangle. I made a blue and brown strip set and cut a square. Used it as the center of Block 8.

Block 8

Strips in the center are from a longer strip set. Then blue side strips added.

This was pretty hard to pattern for the magazine. The editors did the best they could, but it was SUPPOSED TO BE improvisational! The artwork included was just suggestions. My 15 page pattern includes updated color artwork for each of those 9 blocks.

Here's a closer look of the quilt. It now lives with my oldest daughter. All blocks are variations on a Log Cabin.

Improv Adventure

It's hit or miss sometimes. That's the key to all this: just go with the flow!  I have a huge box of leftover parts and remnants and blocks and scraps. But it's also important to have fabrics that play together well:

Remnants of my Gee's Bend fabrics

Tomorrow (Friday) I will share a few more tips to get your creative juices going. You can find these and many more tips and block ideas in my Improve Adventure 15 page pattern. Check it out!