Friday, May 13, 2016

Improv Curve Baby Quilt Finish

I admit to loving to make baby quilts.  It is great to have a quick finish project to break up some of the longer projects (I am in the middle of some major paper piecing for a new project).  Here is my latest baby quilt finish...


When I make a baby quilt as a baby shower gift, I usually get a few ideas from the mom-to-be: nursery colors, more modern or traditional, etc and then I get to play around with ideas in my head.  I try to make something that they will like, but I get to use my own creativity and make what I feel like making.

I had received Sherri Lynn Wood's book, "The Improv Handbook for Modern Quilters" (not an affiliate link) for Christmas and had been itching to try one of her scores from the book (each of her scores being a recipe or parameters for an improv quilt).   I was very excited when my co-worker, the mom-to-be, said she loved modern and bright colors.

I used the Layered Curve score and pulled some warm Kona colors from my stash.  Here is my initial fabric pull.  While I pieced, I edited the fabrics a little (like removing the really dark wine colored fabric in the top row).


I cut some wedges freehand and sewed them into curved pieces and then sewed them together into larger pieces.  This part of the process went together pretty easily and quickly.


Then came the hard part, how to combine and sew them together.  Sherri Lynn Wood had some good tips for how to piece the wedges together.  I pieced them together and slowly the wedges became a curved blob of sorts.

I wanted to use some music note fabric I had as the background as the father-to-be is a professor of jazz guitar.  I thought the fabric was good in that is was an off-white so there was not too stark a contrast between the wedges and the background, and the music notes were really more of a subtle low volume print.  Here is the blob laying on the background before appliqueing.


I used needle turned applique to attach the large curved blob to the background.  I really did not want to attempt to piece the unit together with the background fabric and I wanted the music chefs to be straight and continuous. (I made sure the whole piece would fit into one width of fabric to avoid the background being pieced.)

For quilting, I used almost every warm color of Aurifil thread I own to quilt gentle, overlapping, wavy lines using my walking foot.  Some of the threads were different weights, most were 50 wt with a few being 40 wt and one or two being the heavier 28 wt which gave a nice texture to the quilt.

The finished at about 40" x 40".  I had forgotten how difficult it is to square up a quilt without blocks to reference to, I had to borrow some of my husband's large T-squares.  Overall, the quilt was a lot of fun to make and I can't wait to try another of Sherri's scores.


I am linking up to Link a Finish FridayWhoop Whoop FridayThank Goodness Its Finished FridayFinish It Up FridayFabric Frenzy Fridayand Show Off Saturday @ Sew Can She.




29 comments:

  1. Great idea to applique the layered curves as to not break up the musical scores! Beautiful colors!

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  2. It turned out great! I love how the curves converge, the colors with the background fabric is the perfect choice! Congrats...its really beautiful!

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  3. This is fantastic, and it seems like a good fit for the intended recipients. Thanks for sharing about the process, too.

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  4. I love how this turned out. I think applique was probably the best choice of attaching those curves to the back ground. I can't imagine how hair pulling piecing it would be. Plus, it gives it a floating affect. I'm sure the parents to be will love it. And yes, sometimes you just need a quick finish to jump your spirits.

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  5. The color scheme is lovely. I love making baby quilts too, and am currently making one with blocks floating on text fabrics. I love the way it looks. Well done!!

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  6. Beautiful - I also love how it turned out and all the thought that went into it as you went along!

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  7. Wonderful job on the baby quilt. I always forget that I really enjoy making smaller projects and is a nice interlude during larger projects. Sherri Lynn Wood's book is so well written and I often turn to it when I'm feeling stagnant. Something always inspires me to try something new or gives me enough inspiration to get on with a project.

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  8. I agree that really modern quilts without reference blocks can be a trick to square up. I really like how the quilt finished and I hope the family really enjoys the gift. Did you use more music note fabric for the binding (I think that's what I see in the first photo)?

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  9. This is a gorgeous quilt! Your co-worker is going to love it!

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  10. That's so fresh! I'm drawn to curves in quilts - for a change from all the squares and triangles ;)

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  11. What a lovely quilt, so fresh and modern!

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  12. This is beautiful, Cheryl! I have the same book but have yet to try that score. Btw: Is "blob" the technical term for that shape?! ; )

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  13. Those colors and curves are fabulous Cheryl! The musical background will delight the parents too, Wonderful work with this score from Sherri Lynn Wood's book! I have not gotten brave enough to try that yet.

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  14. I love your fabric pull and your curves are lovely. I like your background choice which makes me think of a painted wall???? Coincidentally I received The Improv Handbook this week as birthday gift and have been reading it today. It's wonderful, and I am so impressed at a mindfulness quilting book. I can't wait to try score 1 but I am almost finished my City Lights quilt so it will have to wait a few days.
    Smiles
    Kate

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  15. What a special baby gift. But "blob" is too crude a word for describing the design of such a pretty quilt. The curved wedges make me think of scattered flamenco fans. I like the idea of using different weights and colors of thread for the quilting.

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  16. It's far too beautiful to be a blob! I see them as colourful fans too and they're gorgeous!

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  17. This is fabulous! I really love the curves and your quilting for it is just perfect. What an amazing gift!

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  18. I love it Cheryl. I'm working on a tiny piece from score 1 right now, much simpler but still a challenge. Your baby quilt is so exciting. It has a lot of movement in it.

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  19. I love these colors with the low volume. The movement of the wedges adds a nice contrasts to the lines in the background. Mom-to-be should be so excited to receive this one. Great work.

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  20. I love these small in between projects. A wonderful combination of curved piecing, low volume background and applique! The music theme was a great choice. A great finish :)

    -Soma

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  21. Looking good! Congrats on a pretty finish!

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  22. Very unique. I'm sure they will love it. The gentle curves of the 'blob' and the quilting remind me of music, too.

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  23. Beautifully done! The mom and dad to be should love it, it's definitely one of a kind.

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  24. Wavy line quilting suits so well, and taking out that one fabric made the others combine perfectly.

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  25. What a beauty! I really enjoyed seeing the progress photos and reading about how you went about making this gorgeous little quilt. You chose the perfect background and the quilting is such a compliment to the design. This is sure to be a big hit with mom and dad and a comforting quilt for baby!

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  26. I love the movement and colours in this quilt! So pretty!!

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  27. If this shows up twice I apologize. I love the colors and how you worked the arcs. Lucky baby. This is one of my favorite scores in Sherri's book but I just haven't found time to try it yet.

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