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Monday, June 18, 2012

FO: Improv quilt

Thanks to everyone who has entered the Stash Fabric giveaway! There's still a couple of days to enter here if you wish!

FO: Improv quilt

So, I have to tell you, I am over. the. moon for this quilt! It's so exciting to finish a quilt, but even more so when it really feels like you. And this one does. Feel like me, I mean. It's actually been finished for over a week, and has already been well loved and tested by both kitties.

FO: Improv quilt

The colors, the modern fabrics, the improvised blocks, the contrast binding, the large patchwork on the back, and the quilting are all happy-making choices. Speaking of the quilting, I have a confession to make. As per my usual, when people started raving about spray-basting, I refused to get on-board of that train.
"I like my pins!"
"Basting is soothing!"

And other such nonsense. Seriously? I spray basted this baby, with help from my sweet husband, and the quilting went so smoothly; I couldn't believe it. I saw a noticeable difference in the quality of my quilting.

FO: Improv quilt

You can also see I quilted this pretty densely, in one direction. I usually get tired of the quilting process, so I skimp on it. Truth be told, dense quilting is my favorite, but I never had the patience for it. I know many quilters use 505, but I was quite happy with the June Taylor brand I purchased.

FO: Improv quilt

As you may remember, this quilt was kick-started by a do.Good Stitches assignment from my pal Natalie to make improv chevron blocks and her lovely color palette. I started playing with the scraps from those blocks (because as Sara pointed out, there is some waste with the blocks, especially on the first attempt).

FO: Improv quilt

I'm so happy to have this one finished, so I can enjoy it!

28 comments:

  1. I love the Jacey quilt! I'm so glad you got it done and you're right: it's so you!

    Also, I'm wearing my Wiksten today and it feels awesome, can't wait to see your second one!

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  2. so so soooo in love with this quilt jacey! it is very much you! i am with you on spray basting but i am not as sold on 505 as everyone else is. i feel like it isn't nearly as sticky and when i used the june tailor i felt like it did a much better job. i love your quilting. i love how dense it is. great finish dear! p.s. FOUR DAYS!!!! yay!

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  3. Looks great Jacey! While dense quilting hasn't always been a favorite, it is growing on me fast!

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  4. SO awesome Jacey!! I love colors and the crazy improv-ness :)

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  5. So so so so pretty! I am always envious of these great improv, colorful quilts that I see in cyber space. I should really force myself into trying my hand it more often. I am drawn to the improv, but I struggle at it.

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  6. This is such a gorgeous quilt Jacey! Totally you :) Can't wait to see you this weekend! 4 days and counting!! xo

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  7. ooh, i love the quilting you did. such a happy happy quilt!

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  8. I'm a spray blaster through and through:). I love how your quilt turned out! Your color and fabric selection is always so inspiring to me-you should teach a class on that!

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  9. That looks great!! I like spray basting too (my pin basting sucks), but I actually prefer to wait for the longarm at work to be available for my larger projects. I hate wrestling quilts through my home machine! Which is why my Flutterby quilt is still sitting half quilted on the back of my chair. ;)

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  10. Great job! It looks fantastic!

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  11. Love. Tell me if this response is reply-able would ya?

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  12. It's gorgeous! It really does look like you :) It's funny you say that about the spray baste. I pin basted H's fenced in quilt, which was my very first ever. But then I have sprayed every one since because it's so much faster. But I still think my quilting on that first quilt is the best I've ever done... it's making me want to try the pinning again and see how different it feels. Or maybe I'm just using the wrong spray? Hmmm... all things we will talk about in person soon, I'm sure!

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  13. Gorgeous quilt (all around..blocks, colors, quilting!)! I have yet to try spray baste. Did it help keep the horizontal lines from stretching when you straight lined?

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  14. wow, it's absolutely gorgeous, jacey! i adore the way you placed the improv pieced blocks amongst the larger solids and prints. i, too, love the dense quilting but seldom have the patience for it either.

    and i've always been a pin baster as well, and refuse to try spray basting. mostly because i'm a little scared of the chemicals in the spray and don't feel like i have anywhere "safe" to do it. does the spray bother you at all? or is it totally behind and i'm just being super uptight?

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  15. Jacey, this is amazing! I love the quilting on it, and I am like you-- I love the dense quilting but don't often take the time to do it. And I'm so so happy that our bee blocks inspired the project!
    Also-- pin basting as soothing??!? I only ever had sore fingers and a grouchy attitude after pin basting, so I haven't looked back since I switched to spray. Welcome to the club!

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  16. This quilt is beautiful!! Love the colors and the way you laid it out. And I think it is really neat that you have learned another and another and another!! I know you are counting the days!!

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  17. Oh, it is so striking, and so original. I love how the piecing is so random but the quilting is so orderly. It is fantastic! Cuddle away! And yes, spray basting is the ticket, you silly stubborn girl ;-).

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  18. Beautiful Jacey! Learning more about you through your quilting = awesome!

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  19. This is such a beautiful quilt! Every element of it works so well, I'm not surprised that you love it - amazingly gorgeous!

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  20. Seriously awesome!! The perfect mix of your improve blocks and other fabrics and your quilting is perfect for it. I don't usually have the patience to do such dense quilting, but I have been drawn to the look more and more lately.

    As for spray baste - um, yes. It's a must, although, I found I like the 505 better because it isn't quite as sticky as the brand I bought at Joann's...then if I accidentally place something wrong, I have an easier time pulling it up and adjusting. (can't wait for all the quilting/sewing talk this weekend...fun times!)

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  21. gorgeous quilt! i love all the colors.

    i was a spray baste fan but i think i may have converted back to pins. i hate the smell of the aerosol can. i feel like i'm poisoning myself when i use it. but i'm probably just paranoid. :-)

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  22. I love it! Especially the quilting, it looks fabulous! I still have a straight line quilt that's about 3/4 of the way done, I should really finish that up...

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  23. muahahaha, converted at last! When I occasionally use pins I do tell the difference in my quilting quality. yep, yesiree. I love what you said about this quilt being you. It is! It's so fulfilling to find your voice.

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  24. Jacey, that is gorgeous! Absolutely gorgeous! And it definitely look like you.

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  25. you know i absolutely adore this quilt! it's so fab!

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