Minimalist Stripes Improv Quilt

I am really getting into improv quilts. I feel like I am myself when I do them, that I can be free, that I can mess up and no one will judge me. No one will notice that my work is not perfect, for the imperfections are part of the design. I also love the fact that when you do improv pieces, every single piece you create is so unique that it cannot be replicated, every piece is one of a kind. Just like me.

I have shared before how I enjoy use improv blocks for bees due to the unpredictability that comes with bee piecing, but I had to show this quilt on it's own because I am so in love with it.

For the Harmony. do. Good. Stitches. circle we recently completed our Minimalist Stripes Improv Quilt.This quilt was inspired by this block that I found on the Modern Quilt Guild website:

I instructed the group to create 2 blocks based on the following guidelines:

- True white backgrounds
- Bright solid of your choice for the inset stripes
- Please piece the stripes horizontally or vertically, NOT diagonally
- Leave at least 1.5 inches of the white background around the edges so that the stripes appear to be floating
- Other than that, have fun, be creative, and let me know if you have any questions!

I got absolutely beautiful blocks that I put together in alternating directions to create this quilt top.



I decided to quilt it in wavy lines, a technique I had never tried before, to keep the design focus on the bursts of color and play with the wonkiness of each block.

I decided to bind it in black to frame the quilt in a bold way. Below are the finished pictures of the quilt. I am totally in love. So much so, that I feel like I will have to make another one since this one is bound for Project Linus!!

On the back I utilized some solid scraps that I have had around for years to mimic the stripes on the front in a larger scale. I feel like the back could be a quilt by itself!

I will definitely continue to explore improv quilting and can't wait to do more designs in this style. Like I said, this is me, and it is AWESOME.