Are you ready? I wonder if you will like how it turned out - - -

Ta da! Behold the finally-finished Pastelly quilt top. Seeds planted circa 2019 but destined to be birthed in this moment of my life’s journey. It is very nice about improv that you can end at what seems like the intended destination, even if you usually did not know where you were going along the way. Is life like that too, I wonder? I think we mostly make it so, for our peace of mind.

For example, these long, white blocks seem quite intentional and useful in the composition of this quilt, but they came here by accident. The three long, white blocks were once a single, large square block. I created it for a patchwork concept that didn’t work out the way I had hoped. In this improv quilt the block is sliced and reborn to make sense in a new set of circumstances.

In the same way each piece of an improv quilt comes about mostly by accident, with just a touch of intention and sparks of hope. The key ingredients are woven together with cast-off fabric strips and more faith until eventually, hopefully, maybe-if-we’re-lucky, the blocks become a new fabric, a new story, a new meaning.

Sponsor of the Week

The Confident Stitch

We Quilt This City is a swatch subscription for quilters from The Confident Stitch. There are corresponding seasonal patchwork projects released with each swatch set. So clever!

Fall 2023’s large project is the Broken Herringbone Quilt from Violet Craft. This kit includes the paper pattern and all the fabric you need to make a beautiful 52”x 72” quilt top.

Oof, friends, I’ve had quite a week. Sometimes life piles it on all at the same time, you know? According to one of my best friends, when you have five difficult, painful things happening at once, it’s time to escape. I have officially hit five. Thus, my main goal this weekend is to feel good and give myself a break. And, according to me, my weekend begins right after I finish this blog post. I’m going to immerse myself in some sewing and hope that something nice comes my way.

have a nice weekend!