Scrappy Improv

Many of the posts on my blog that get the most views are about scrappy improv piecing and I get LOTS of questions about my process, so I thought I should dedicate a page on my blog to that specific topic!

I have been improv scrap piecing since my first year as a quilter in 2012/13. I have tried many different styles and piecing methods during that time. Here's a few blog posts that illustrate that journey:

2012/13

My initial attempt I often laugh, looked like someone vomited up scraps, but I LOVE it.

https://adventurousquilter.blogspot.com/2013/10/a-finish-finally.html

Although I still love that quilt because it is part of my story, I have come a looong way!

2016 

I started color sorting my scraps and making improv pieced 12 " blocks:

https://adventurousquilter.blogspot.com/2016/04/rainbow-scrap-challenge-february-goal.html

2018 

I combined a solid with some old drab fabric scrappy improv blocks I had leftover from prior projects, my intent was to try to enhance the drab scraps with color:

https://adventurousquilter.blogspot.com/2018/03/something-from-nothing.html

It is all part of the learning journey, using old fabric scraps with NO PIZZAZZ to develop & learn the processes that I still use today to make fabulous quilts. Back then I did not foundation piece these blocks! I didn't start doing that until about 2020.

I learned from that attempt that solids really tone down the chaos in a scrap quilt! So here are a few quilts from later in 2018

https://adventurousquilter.blogspot.com/2018/11/orphan-block-odyssey-november-2018.html

https://adventurousquilter.blogspot.com/2017/06/3-finishes.html

2019

I imagined a concept to use up lots of neutral solid scraps and I began sewing up blocks using scraps of white, grey, cream and black with a bright pink background fabric. I was aiming for a more modern aesthetic. Those blocks became my Mod Scrap quilt!

https://adventurousquilter.blogspot.com/2019/04/mod-scrap-dump-quilt.html

I loved the outcome so much, I made a set of four mini quilts to hang in my studio:

https://adventurousquilter.blogspot.com/2019/04/improv-play.html

About that time I started drafting my Mod Scrap Adventures quilt book which I later published:

Available on Amazon

2019 

Later that year I decided to try improv scrap piecing with low volume scraps and a bright accent fabric, then black\charcoal with neon yellow:

https://adventurousquilter.blogspot.com/2019/07/meditative-sewing.html

2020

But I was still enamored with my Mod Scrap quilt (see 2019 above), so I decided to make another one!

https://adventurousquilter.blogspot.com/2020/10/improv-quilt-finish.html

2021

I continued playing with that style of piecing:

https://adventurousquilter.blogspot.com/2021/11/improv-scrap-piecing.html

https://adventurousquilter.blogspot.com/2021/11/quilted-robe-progress_18.html

https://adventurousquilter.blogspot.com/2021/11/quilted-robe-complete.html

I also started making 6" improv pieced quilt blocks in the various colors of the rainbow:

https://adventurousquilter.blogspot.com/2021/12/improv-scrap-blocks.html

2022

A friend Teresa saw that on Facebook and gifted me some more scraps from her sewing room and also a fellow sewist friend of hers Carol did too:

Batch 1 - 800+ blocks were made from this batch!

https://adventurousquilter.blogspot.com/2022/03/scrappy-play.html

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So I want to share some of my current process that has developed in the last couple of years:

Step 1: Colour sort scraps with piles for each colour of the rainbow (include pink, berry, grey, beige, brown, black, or any other color/tone) whilst doing that sift out:

- drab & dated fabrics that don't suit the individual palettes

- multi color busy print scraps that don't suit a specific color/tone bundle

Here's a blog post showing some of my drab and dated batch:

https://adventurousquilter.blogspot.com/2022/03/destash-scrap-demolisher-quilt.html

Those drab fabrics make great pieced quilt backs! Like this:

The busy prints make great eye spy quilts:

https://adventurousquilter.blogspot.com/2022/03/blog-post.html

Step 2: Colour sorted piles can then be sorted again to create tonal piles i.e. pale, medium and dark tones. 

E.g. light blue & dark blue (you might want a medium blue pile too depending on your scraps). Here are some piles of blocks made from my 2023 light blue and dark blue scraps:

Here's a blog post showing how I store mine whilst they are waiting to be used:

https://adventurousquilter.blogspot.com/2022/03/temporary-scrap-storage.html

Step 3: Choose what shape/size your blocks will be & start sewing blocks using just one color or tone:

https://adventurousquilter.blogspot.com/2022/03/orange.html

Here's a Youtube video showing my process:

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I make mostly color/tone specific 6" blocks like these:

But obviously you can do what ever suits you and your scraps. 

I have done white/neutral scrappy square blocks:

https://adventurousquilter.blogspot.com/2022/04/scrappy-neutral-improv.html

And happy bright brick shaped blocks for a zipper quilt that I haven't finished yet: 

https://adventurousquilter.blogspot.com/2022/03/scrappy-improv.html

Look at these project boxes bursting with 800+ scrappy improv blocks:

https://adventurousquilter.blogspot.com/2022/09/last-saturday-project-box-share-for.html

And just when I thought I was done I got gifted more scraps in late 2022:

https://adventurousquilter.blogspot.com/2022/08/more-gifted-scraps.html

I have now made over 1,000 scrappy 6" squares stay tuned to see how many I end up with once I have finished piecing all the improv blocks!

A few of my 2023 blocks

Here's the journey so far...

My learning style is learning by doing and that is perfectly illustrated by this complex journey from beginner to my current knowledge and style.

Stay tuned to see this learning journey continue.

Improv large scraps:

Rainbow layout:

Low volume: