Improv Patchwork: Dynamic Quilts Made with Line & Shape

by Maria Shell

Explore new options in improvisational piecing and empower your creativity! Cut and combine solid-color fabrics to create your own "prints" - stripes, polka dots, chevrons, plaids, and more. Forget the rules (and even your ruler) as you piece colorful solids into compelling quilt designs. Use color, pattern, and repetition to develop your personal design aesthetic as you stitch freely to create unique quilts that pack a punch!

Genres: Quilting, Crafts

96 pages, Paperback

Published October 1, 2017

Reviews

[Candy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bursting with ideas!
I had wanted to read this because I love improvisational piecing, but it was not available from our library. So, I got a copy from Amazon, and am so glad I now own this book that I can refer to.
Maria is a step by step teacher, building gradually to the grand finale. The pictures are great, and the inspiration is over the top!
You might think improv means messy, but Maria is here to tell you that is not so. She has standards!

[Marie Z Johansen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I admire Maria Shell's quilts and techniques and had pre-ordered this book as soon as I heard about it.

Now that I have it hand the only thing that wish for is just a bit more of the book. The techniques for creating a your own striped, checked and other improv inspired quilts are all well presented, well illustrated and paired with excellent photographs and I know that I will use the book quite a lot in the future.

The book itself was a bit smaller than I had anticipated, but is in line wi CT Publishings Stash book series...but I wanted just a bit more.

If you admire this artists quilts then this book is for you too! I have absolutely no affiliation what-so-ever....etc etc...

Have a look at her website....
https://mariashell.com/

[Claire · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is like so many current quilting books. One idea. Multiple variations. The one idea is to stitch small pieces together into striped or plaid cloth and then use the cloth that has been made to design quilts.

There are directions for the variations such that each person's quilt will be different rather than exact patterns with measurements.

[Sheila · Rating 4 out of 5]

Improv Patchwork Dynamic Quilts Made with Line & Shape by Maria Shell, C&T Publishing, 2017, library book, read July 2018.
- Using solid fabrics to create your own prints and patterns will inspire you to work freely without rules or rulers.
- I can benefit from her techniques to make background fabric with random shaped stripes for Kathy’s star quilt. In Birch Stand by Maria Shell, she has made short row stripes from brown and beige prints and then sliced them and sewn stripes on to a solid background to create the birch trees.

[Caro · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great book for inspiration and for technique. I'm not always crazy about the deliberate busyness of her designs, but many of them use color and line in spectacular ways, e.g. Birch Woods Glimmer and Colors Unfurled (aka If Betsy Ross Had My Stash). May need to own this one.

[Katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not exactly my taste but written by a true artist encouraging others to become artists in their own right

[deanne belshe · Rating 4 out of 5]

May have to buy a copy!

[Barbara Woodson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I used this book when I took Maria's fun class"Game of Improv". It will continue to be a useful reference when I'm creating an improv art quilt.

[Montserrat Duran · Rating 5 out of 5]

Full of great ideas

I enjoyed the book and the simplicity how María explain and construct blocks and quilts. Great improvisation start for any quilter.