First of all I have to admit that I do not have pounds and acres of scraps as some of you long time scrap collectors do. I have lots of yardage, fat quarters and other pre-cuts especially jelly roll strips and charms. My actual crumb collection is what you see here. It doesn't even fill a quart-size bag.
I do have larger sizes organized and ready to use or cut down, but they are not truly scraps.
One of my monthly goals this year is to make an 8.5-inch slab block using the Rainbow Scrap Challenge colors of the month. For some reason I always do my other blocks first, like the Twinkler and the sailboat, but I keep putting this one off. Maybe my excuse is to use the other pieces first and use the leftovers for this block.
However, an interesting thing has been happening since I learned about slab blocks from Joy at The Joyful Quilter. They seem to fit my more architectural leaning than real scrap quilts as of old. I love the riot of colors, but I prefer structure rather than randomness. This has all gelled in my mind in the last few months.
These are my first four slab blocks for the year.
Obviously they are mostly rectangular and becoming more focused on a theme or fussy cut block like the flowers.
Each month I have put more time into thinking about them and not doing anything randomly. I realize now that they have become improv blocks, if there is an actual definition of one. To me it does not involve a pattern, but grows organically as I play and make choices. Playing is sometimes hard work.
Here is the improv block for May, using green, but brighter greens and bits of other colors. I call it A Gathering Of Doves.
My June improv block started with a flower iwith hints of aqua, the main color. It evolved by balancing that orange with a pink little building, adding floral fabrics and even a piece of Ruby chard stems as tree branches. It became The Neighborhood Flower Shop.
Does any of this make sense to you? I felt a need to post these thoughts and photos to illustrate the process of improv, at least in my thinking. And it definitely does us my scraps and crumbs.
JOIN IN THE FUN AT
Oh Scrap at quiltingisbetterthanhousework.blogspot.com
Rainbow Scrap Challenge at soscrappy
Modern HST Sampler at Blossom Heart Quilts
Paula, what you are doing with your slabs and improv makes me think of making my Scrap Vortex quilt that I finished this year way back in January or February. There's a lot of thinking involved in that kind of sewing! I love how your blocks have a story! I think the green one is my favorite!
ReplyDeletethe slab improv blocks look so good, I do like scrap blocks and tend to hoard scraps have done one large and one small scrap quilt o far but unlike you just join fabrics randomly no planning involved that is too complicated for me
ReplyDeleteThey look great - its a great goal too!! Kepp those scraps in line
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