Playing With Improv

     Kaja of Sew Slowly and Ann of Fret Not Yourself are sharing a series of blog posts on improv quilting and today they are having a link up.  A couple of weeks ago Kaja shared this technique on her post Why Don't You Try This.  The gist of it was take a shape, make a nine patch with multiples of that shape, see where it takes you.

I decided to play along.  I went into my aqua scrap bin and found this piece of Anne Marie Horner fabric.

     I cut nine free hand (i.e.no ruler) squares , played around somewhat with the arrangement and settled on this.

     There is a silk pin on the left hand edge of the photo which gives you an idea of the size.  Then I started added things.  Sometimes switching the size and shape of the patch and sometimes switching the arrangement.

   Here's where I'm at so far.

     All but about two of the additional pieces have come from my aqua scrap bin.  Even the black stripe, as it is part of an unused block.  I've been working on this piece sporadically around other projects, adding a strip here and there as it tickles my fancy.  I love working like this.  It's very intuitive and freeing. Because there is no bigger plan and I'm using scraps I can play without stressing over the outcome.

     I've been using the back end of my rather large sewing table as a design surface.  It's the first thing I see when I go into the sewing room.  However it's also the first place the cat jumps up on the table. No worries.  He adds to the design process as he shuffles them around and knocks them on to the floor.  I'm linking up to AdHoc Improv Quilters (AHIQ)at Kaja's blog.