Improv Patchwork - by Maria Shell (Paperback)

About the Book

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!

Book Synopsis

Colorful pattern play for quilters!

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!

- Piece new prints and patterns out of solid fabrics and use them to create original, dynamic quilt designs
- Empower your creativity! Work freely without preconceived ideas
- Join author Maria Shell in a step-by-step journey of artistic discovery with this fascinating visual guide

Review Quotes

Contemporary quiltmaker Shell specializes in prints made from combining solid fabrics into stripes, polka dots, plaids, and other common patterns. Her first book walks quilters through the various techniques used for creating these prints, many of which involve freehand fabric cutting and improv-style -assembly. Each chapter explores the creation and use of a different print type, beginning with simple ruler-made and mat-made -(freehand) stripes, and proceeding through polka dots (small, repetitive prints), triangles and other triangle-based prints such as chevrons and herringbones, and linear prints such as checks, tracks, and plaids. Samples from Shell's work are included throughout, demonstrating the vibrant designs that can be made from each of the component prints. VERDICT Shell's work echoes traditional American improvisational folk quilting and will appeal to quilters interested in exploring color and pattern via one-of-a-kind patchwork.-- "Library Journal"

Maria demonstrates an exceptionally well thought out approach to improvisational piecing and use of color. Through study and practice she developed a system for creating what she calls 'prints made from solid fabrics.' Even a beginning quilter could follow her lead and successfully create uniquely personal pieced designs. Quilters wishing to create or improve their own improvisational designs will be well served by Maria's clear instructions and uplifting approach.-- "Machine Quilting Unlimited"

There's a lot of talk about improv quilting but not all of us are confident enough to achieve the improv look. This book shows you how to cut and combine solid-colour fabrics to create your own 'prints', including stripes, polka dots, chevrons, checks, and more. Maria Shell encourages us to forget the rules (and even your ruler) as you piece colourful solids into compelling quilt designs.-- "Today's Quilter"

We've been waiting for this gorgeous book. Maria Shell lets the reader into her process and creative mind in the confines of a colorful read. She writes, 'With your heart, you bring the essence of yourself into your work.' Maria definitely embodies this in her artwork. Her method comes alive as she reveals first her journey, her favorite tools, and how she arranges her studio. She explains how she chooses color for her quilts--and offers tips to get the contrast and complements just right. Lessons for making prints out of solids follow with well-illustrated, step-by-step instructions, This book allows the reader to dive into the vibrant world of Maria's improvisationally pieced artwork, see art quilts through her eyes, and provides encouragement to adapt her techniques to your own vision.-- "Quilting Arts"

About the Author

While Maria Shell's work is firmly grounded in the craft of quiltmaking, she uses her years of experience to create surprising combinations of pattern, repetition, and color. The recipient of numerous awards and fellowships, Maria lives in Anchorage, Alaska.