Spotlight: Cindy Grisdela, Improv Quilt Artist
With a commitment to creativity as an attribute that develops best when nurtured and encouraged, improv quilt artist, teacher and author Cindy Grisdela works on improving her art quilting skills...
Improv Quilting
Improv quilting is the process of making a quilt without a pattern and little-to-no preplanning. Inspired by a single piece of fabric or left over pieces from other projects, each design decision influences the next as the artist adds fabric along the way, creating a unified piece of textile art.
Improv quilts can include curved piecing, strip piecing, appliqué and more! Today we think of Improv as a genre of Modern Quilts, but many historical quilts also have improvised designs.
Improv Quilt Inspiration
Spotlight: Shelby Skumanich, Quilt Alchemist
With a background in photography and an admiration for the Gee's Bend quilters, Shelby Skumanich mixes her trained compositional eye with the freedom of improvisation. The resulting quilts are striking...
Spotlight: Irene Roderick, Textile Artist
Initially trained as a painter, textile artist Irene Roderick came to quilting when she was looking for ideas for a bed quilt (her first), and discovered the work of Denyse...
More Improv Quilting
Spotlight: Émilie Trahan, Fiber Artist
Émilie Trahan creates award-winning fiber art inspired by nature and the world around her. Working improvisationally, she starts by selecting a color palette and setting minimal boundaries for the finished…
Spotlight: Mary Marcotte, Quilt Artist
Mary Marcotte comes from generations of traditional quilt makers. She enjoys challenging herself by working improvisationally to create her one-of-a-kind quilts. And, she is a finisher - you won't find…
Spotlight: Serena Brooks, Contemporary Quilt Artist
You'll find Serena Brooks working on more than one piece at a time. When she is unsure of where a piece is going, she can walk away and work on…
Spotlight: Paola Machetta, Improv Quilter
For Paola Machetta, engineering and art go hand-in-hand. The connection is activating the creative part of our brain in problem solving. She is a full-time engineer. In her free time…
Spotlight: Rebeka Lambert, Art Quilter
Rebeka Lambert discovered modern improv quilting and a new world opened for her. She uses repurposed fabrics in her art and enjoys adding texture with hand stitching. How did you…
Spotlight: Linda Steele, Textile Artist
Linda Steele started quilting as an adult when a friend encouraged her to take a patchwork class. Over time, she started designing her own improvised quilts, finding inspiration in fabrics,…
Spotlight: Cathy Perlmutter, Quilt Designer
Cathy Perlmutter is a passionate quilter and designer who stumbled upon a local quilt show that completely changed her life. Since then, she has explored a diverse range of themes…
Improvisational Curved Piecing Quilting Tutorial
Break away from the traditional quilting rules with improvisational curved piecing! Embrace spontaneity and explore free-form curves and circles. The first time you make an improv block you'll be challenged.…