Controlled Improv WIP

I got to go to the Quilt Con quilt show earlier this year. We happened to be visiting my in-laws in Phoenix the very same time Quilt Con was happening. I didn't realize early enough to sign up for any classes, but that's okay. I spent a very long and full day looking at so many beautiful quilts at the show and browsing the vendors area. One of the vendors was Jittery Wings Quilt Co, and she had several quilts on display that corresponded to her patterns. I was really intrigued by a couple and she gave me a very brief demo on the color organization that she said the one pattern teaches. She called in controlled improv and I was sufficiently intrigued that I bough the pattern. It's called All the Good and I finally started sewing it. I'm a little nervous but I'm trying to trust the process. So far, I've gotten my HSTs all sewn, trimmed, and pressed, and I'm working on pairing my flying geese fabrics. 

This is my stack of fabric, almost, in the order I chose for the half square triangles. Once I went to cut it, I realized I was short on two of the prints. I could have sworn I had already verified that, since I had to order more of the light blue speckled Ruby Star print. I didn't mind, it's one of my favorites and I wanted more anyway. But I was pretty surprised that a few weren't wide enough for what I needed. I had to sub in two different greens, and a different yellow.

I was really irritated with myself and it took some major discipline when I made an irreversible cutting error. I wasn't thinking, and neglected the fact that I was cutting two at a time, and cut 8 of one size instead of 4. I intentionally did those first because I only needed one of the last size, and wanted to do the other before I opened it up to single layer, so of course I was aware of what I was doing, but nevertheless, I did it anyway, and didn't have enough to cut the single square for the flying geese. And of course, didn't have enough of that fabric left. Grr. It's a print by Amy Smart from her London line, and I really like it. I'm disappointed I will have less of that fabric in the quilt. BUT, it is improv, so I elected to take another print that was close in color that I did have extra of, and cut a second of that. It's fine. It'll be fine. But it's always irritating when you cut something incorrectly and don't have enough fabric to correct it. 

The pattern has you put them in a gradiant order and sew HSTs in that gradiant order, but I did a few switches because I was worried there wasn't enough contrast. I'm still a bit worried, to be honest, but I'm hopeful it'll turn out the right way since I'm basically following instructions. I'm using some prints I really love, too, and I think in general I've got a great fabric selection so hopefully it'll all work out.

I am breaking with the instructions a bit for the fabric order for the flying geese, mostly because I don't understand how it'll produce different results than what I've done. I'm trying to make sure that none of the pairings are the same as the HSTs, and I'm also trying to make sure that I don't have any inverted pairs, where I've got the same exact fabrics paired, but also that I don't have any that are too similar. This is my current organization. We'll see if I make any more changes.

I'm a tad nervous to see how this all comes together, and I don't know how I'll do the layout when it's time. I have a great design wall in my sewing room, but it's too narrow for this quilt, and it's really more of a block holding/organizing board than a design board since it's not wide enough for most things. But, you use the space you have, right? I'll have to layout on the floor outside my room where I do have space, and hope I can get it laid out well enough before I really have to pick it up. Usually, I'll take loads of pictures to help with layout (changing it to black and white can help me see value issues) and it has the added benefit of helping me if I have to pick it up before I'm done.