Struggling With a Different Process

I need to approach what I'm doing from another angle occasionally. Have a different starting point and look at things from a fresh viewpoint. I guess that's why Kaja and Ann's AHIQ series is so interesting to me.

My starting squares

I really thought this improv. attempt would be about strings, but no. I took my long narrow strips of leftover cream backing fabric and started cutting them into random sized squares--large and small. Then I took some older pieces of blue fabric and did the same. All my cutting was made without rulers so the square sizes are all over the place.

Then, feeling faintly guilty {because this did not feel like true improv.}, I sewed them into half square triangles the efficient way. I did NOT mark the center lines though. It was all sort of eyeballed and so yes, some hst's are a bit more on the rectangular side than square. When I cut them apart between the sewing lines, I used my scissors and roughly cut off the extra fabric if one or two sides needed trimmed.

Doing what makes sense...

Then I ironed the hst's open and started lining them up on the wall. I played with them going in different directions and then went to bed. I was feeling sort of let down and yes, confused about how to go forward.

For clarity, I want you to know that these are the 'rules' I started out with:

• Only use fabric on hand, the older the better
• Cut entirely without rulers
• Start with one basic shape
• Only use 1-2 colors of fabric to begin with
• No 'finished quilt' planning allowed
• What if, What if, What if?

A starting point

Today I decided to play with the idea of an old fashioned 'utility' style sawtooth quilt. It wasn't doing it for me though.

Where my brain takes me....

I went back to my basic mass-of-wonky-triangles and changed up the row by fabric print. Much too subtle to make any significant difference.

A subtle change....

Then I introduced some brown strips. Thought about using red, but ughh! This does not need to be a red/white and blue quilt in order for me to appreciate it.

Adding strips

 I rather liked where it was going with less strips....

Maybe less?

But still... What exactly am I trying to achieve here? What is improv. exactly? Sherri Lynn Wood has this to say about the subject 'improv is a process of discovery. More specifically self discovery.' 

Then she mentions that 'It's a practice of being present'. So I'm thinking, what is it exactly that makes me feel connected to these wonky hst's? Those feel like me somehow. But it doesn't look, smell or act like what I've seen called improv. The fabrics are old fashioned and non-improvvy looking. You and I both know it's not the least bit bold, bright and splashy looking! I'm pretty sure this is exactly the kind of structure that will help me with my quilting and yet I'm struggling to find a true connection between what I do now and what I {vaguely} know needs to happen to some of my future quilting. I really feel that my {quilting} voice needs some of this whimsy occasionally, this old fashioned utility quilt style of I-don't-care-about-the-rules. Why oh why is so hard to go back to this style of sewing, when you've proved you can match up all your points and keep everything square and plumb?

Just seeing hst's, that's all....

I kept thinking of what Kaja said about taking a simple shape and seeing where it leads you. And so I kept playing. Until I came up with this: using the wonky hst's to frame a vintage basket block. Doesn't this look more like me already? I'm starting to feel present already.

A personal connection....

Will I keep it? Sew it together and call it my own? I'm not sure. These hst's may just be for playing and waking up my brain, saying what if? Right now the plan is to leave it up on the wall and keep looking at it. I feel like I jumped a major hurdle today and melded some different ideas together in a way that yes, I feel very connected to. Is it truly improv.? You tell me. It definitely feels more like a self discovery than a copykat improv. session! Linking up to AHIQ today. How about you?