Here’s what came of my first improv-pieced quilt block, from that class taught by Alissa over at The Urban Craft Center in Santa Monica.

My very first improv half apron! Made with scraps from my stash and muslin. Inspired by Denyse Schmidt’s Shimmy, Shake and Bake Apron.

Ever since that class, I’ve been quietly rooting through my fabric stash and building a new one—for my new fascination with modern quilting. It’s this pseudo-serious project for me, because now I’m starting to recognize fabric I can just live with, and fabric I NEED! I’ve also joined the LA Modern Quilt Guild, read Denyse Schmidt’s book as much as I can, read up on color, even art (which is a stretch for me!).

It’s opened a lot of doors in crafting for me. I’m falling deeper and deeper in love with this craft, and can’t wait to keep trying my hand at it until I get better.

THIS is kind of that moment in my crafting life I’ve waited for. I don’t know if you’re a crafter, or if this has ever happened to you, but I’ve collected fabric for along time, with pieces I knew I could NEVER cut into because they were too special. With improv piecing, no block you ever make can be wrong. With the freedom modern quilting allows, NOW I know I can, have, need to use this fabric!

L-R: Japanese cottons from a recent trip to Manila; Italian Cottons from a trip to Bassetti Tessuti in Rome

All this makes me really miss my grandmother. Lola Acay was the big quilter in my life, and though she made very traditional pieces, she had an artistic eye for fabric and color, and would LOVE all the things I’m discovering as I learn more about modern quilting.

L-R: My first improv-pieced block, my grandma’s rail-fence throw-pillow case

I think, one of these days I’ll visit her old house in Dumaguete, just to piece a couple of improv blocks on her manual sewing machine, the one she used to make all those quilts up until her 90’s. That would be awesome: me with my FreeSpirits, Heather Rosses and Alexander Henrys, sitting at Lola’s decades-old sewing machine.