CHANGED THE FANS

 I changed the direction of the fans yesterday.  Today I sewed a some more of it together and changed out some of the parts that were bothering me.

IMPROV THAT BLOCK WORKSHOP

Today was the fifth, and last workshop in the Improv That Block Squad on Brave Patch with Sherri Lynn Wood.  Today we got to pick the block we wanted to work on.  Sherri provided some prompts that we could use (or not).  

I choose to continue working on the previous types of blocks we have made, namely the nine-patch, the fan block, and maybe some four-patches and more friendship stars.  And I continued making tumbler blocks as a filler.

Here is how I left it after the workshop:

IMPROV BLOCK QUILT

 I've been sewing on the Improv That Block quilt and finally sewed the challenging last Fan block into the rest of the quilt.  I've not really known how to do it, but once I just started it was not that difficult.  

And, then I went on to sew in some other challenging parts.  It's coming together.

STRINGS WORKSHOP

 This morning was the next Improv That Block workshop with Sherri Lynn Wood.  This month we are exploring String blocks.

I made two sets of strings, one dark and one light in value.  Then after the workshop I made this.  It's another Friendship Star block using those string sets.

I think it's moderately successful.  But, the good news is I have leftovers from the string sets to play with another time.

CHANGES

 My design wall is oriented horizontally.  I like quilts that are vertical, so I end up putting them up on the design wall sideways when designing.  Sometimes it's bothersome.  

I've been having this problem with my current project, Improv That Block 2026.

Today I wasn't satisfied with way the Fan blocks were and wanted to change them, so I put them up, took a photo, then reoriented the photo to vertical then decided if it was looking how I wanted or not.

I went through several iterations.  Here they are:

Lots of work to do now.

IMPROV THAT FRIENDSHIP STAR

 Today was Sherri Lynn Wood's Improv That Block Squad workshop on her BravePatch channel.  We were exploring the multitude of possibilities making a Friendship Star block.

Here is mine at the end of the day.  I put them up with my previous Block Squad work.  I think I'll be making more stars tomorrow to fill in some blanks.  And maybe even sew some of this together.  But, I'm not going to finish it until we've explored other blocks in the next few months.

IMPROV THE FAN BLOCK

 Brave Patch and Sherri Lynn Wood have started another Improv That Block Squad session.  Today was the first workshop.   Our first block is the Fan block.  Sherri showed us the basics about making the block and we broke out into little groups and talked about the block.  We did some drawings and made some blocks.

I put mine up on the wall with Tumblers and the Nine-patches I made at the beginning of the year.

  

BRICK BLOCKS VARIATION

 Saturday was the Improv That Block Squad's last workshop for this year.  This time is is the Brick block that we are playing with.  I have a box of solid fabrics that I cut into rectangles and squares years and years ago.  I figured I should use those, but most of them are a rectangle sewed to a square.  So, there would be a lot of unsewing required to use just the rectangles.  And that doesn't sound fun.

So, I decided to use them the way they are.  I made some big squares with them, stacked them and slashed them diagonally, and sewed them back together, like the Hourglass blocks we made in the last workshop.

First making 18" square blocks

Next, slashing the two stacked blocks diagonally

Then, swapping every other triangle

And sewing them back together.

So far...

REPLACED THAT BLOCK

 I spent the morning making a bunch of smaller wonky improv Hourglass blocks to replace that dark brown block that was bothering me.

I got it all sewed together, too.

Here's how it looked at the end of today.

Now, I think that left side looks a little bland, so I changed the bottom right corner.  

I think it's looking better now.

PIECING THEM TOGETHER

 I've been sewing more and more of these Hourglass blocks together.  

Here's how it looked at the end of today.

I'm thinking about replacing that large chunk of dark brown with something else.  

MORE HOURGLASS BLOCKS

 The Hourglass quilt is getting closer to the size I want as I add more blocks and move some around.  And sewing a few of them together.

SNOWBALL PROGRESS

 I've been working on my Snowball top that was started in Sherri Lynn Wood's Improv That Block Squad workshop several weeks ago.

It's been slow progress.  I've only been inspired to work on one row at a time.  

Here's how it looks at this time.  

SNOWBALL WORKSHOP

 Today was the next Improv That Block Squad get-together.  Sherri Lynn Wood introduced us to this month's block - Snowball.

MAKING PERFECT

 I wasn't going to do this!  I had planned to make some pieces for each of the monthly blocks of the Brave Patch "Improv That Block", set then aside, and then at the end or the sessions mash them all together into one quilt.

But, today I couldn't help myself, I squared up the smaller Orange Peel blocks I made yesterday, adding and subtracting fabrics as needed, and made a nice little group.  I really like it though.

IMPROV-ING THE ORANGE PEEL BLOCK

 I joined the Improv That Block Squad and Sherri Lynn Wood this morning.  We worked on improv-ing the Orange Peel block.

Here's what I had done by the end of the day.

CHURN DASH WORKSHOP

 I attended an online workshop with Sherri Lynn Wood (and a bunch of other people) today.  She talked to us about improving a Churn Dash block and finding pivot points (a term she made up) to change the block and make it what you want.  It was very fun.  I really like the way Sherri teaches and helps us to get centered before we start.

I made this Churn Dash block.  And then I made a few more.