Tuesday, January 26, 2016

Improv Rail Fence and AHIQ Link up #5

Like Kaja, it's been an unexpectedly busy month for me. Best? Visiting my new grandson.
Worst? Computer crash again. It's extremely hard to get any photos uploaded and impossible to follow links.

I finished quilting Improv Rail Fence. Again I squared the quilt with a ruler before binding. It seems to work better for me although it does remove more of the top than would happen with a more traditional pattern.

Improv Rail Fence

Striped binding seemed a good plan but there wasn't enough of either. So I used both.

Binding detail

Quilt Details
Size: 82"(H) x 59"(W)
Batting: Mountain Mist Cream Rose 100% cotton
Thread: Aurifil 50/2 cotton thread in pink
Quilting: Free motion swirls and flowers

Previous posts:
1. Another Improv String Quilt
2. Improv String Quilt, a Beginning

Enjoy the day, Ann

InLinkz removed because site was hacked.

39 comments:

Debra said...

Ann, love your improv rail fence. I am new to string piecing but really loving this technique!!

Sujata Shah said...

Ann, Gorgeous finish! I don't know when I will begin sewing. It seems like months before I open the box of of fabrics. Glad I got to do some fabric shopping while you were here and see some quilt tops. This string quilt is perfect in time for Valentine's Day. I love the binding on it.
Hope you had the best time with your grandson.

liniecat said...

Love it lol the antithesis of Quilt Police precision and such fun all round!
My kind of quilt !

Monica said...

Wow, love this, Ann! So much movement and life to it. Glorious!

I'll be back in a few days with my link. :D

Glen QuiltSwissy said...

LOL! That binding is totally perfect!

Linda @ kokaquilts said...

I love your improv rail fence quilt! It has a very appealing 'handmade' look about it!

Cathy said...

It all blends so nicely and I agree...the binding is the icing on the cake.

Mystic Quilter said...

Love the mix of fabrics in your Rail Fence, looks like a lovely old quilt that has been well-loved.
Pleased you had a visit with your new grandson - as you say just the best!

June D said...

Beautiful rail fence - great fabrics and colors.

Kaja said...

I love the feel of this quilt: I like the way the red and white units fit in with the pastels, and all the little details, like the triangle strips. The scrappy binding is spot on too.

audrey said...

Such a great quilt. Love the brighter red areas and then when I keep looking, I zero in on the very light spots. Your binding is spot on.:)

Ann said...

Hi, Debra. String piecing certainly is relaxing. It's always interesting to see how many different ways people can find to put strings together. And so nice to use up what we have on hand. I enjoyed your post and plan to visit again.

Ann said...

Thanks, Sujata. Hopefully your house is closing soon and you'll be able to get to the fabrics. We had such a great day fabric shopping; I can't wait to cut into those.
Now I know how amazing grandbabies are! Can't really do anything... except melt our hearts. It was a joy to simply sit and rock him.

Ann said...

It was so much fun. I cut way too much fabric and this was the second made from the original pieces. It's fun to compare them. And it was very relaxing to work without worrying about any points or seams matching!

Janie said...

Great finish and colors, I agree!

Ann said...

Thanks, Monica. I'm looking forward to your link - always a fun read.

Ann said...

I'm glad you like it. A bit crazy to have two stripes but... it's fun.

Ann said...

It was fun to make, Linda. I really like the colors; guess I'm entering my "pink" phase. It was interesting to work out the unit placements, too.

Ann said...

Thanks, Cathy. Some of the fabric was leftovers but most came from my stash rather than the scrap bag. It was fun to pull this assortment.

Ann said...

Thanks, Maureen. It's comfortable to use, too. You have several grandchildren as I recall, hopefully older than mine. They certainly are fun!

Ann said...

Thanks for writing, June.

Ann said...

Thanks, Kaja. It was so fun to pull these fabrics and then find the triangle strips in the scrap bag. I'm so glad I saved them.

Ann said...

Thanks, Audrey. Red is one of my favorite colors but like you, I'm noticing the lighter areas more as I use the quilt. Need to buy more stripes for bindings. They add a real pop, don't they?

Ann said...

Thanks, Janie!

Lara B. said...

Ann this is another quit of yours that I am head over heels in love with! It's wonderful and fun and the colors are great!
I did not get to sew a stitch last month. But like you, got to cuddle a new grandchild. :)

Ann said...

I know! What joy to have Erin arrive with "all her fingers and toes." And aren't they tiny? Perfect for snuggling and kissing. We finally found something more fun than quilting.

Ann said...

Whoops. Eden, not Erin. Sorry.

Shelina said...

This is a gorgeous quilt! Love all the pinks and reds. It looks like the back is pieced too - can you show us the back?

Cynthia Brunz Designs said...

Lovely string quilt! Great job on your color choices.

cspoonquilt said...

Love the scrappiness! The red stripe really helps the viewers eyes to travel around the quilt! Thanks for organizing the linky party too! cheers!

Ann said...

Thanks, Shasta. I seem to be on a red and pink binge this past year. The back is pieced with leftovers in no particular style, just rectangles. But I'll try to get a photo next week.

Ann said...

Thanks, Cynthia. I pulled the fabrics from my stash rather than using real scraps. It was a good choice.

Ann said...

Thanks, Claire. I'm glad the placement works. This linky has been such a great idea. People have such thoughtful posts to go along with their interesting quilts. It makes enlightening reading. I hope you have time to read some of them.

Stephie said...

Ann you're just whipping through the quilting of your improv quilts - I'm so envious! This one is really lovely - I think your binding worked out brilliantly :) Also, I think if your quilt is going to be used rather than hung on a wall, squaring it up (even if it's just square-ish) is probably a really good idea. I hope to link up with you on Monday - with some joined circles, or al least some thoughts on it! Big thanks to you and Kaja for bringing us all together, it's wonderful.

Mary Marcotte said...

What a fabulous quilt! I think your quilt has helped me to realize that one of the things I like about many of the quilts I've seen (and is different from my own) is the small size of the pieces. I tend to keep scraps as big as they come and rarely have such narrow strips. But one of my favorite things about your quilt is that the pieces are narrow, so I have to really look to see the fabrics. Eureka! I get it. I also love that you used both of the striped fabrics for the binding. Thanks from me also for the linkup!

Ann said...

Thanks, Stephie. You're right. We had a scalloped-edge quilt that was charming on the bed but not so good as a lalp quilt. I always look forward to your posts; your circles are fabulous.

Ann said...

What an interesting thought, Mary. I did use larger pieces on Propellers and Planes but must admit I like string quilts. It seems like you can use anything for these strips; they all blend. I'm glad you enjoy the linkup as much as I do. We need to figure out how to help people know when it occurs. It's hard to remember the exact date of monthly linkups, isn't it? Thanks for adding thoughtful posts.

Julierose said...

I just LOVE your Improv String piece--and I loved going back and reading about your process and the roadblocks you overcame...I have baskets full of scrappy stuff and actually have made some improve string quilts but always on papers--and really kind of planned; I haven't tried stratae (sp??)....I think that may be my next attempt....I have Sherri's book and also one by Jean Wells I've been reading over....time for some play I think hugs, Julierose

Ann said...

What a kind note, Julierose. I enjoyed making both these quilts and am so glad you enjoyed reading about them. I've made lots of string quilts but always from true scraps. For these I pulled fabrics from my stash... and then got a bit carried away cutting strings. The first quilt was quieter but this one is quite a bit wilder as I became more comfortable with the process. Cutting strip sets into "block" sizes helped limit the waviness since I didn't use a foundation. I hope to see yours soon; it will be fabulous.