Today’s the last day! I hope you’ve had as much fun as I have on the Blog Tour for Adventures in Improv Quilts. It’s been a blast reading all the reviews and thank you so much for all the comments–I’ve read them all and really appreciate all your kind words.

I had a great time writing Adventures–even though it was in the middle of the pandemic–it gave me a focus and that was good. It’s my hope that you’ll feel in reading it like you have a trusted teacher or friend by your side to guide you through the process of making your own Improv quilt with no pattern and no rules!

Blue Puzzle – Cindy Grisdela

This is one of my favorite quotes from the book: “We all create original work in our own style, because we all have different likes and dislikes, quilting history, and experience. Your style is like your fingerprint, unique to you. No one else can create the same design in the same way you do.” I believe in this, as I believe that we all have the ability to be creative if we give our creativity room to grow.

One of the reasons I enjoy Improv so much is that there’s so much room for interpretation of the same elements. When I teach, everyone comes out of the class with a design that is different from the other students, and usually different from my work as well. My job in my books and classes is to help you discover your own creativity and run with it. You don’t have to compare yourself to anyone else, just be the best YOU you can be.

Some of the new things I’m proud of in this book is the chapter on color, where I use the same quilt design to illustrate the concept of color palettes–monochromatic, analogous, triadic (new in this book) and complementary. I think it makes things clearer, and you can create your own small color studies to play with the ideas further before committing to a new quilt.

Triadic Color Study – Cindy Grisdela

 

Complementary Color Study – Cindy Grisdela

I’m also really happy with the idea of the guided exercises, where you’ll learn how to put together a quilt with just one multiple cut curve unit, an Improv Puzzle quilt, or a Freehand Curve quilt. They aren’t patterns exactly, but they do include some of the measurements I used to create those specific quilts so you can make your own version. Just try not to get too hung up on the math–I’ve included the measurements for reference, but you can go your own way if you want to! You can also cut all your elements freehand, without using your ruler at all if you want to.

Modern Retro Circles - Cindy Grisdela

Retro Curves – Cindy Grisdela

 

Blue Confetti – Cindy Grisdela

The “How do You Know when it’s Finished” chapter is another favorite, which I hope will be a useful reference to evaluating your own work.

And I’m tremendously proud of and grateful to my students–both those who generously shared their work for the book and all the rest who have taken classes with me over the years–I hope you’ve learned as much from me as I have from you!

You still have a chance to win an eBook copy of Adventures in Improv Quilts–generously donated by C&T Publishing. .The giveaway winners will be chosen after the Tour closes at midnight EDT tonight, October 20, 2021, so if you haven’t had a chance to get to all the blogs on the tour, there’s still time to enter and win! You need to comment to be entered. Each blogger will be using a random number generator to select the winner on her blog.

I’d love to know in the comments today what your favorite improv technique is, or if you haven’t tried it yet, what you’re most interested in learning more about. Good luck!

Here’s the full schedule:

October 12, 2021 C&T Publishing https://www.ctpub.com/blog/adventures-in-improv-quilts-social-media-tour/

October 13, 2021 Maria Shell, Tales of a Stitcher  https://talesofastitcher.com/2021/10/13/adventures-in-improv-quilts-by-cindy-grisdela-ebook-give-away/

October 14, 2021 Jenny Lyon, Quilt Skipper  https://quiltskipper.com/2021/10/book-review-adventures-in-improv-quilts-by-cindy-grisdela/

October 15, 2021 Becca Fenstermaker, Pretty Piney  https://prettypiney.com/adventures-in-improv-quilts/

October 16, 2021 No post Saturday

October 17, 2021 No post Sunday

October 18, 2021 Carolina Oneto https://carolinaoneto.com/adventures-in-improv-quilts-by-cindy-grisdela/

October 19, 2021 HollyAnne Knight, String and Story https://www.stringandstory.com/blog/adventures-in-improv-by-cindy-grisdela

October 20, 2021 Cindy Grisdela https://cindygrisdela.com/blog/

If you’d like your very own signed copy of the book, you can order it on the website at https://cindygrisdela.com/product/adventures-in-improv-quilts/, or it is available without a signature from a variety of online sources, including C&T Publishing at https://www.ctpub.com/adventures-in-improv-quilts/

Many quilt stores also offer the book–if yours doesn’t, maybe you can ask them to order it for you!

24 Comments

  1. Helene Ross on October 20, 2021 at 11:17 am

    Improv quilting looks like so much fun. I’m really looking forward to your virtual class I’m taking with you on Saturday with FCQ.



    • Cindy on October 20, 2021 at 4:06 pm

      Thanks Helene–I’m looking forward to the class too!

      Cindy



  2. Marla Varner on October 20, 2021 at 11:53 am

    I’ve enjoyed the blog tour and seeing all the examples from your new book. It looks terrific! (Can it really be five years since the release of your first book?!)



    • Cindy on October 20, 2021 at 4:07 pm

      Thanks so much, Marla–t is hard to believe that 5 years have passed since Artful Improv came out!

      Cindy



  3. Kathrin on October 20, 2021 at 11:57 am

    I love your work, Cindy! If I don’t win the new book, I will be buying it at my LQS if available. Thanks for sharing your work!



    • Cindy on October 20, 2021 at 4:08 pm

      Thanks Kathrin–I appreciate that!

      Cindy



  4. Dawn White on October 20, 2021 at 1:17 pm

    How did I just now come across this at the very end??? I will be going back checking out every post!!!



    • Cindy on October 20, 2021 at 4:08 pm

      There’s still time, Dawn!

      Cindy



  5. ali on October 20, 2021 at 5:21 pm

    I’ve really enjoyed all the beautiful quilts – inspired to try some curved improv!!!



    • Cindy on October 21, 2021 at 3:35 pm

      Thank you Ali–I hope you’ll give the curves a try!

      Cindy



  6. Marya on October 20, 2021 at 5:31 pm

    Congratulations!! Looking forward to reading your book.



    • Cindy on October 21, 2021 at 3:35 pm

      Thanks Marya!



  7. Laura M on October 20, 2021 at 7:00 pm

    I have not worked with improv enough to have a favorite technique. I’d love to work through the guided exercises in your book to learn more. Thanks for all of the efforts you must have put into it’s creation. ha



    • Cindy on October 21, 2021 at 3:35 pm

      Thank you Laura–it was a labor of love!

      Cindy



  8. Kate on October 20, 2021 at 10:16 pm

    I love the bit about our quilting DNA; it explains why I really dislike symmetrical work and want to push a medallion quilt off centre!



    • Cindy on October 21, 2021 at 3:36 pm

      Yes–that’s so true, Kate!



  9. Debra Boyce on October 20, 2021 at 10:39 pm

    Love the colours! Such pop and life to all of this work- inspired!



    • Cindy on October 21, 2021 at 3:36 pm

      I appreciate that, Debra!



  10. MariaPaz on October 20, 2021 at 11:19 pm

    I can only say CONGRATULATIONS, Cindy. Your new book is sure great. Though I’ve never taken one of your classes, I’ve watched some YouTube videos and I really love your teaching skills. The improv curves are my favorite. It must be due to the fact that the drunkhard’s path is my favorite block in traditional patchwork. ????



    • Cindy on October 21, 2021 at 3:37 pm

      Thank you Maria for those kind words–I appreciate it. I made a lot of Drunkard’s Path traditional quilts too and I’m sure it influenced my love of curves!

      Cindy



  11. Pamela Reim on October 21, 2021 at 12:16 am

    You make improv quilting look so inviting to try! Makes me want to dig into my prized stash of my hand dyed fabrics.



    • Cindy on October 21, 2021 at 3:38 pm

      That sounds like fun, Pamela!



  12. Jennifer Scant Vienneau on October 21, 2021 at 3:11 pm

    I missed commenting yesterday but I did want to say that this looks like another stellar book from you! Looking forward to checking it out in it’s entirety!



    • Cindy on October 21, 2021 at 3:38 pm

      Thank you Jennifer!