Botanika Improv Quilt

Paula Prass's Botanika in Meadow

I've been interested in making a mostly white quilt with fussy cut accents for awhile now.  I've made my share of traditional block quilts and I want to work in a more modern style.  Enter Paula Prass's Botanika fabric...pretty much my perfect idea of bright modern patterned fabric and interesting fussy cut potential fabrics in one collection!

As usual I loathe cutting into my new precious fabric...I always wonder whether I am going to change my mind about my piecing, or make a mistake, or whatever I am basically a worry wort.  I decided to start by cutting my fussy pieces first and surprisingly enough, I became so caught up in the fun of picking out what fussy cuts to make next that I completely lost my inhibition about making a mistake!  How refreshing!

Unlike a traditional block quilt I am not cutting all my piecing first but am really working improv by cutting then sewing, cutting, and then sewing some more as I go.  This is so bizarre for me...but fun.  I tried drawing a draft but it really isn't going to fly this time - I just have to work as I go along.  Agh, really making me work outside of my usual comfort zone!

First I started with this little bird.  Isn't he cute?  I just had to...he politely asked to be first.  And I gave him a lovely light turquoise border and once that was finished, well, he truly deserved a crown.

Then I wanted to definitely fussy cut some of the floral fabric.  Awesome.  Isn't it just... FRESH?  And I decided to do that on an off center white block.  I then moved on to its border...

As soon as I opened my Botanika Collection I knew these two were meant to be together.  The photos aren't as rich as they are in real life (working on getting a new camera, better lights, something, ugh) but trust me when I say these pinks are hot.

What I'd like to do is work with the fact that some of the fabrics in this collection are the same but in reverse (white on color versus color on white).  I'd love to kind of meld them into one another if I can as you can kind of see here. 

Still working out how that is going to happen...I'll keep you posted...

This is probably the biggest brain teaser quilt I've ever worked on.  I can't just lay it all out and then cut and sew.  I really have to think about it along the way.  Completely different process and it is giving my mind a workout!  I'm not going to rush this one, I think I'll leisurely work on it as I feel motivated so as to not burn out and be unhappy in the end.  I want this to really be something special.

Any thoughts?  Advice on Improv Quilting?

Unfortunately, I am too busy right now with all my Works In Progress to do a Proper WIP Post.  I'd honestly rather go sew instead of sitting here typing about projects I should be working on...Please forgive me!  But do stop by and check out the weekly WIP Wednesday at Freshly Pieced!

- rebecca lynne