Time has gotten away from me and it’s been almost two weeks since I shared a quilt from my new book, Improv Paper Piecing: A Modern Approach to Quilt Design. The book is available on Amazon and signed copies are in my Etsy shop (sent with a free postcard while supplies last!).  I love this photo.  And sharing it provides a good opportunity to thank my mom who came along with me to many of these photoshoots.  She helped me with this one, when I took photos in our Old Town Hall built in 1842 with its beautiful light and high ceilings.  The ladder was found in our barn when we moved into our house, the chair was found on the roadside and refinished by me, and the orchid is my husband’s.  That’s why these photos mean so much to me. They incorporate so many of the things I love and a lot of my personality.  I am grateful to have had the opportunity to take the photos for both of my books.

This photo was taken in the Everett Mill building in downtown Lawrence, MA. It was a former cotton mill and later shoe manufacturer. Again, my mom and her husband were with me, which was very helpful, especially when a big nail became imbedded in my tire and I had to carefully drive home with a flat. It was a beautiful space and I was able to take several photos there.

This quilt is based on the traditional Tallahassee block, sketched in an improvisational fashion with askew lines and asymmetry. Part of what makes this quilt successful is the layout. I placed the blocks in a sort of serpentine fashion, echoing the motion I felt from the block.  The colors are bold and the binding is another color all together–a fun bit of whimsy.

You can find this quilt pattern and related design exercise in the section of my book based on Traditional blocks. I hope you enjoy it!