This quilt, called Stolen From the Sea, is one of my most recent finishes and it measures 80″ x 60″. It’s made out of five different solid colors of cotton and is my original design. The quilt is made up of nine large-scale blocks using a technique that I teach in an Improvisational Patchwork workshop, but at a much smaller scale. I really love the results of that style of patchwork, but wanted to explore what would happen if I made them in a much larger size, to further simplify the composition. This is the result and I think it is one of my favorite quilts that I have ever made. I am particularly drawn to the bold, graphic design of the quilt, and the improvisational aspect of the work, which makes it completely one of a kind.

Improvisational quilting means that there is no pattern used in the construction of the quilt. It relies on one’s intuitive design, and much of the creative decisions are made in the present, while the quilt is being made, which makes each one unique.

I finished the quilt entirely by myself. I pieced the front and back of the quilt, and quilted it with straight vertical lines, placed roughly one inch apart. The binding of the quilt is machine sewn to ensure strength, as my quilts are always made to be used.