Pixie Sticks: A Finished Quilt

I have a big Friday Finish today - a improvy wall-hanging for our bedroom! I've been doing so much improvisational sewing this year, but I think this quilt stretched me the most. It's a lot more abstract than my usual - though, to me, the strips and wedges look like pixie sticks fallen on the floor. Stretching is a good thing, right? I feel inspired!

This quilt started out with hopeful, excited apprehensiveness. I couldn't wait to take Jacquie Gering's Slice and Insert workshop in August (it was the grand planned event of my summer) and it did not disappoint!

Here's the Central Jersey MQG with the lovely instructor herself. :)

I originally started with a palette of light greens, blues, and purples but I quickly rid myself of the green. Apparently I don't use much green at all in my sewing - maybe I greened myself out with Facets of Emerald last year? In any case, at least I have a bunch of pretty stashed greens for a future project. :) The different shades of blue and purple are there because they are our favorite colors.



I bought three yards (a very generous amount) of Free Spirit gray solid fabric for the background - I just loved how soft it felt in person at Pennington Quilt Works. I'm not usually one to choose a background based on the feel of a fabric, but this time, it was love at first touch. You might just see me standing on my bed to run my hands along this wall-hanging... come on, you quilters know you would do it, too! :) I combined the background fabric with even lighter pops of gray - whatever I had on hand (Pearl Bracelets, Sketch, etc.). I love the depth that these fabrics bring to the quilt.


I practiced most of the techniques Jacquie taught us at the workshop. We learned about how to use wedges in improv quilts, how to line up seams when slicing and inserting fabric, and how to utilize the versatility of the one inch strip. At first I *didn't care* about my seams lining up when they are separated, but I fell in love with how they looked matched up... so I went back and fixed a few. Otherwise it would just look careless. :) The effort was worth it!

I had so much fun quilting this. It was my first time matchstick quilting (like underneath the unintentional "H" above). I used my FMQ/darning foot and light gray Aurifil with great success. Jacquie encouraged us to find and quilt the "shapes" in the improv - it was fun to really just quilt whatever I saw! I used my walking foot for that part of the quilting.

In a complete departure from the front, I backed this quilt in a pretty, flowery Art Gallery fabric. I even sewed on the quilt sleeve already - overachiever, much? Seriously. I can't believe that part is done already! Now I need to get a rod to hang it over my bed... hopefully Sunday. I'll make sure to snap a picture when it's hanging up!

Linking up to Needle and Thread Thursday @ My Quilt Infatuation, TGIFF, Crazy Mom Quilts