15 Minutes of Play Improvisational Quilts: Made-Fabric Piecing - Traditional Blocks - Scrap Challenges

by Victoria Findlay Wolfe

Scraps never looked so good! This is improvisational piecing reinvented—learn how to create a unique piece of “made-fabric” in just 15 minutes with Victoria Findlay Wolfe’s improvisational scrap-piecing methods, then incorporate your made-fabric into traditional quilt blocks. As you play, you’ll sharpen your design skills and learn about combining colors and prints in new ways…then watch your quilt design emerge. Discover just how distinctive classic blocks like Sawtooth Star or Flying Geese can be, when they’re constructed with more spunk and spontaneity! Includes 11 challenge exercises to strengthen your creative muscles, plus an inspirational quilt gallery.

Genres: Quilting, Nonfiction, Crafts, Sewing, Reference

100 pages, Paperback

First published December 16, 2012

Reviews

[Jkrontirislitowitz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book about using scrap fabric to create whole fabric.

Some ideas I want to review
How to do it p.66

Quilts that I liked
Making me crazy quilt p.125
Crazy geese p. 164
Indications of rhythm. P. 184. I want to make this one.
Sherbet. P. 216. A very interesting idea for a wall hanging

[Leslie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've never really cared for "crazy quilts" but I liked the whole idea of "made-fabric" and the creative uses for using it in this book. I hope to get out some scraps and play soon. I agree that sitting down and doing 15 minutes of "play" like this can get creative juices flowing to create something fantastic.

[Anorina · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a scrappy quilter, this book was fantastically inspiring. I want to go into my sewing room (right now) and make some fabric, just like VFW shows us.

A very informative book filled with great ideas, excellent images and a lovely insight into VFW's journey into the world of designing and quilting.

A great resource for any craft book library.

[Robin · Rating 3 out of 5]

One more, older, book by Victoria Findlay Wolfe. Fifteen minutes a day for creative time, playing with scraps to "make fabric," coming back later to cut or shape that "made-fabric" into blocks or quilts. (A lot like ideas from the recent "Break the Rules" Block of the Month from QuiltFolk led by Jenni Smith and Kay Walsh, with leadership also from Chris English, Sherri Lynn Wood, and others.)

[Kathy England · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun book with lots of great photos. I'd recommend it to anyone wanting to branch out from traditional quilts. I've been quilting for a long time and have tried most of the techniques the author introduces, but it was good incentive to get down to my sewing room on a regular basis.

[Claire · Rating 3 out of 5]

I came across Victoria Findlay Wolfe by buttons on quilters' blogs directing me to her 15-Minutes-of-Play blog. There I found fun, some quilting challenges, and that there was a book of the same title. To the library I went.

Wolfe, who studied fine art, creates with fabric. She traces her interest in made fabric to her grandmother's crazy quilts that fascinated her as a child. She tells of finding her method validated in a book by Tonya Ricucci and finding her place in the community of improvisational quilters.

There is an idea "in the water" as it were of taking left over scraps and sewing them together and using the resulting piece. Some assemble them randomly, some sort by color. Variously called crumbs, improv fabric, and Wolfe's term, "made fabric." Wolfe uses it to jump start creativity, and I am reminded of free-writing, used to get ideas for written pieces. Assemble the pieces almost mindlessly, observe, get inspired and start a project is her process.

Wolfe gives several approaches to creating made fabric then some suggestions for using it in traditional blocks. Because one is a LeMoyne Star that requires Y-seams, she gives an easy-sounding method for handling them.

I appreciate any writer who helps remove the inner critic and encourages trying new things. Wolfe has many encouraging words: a challenge to creatively use a "mistake" and a reminder that we have enough fabric to make another quilt. She ends the book with challenges that are designed to loosen up creativity yet more.

Over the years I have learned to get quilting books from the library. Rarely do I find one I need to own. This one, like most, has some good ideas, ideas that can be absorbed and used long after the book has been returned. Less experienced quilters and quilters more wedded to patterns may find the book worth owning so they can refer back as they embark new paths.

[Sandy H · Rating 3 out of 5]

I did get some ideas for projects out of this book, and her writing style is good. However, the concept isn't new--although she refers to it as "made-fabric," it's simply crumb blocks. One probably doesn't need a book to figure out this ages-old technique. When I decided to buy the book I thought it would be something different. That being said, I hadn't made crumb blocks before buying this book, and now I've used the concept in a project and enjoyed the results. So the book did serve its purpose for me. In theory, I like the idea of sitting down every day and just sewing a few scraps together randomly before starting whatever quilt project you're working on or doing it as "leaders/enders" until you (suddenly, surprise surprise) have enough blocks made to create a quilt...but in practice I never get to it. It would make a good retreat project, though--something mindless, random, and easily distractable! Back to the book review...She does have lots of good ideas for ways to use crumb blocks, and even some basic block patterns to use your crumbs as the foundation of flying geese units and several other blocks. She also has a series of "challenges" to encourage you to use your crumbs in interesting ways. So if you're unfamiliar with crumb blocks or are looking for new ideas to use yours, you may find this book useful.

[Barbette Tohline · Rating 5 out of 5]

Inspiration

I love making "scrappy" quilts (i.e. using multiple fabrics within the colors chosen for my design) and am far more inclined to do hand work than machine, yet can see taking all the bits and pieces of fabrics (for me, pulling by color groups) and making them into a new larger fabric piece (her technique does not require accuracy in seam allowances, etc) that I can then cut pieces from for my hand pieced or appliqued designs, or to use as backgrounds for embroidery or as pieces from which to cut shirt or skirt or jacket pieces. Her final chapter provides many ways of rethinking things when stumped for ideas. I got this in e-book format. Works well, but I miss being able to write notes in the margins and marking those pictured quilts that particularly inspire me.

[Liz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow! This book is a scrap fabric keeper's dream. Connecting little pieces of fabric to make bigger pieces of fabric (what the author calls "Made-Fabric")that you then use to make parts of blocks blew me away. It was fun to look at the blocks and finished quilts to see both the depth and the hidden surprises when figuring out how these blocks and quilts were composed. There are a lot of great exercises and projects in this book. I definitely want to try some 15-minute sessions.

[Mhd · Rating 3 out of 5]

Basically a scrap quilt book but also improv, too. Combination of projects and quick tips to enable improvisation. Lots of very interesting quilt photos. Easy, interesting reading, too. I bought it from an ad and hadn't checked where it was printed--China--I've got to be more diligent in checking before I buy and I've lowered my rating to a 3-star. It will be good inspiration when I next decide to do something with the scrap collection or with my stash shelves in general.

[Lydia · Rating 5 out of 5]

The author gives us permission to spend just 15 minutes a day to work on making a quilt. A lot can be accomplished in just 15 minutes—provided you don’t have to set up and tear down your sewing machine and work area. She teaches how to take a bunch of little scraps and make your own “fabric” large enough to then cut into squares or other shapes to create your own distinctive quilt.

[Caro · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was lucky enough to take a class with her, which is how I discovered her book. Ir's in the best Gwen Marston tradition of inspiring you to learn a technique and then take off from there. Will be buying this.

[Debbi · Rating 4 out of 5]

An inspirational book that has moved me back into my quilt studio when nothing else seemed to. Though the aesthetic of most of her quilts is a bit "busy" for me (I'm pretty contemporary in my approach), her philosophy is marvelous, and her creative prompts stir things up. Terrific.

[Carol · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fabulous primer on improv quilt making!