15 Minutes of Play - Improvisational Quilts

While I was going through all my quilting books trying to come up with an option for one of my nieces,  I came across this book.  I almost forgot I had it.  The book is called 15 Minutes of Play - Improvisational Quilts by Victoria Findlay Wolfe.  It's a book about using up your scraps in a creative way.

I heard of this book through Bonnie Hunter.  Bonnie is also an advocate for using up your scraps.  She constantly thinks green.  Reuse, repurpose and recycle.  When you really think about is, you realize that it would be a waste to throw out usable scraps.  They cost you just the same as the yardage did.  I don't know about you, but I would feel a shamed if I through out cash.  That's why I don't throw out my scraps.  I just have to find creative ways to use them.

This book gives you some creative ways to use them.  The ideas are not all completely scrappy.  Some of them, like the picture below have an organized theme to them, for those who need the control of a pattern, but with a bit of scrappiness to use up the scraps.  Other patterns are completely from scrapes and everything in between. 

I like this next one too.  I seem to always be drawn to lines that go on a diagonal.  The affect this one would have is a grid all across the quilt. You can control the scrappiness with the fabrics used for the diagonal lines.  They can be all the same colours or alternate to make a plaid affect.  What ever goes.

The next block is close to the last one but with a twist.  For this one the lines are more random.  They had an example where the lines are all different primary colours and the blocks where of various sizes.  Quite nice and very different.  This could be good in a controlled colour scheme too, if you feel you need to tame the scrappiness.  But sometimes wild and crazy works great.

This next picture is a really great example of a modern looking quilt.  This quilt was named Indications of Rhythm by Margaret Cibulsky.  The book has many examples that can help you use up your scrapes and make a quilt that anyone would be proud to own.  The blocks available give you examples to start with and some nice layouts as well.  Just let your imagination and creativity loose.  See where it takes you.  

In the book on page 5, there are even some challenges to get you going, to help you stretch your limits and explore beyond your comfort zone.  You have to trust me when I say go for it.  You will be very surprises where it takes you.  Within every person is a creative side and it is very liberating to let it loose and come out to play.