Both of us mowed this afternoon and got it all done in one day – except for trimming – and it’s been raining lightly all evening so it might be too wet tomorrow to trim.
I posted this quilt yesterday on Instagram. It’s been hanging in the quilt shop for about 10 years, long before improv piecing became so popular. I think it’s really fun to sew this way – there are no rules!!
This was made with low volume prints, neutrals and backgrounds. Would you like a short demo on how to start? It’s quilted with straight lines, of course – I didn’t want those curls interfering with my piecing. 🤨
I put Keeper’s chair quilt on the longarm yesterday.
And now for binding.
The pond has already gotten ugly –
I don’t want the geese to go in it!
So I filled these and I hope they’ll use them.
Here’s another flag pattern from one of our books.
Good Night!
P.S. The Pacers game just finished with a game winning shot by Tyrese Halliburton, a pro player from Iowa State. Indiana and Iowa are a team! That shot reminded me of a Caitlin game winning shot!
I love Keeper’s new chair quilt, and it is always wonderful to see beautiful Gracie
I also love your improv quilt and would
Appreciate a tutorial. I am a big fan of the straight line quilting.
Thanks, Mary 🥰
Keeper’s quilt looks amazing!!! I am very interested in a demo on your improve low volume quikt. It, too, looks amazing!! Thank you for the flag pattern.
You are so talented!
when i did not see an email from you on the 6th i did a seaarch and here we are on the latest one. So now i am wondeing if everything is ok or did i miss s message about there not being one today. Hope all is well.
I, too, would be interested in how you start the improv quilt. Most of my scraps are darker than sand – much! Still, the concept should still work, right? Love the pictures today. Thank you, Mary!
Jan
Your low volume improv quilt is great! I wouldn’t mind to know how to get one started, too. Farmer Tim’s corn is certainly ahead of the corn planted here in NE Indiana. We have had a lot of rain and there are many little lakes in the fields. I hope they are able to drain quickly. I have been doing VBS this week so I have been in bed early. My hubby comes in to watch the Pacers and Thunder game and starts yelling at the end of the game. Woke me up but glad it was for a W and not an L. I told him it was lucky for him that today was the last day for VBS or he would be banned from the bedroom until the end of the games. LOLOL I’m not a huge NBA fan but I do want the Pacers to do well.
Also, thank you for the flag quilt pattern/instructions! It looks like a nice quick and easy project. Are the geese liking the fresh pools of water?
Sara – I haven’t seen a single one in the pool yet! Stupid geese
Mary, I too would like to learn how you made your improv quilt. Do you think it would still look good if it didn’t use low volume fabrics. Those aren’t the ones I need to use up. lol. I was thinking darks blues and greens. Didn’t know if anyone has done that before.
Teresa – funny you should mention blues because that’s what I was going to try
Love your low volume quilt and Keeper’s quilt! Would love to see a tutorial on making an Improv quilt!
Thanks for the Flag pattern!
Waaay back in the 90’s, there was a website called “The Worldwide Quilting Web”. They used to talk about quilts made with fabrics that were “nothing darker than sand”, which is exactly what our low-volume quilts today are. I just love the thought of “nothing darker than sand”, but I’ve never actually gotten around to making one … maybe now is the time. I have done some improv quilting, and I love it … no rules, no matching, just sew and go … but I have to remind myself of that all the way through the project … lol! Enjoy your weekend!
Candy – I added some pastels but they also weren’t darker than sand – that’s a new one to me
Love your improv quilt and would love to know how you approach it. Thanks for offering! My late sister lived in the southwest corner of Iowa for many years and seeing your photos reminds me of good times visiting her.
Love the colors in the improv quilt! Keeper is not only a good boy, he’s also a lucky boy to have you taking care of him. Gracie is beautiful. What a neat idea to use the farm photos for greeting cards. Our farmer neighbor, Dave, planted corn in the field next to our yard this year, so it won’t be long until we will feel walled in (in a good way) by the tall corn until harvest day opens up our view again. Last year the field was tomatoes (Dave grows tomatoes for Red Gold) and watching the tomato planting and harvesting is quite interesting (and a change from the usual corn and soybeans). We have seen three orioles this year, but they only come to the oriole feeder occasionally. Would love to see your oriole feeder setup, Mary, and any news about them.
I would love a demo on how to get started on an improv quilt. My friends always think I’m so talented because I sew and quilt but I tell them it’s because I know how to follow a pattern lol. Doing an improv would really take me out of my box! I made “The Flag” a couple years ago but gave it to my friend in Texas so I don’t have a picture. Was very fun to do though. I like the climbing hydrangeas. I just got two limelight which will get 6-8 foot tall and trying to find a place in my landscaping. My sister passed from a long battle with cancer and my friends gave them to me. Maybe I should start a new bed in her honor.
Very sorry for your loss—I love the idea of a garden in your sister’s honor! The limelight hydrangeas sound like a good start.
i also would love a demo on how to start. Thank-you!
Love the improve quilt and would love your expert advice on making one! The outdoors was so nice while it wasn’t raining. I had a dr.appt in Mason City yesterday and on our way home got our one year old car initiated with a window rock chip! Uggh! We always say we don’t officially own it until the first chip. the road construction everywhere is atrocious.
Oh, this was a blog post that hit home with me. I love days like you had and I loved seeing the land surrounding you. The fields are turning green here too! We had a couple of showers yesterday and it rained overnight.
So enjoyed your post oh so very much.
Fran – thank you! It’s what I enjoy so much, too. I have a small photo printer and pictures like this are what I use for sympathy cards for men. I needed to take some in each season so I will continue to take pictures of the surrounding fields. Most of the men I know are involved in farming in some way and the landscape photos fit better than a flower scene – duh. I plan to keep taking these types of photos and I’ll post them – since I know others enjoy them, too.
Mary, that is a wonderful idea. Men’s cards are very difficult to make. And if you send someone a fishing type card, do they like to fish? If they don’t …. Maybe I overthink it.
We are just home from Michigan to attend 6th grade graduation of our grandson. They also have a pond, much larger than yours, but someone sprays it to keep that green stuff out. There are fish in their pond and they have a paddle boat. They have a three year old….grandma is nervous Nelly because he is a very busy boy!! Shouldn’t even think about it, but!
We had a wonderful time as always! The three year old was so happy to see us! So fun!
Now it’s laundry and getting back in the groove🥵
Joy – I wish our pond was spring fed! It’s just a big mud hole for the geese really. The little guy is busy, huh? That would make me nervous, too / and at 3 he’s old enough to remember you!
Yes, he remembers us and he was so excited to see us! When your grandchild comes running to give you a hug when you come to visit is the best ever! If I call them, he wants to answer, and it says, Hi gamma! And I ask him stuff and he says ‘yup’. Then when he’s done he hands the phone to his mom and says ‘you talk’! So fun!
Hi Mary. I would like a short demo on how to start an improv pieced quilt please. So enjoy reading your blog about every day life. God bless you and yours.
I would also be very interested in seeing how you get started with your improv quilt. Love the pictures of your farm from all angles!
I love Keepers quilt. I just finished the flag quilt you posted. Cut it down some since I don’t have a lot of walls, and if I put it outside the sun will bleached it.
I know I would love a demo for the improv quilt. Have a plumber come today 😳 ,but need to fix a shower. Oh well have a great day
Well Mary, it appears we would all like to see how you started the pretty improve quilt! Most of us have lots of scraps, but as someone else said, I’m not sure how many I have that’s low volume. Miss Gracie is such a beautiful kitty! One of my friends has a beautiful gray cat just like Gracie. That fur looks just like velvet! I don’t blame you I wouldn’t want the ducks in the pond either! I’m sure they’ll find & enjoy the pools you put out. And Keeper’s pretty quilt will make that ugly chair so pretty! Lucky Keeper! He’s such a good boy! On my way out to clear out some weeds in my flower beds & get rid of some where I had bushes taken out around my small patio. I’m having mulch put down today. Hoping to have some time to do a little sewing today! Thanks Mary for the blog! Like others, I love reading it!
Cloudy and foggy here in my part of central OH – glad I mowed around the house and barn yesterday! I only got half the trimming done though, and need to mow the back section that we only mow every ten days or so – it may not happen today as we have more rain in the forecast. I’d like to finish planting a couple of containers and divide some houseplants, but need to do those outside. There are lots of things I should be doing inside – but I may move them to another day’s to-do list and sew!
I would like to see how you start that improv quilt – looks like a good way to whittle down my stash.
I would love to see your demo on piecing an improv quilt. Seems like a great way to use up scraps.
Love your blog about nothing! Always interesting.
Yes, please. Do give us a demo. Your Improv quilt is lovely. And, thanks for your flag quilt pattern you gave us today. I’m making your flag quilt pattern that you gave us a few days ago for Flag Day. It is a close run thing, but I’ll make it by Flag Day. 🤭!
I’d love a video! These kind of quilts are my favs!
That improv quilt is so interesting. I just love it & if you can fit in a tutorial that would be fantastic. The real trick seems to be choosing the fabric & you seem to have an uncanny ability to put fabric together to make a simple quilt shine. Everything looks so green there in Iowa farm country & things are just as green here in Pa farm country. Even Tom is impressed by the beautiful quilts that adorn Keepers chair!
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Des – yes, this time of the year is the greenest it will ever be all year and I do love it. I love making quilts for those I love and Keeper lives at the top of the list! He is such a good boy!
Oh, Mary, good job on getting the mowing job done. My main goal for today is emptying the dishwasher. We are feeling better but not back to normal yet, 😵💫🤬Covid!
Yes, love the improv quilt and Keeper’s new quilt, the bits of green pop 🥰. Miss Gracie is beautiful 😻.
Darrell rode the mower out to check on the popcorn for me. It has grown and close to Farmer Tim’s size from the picture. I don’t know if it will get knee high by 4th of July, just glad it’s trying.
Always like to read what you and your animals are up to!!
Would like to learn more about the improv quilt- need to use all my fabric scraps for something!!! Have a great day!
Hi Mary, I like the look of the quilt on the cover of the book about old Swedish quilts, Keeper is so lucky to get a new quilt! Bella has 2 of my old ones on the floor, plus a cosy bed, sheepskin and the apartment (the under the bed space she likes to occupy!) Rainy, cold weather for a few days now, cosy with my oil heater,wish l didn’t have to take the dog out to pee! Take care everyone, best wishes from Sandy
Sandy – I’m interested in your opposite weather – I know it’s getting cold there – are the leaves falling? If it’s rainy and cold it sounds like our October-November.
I would love more info on the improv quilt too. I made an improv bag once but I gave it away!
I was wondering how Farmer Tim’s corn was doing. I still remember the knee high by the 4th of July. Hope he gets great weather so he has a bumper crop this year.
I love your low volume quilt. Scrappy is how I remember quilts from my younger years.
A tutorial on how to start an Improv quilt would be so helpful! And could you include how to choose fabrics and colors as well? Your quilt looks so fresh even after hanging for years.
Love the low volume quilt. I made one (not like yours) a few years ago and didn’t realize until I started it that I didn’t have very many low volume fabrics. Started collecting them from everywhere-quilt shops, thrift shops, garage sales, and the free table at guild. The quilts done and I have enough fabric for several more quilts. Liking the flag quilt too. Another one for my bucket list-which is getting rather long!
Always nice to get the mowing done in one day.
I would love a demo of how to start a quilt like the wonderful one in the photo!
Mary, I’d love to see and know more about that improv gorgeous low volume quilt! Looks like fun!
Gracie! 💕🐾
I would love to see how you started that first quilt! Thank you. Hugs,