Tuesday, November 21, 2017

Create your own Improv Quilts- Modern Quilting with No Rules and No Rulers by Rayna Gillman Book Review

CREATE YOUR OWN IMPROV QUILTS: MODERN QUILTS WITH NO RULES ; NO RULERS – RAYNA GILLMAN


Create Your Own Improv Quilts: Modern Quilts with No Rules & No Rulers
96 pages, softcover
Print version, $27.95; e-book: $22.99
Rayna Gillman just released her newest book called "Create your Own Improv Quilts: Modern Quilts with No Rules & No Rulers by C&T Publishing. I had the wonderful opportunity to be able to catch up with her at The International Quilt Market in Houston this year and get a hold of one of the books! I have been drooling over it ever since.    









If you don't know Rayna yet she is the queen of Improvisational Quilting or quilting by the seat of your pants. I love how she states in her new book that "you wont find patterns here, you will find possibilities!"

I have long been an admirer of Rayna's free style approach to quilting and her encouraging and confident teaching style. It wasn't until 2015 that I was fortunate enough to get the chance to work with her on my online project, The Fiber Art Connection. Rayna jumped in to teach her first online class to a bunch of excited students.  I was drawn to Rayna immediately and we became fast friends. Being a part of that online class was so much fun! I couldn't help but play along with Rayna as she helped everyone overcome their own self doubts and jump into creating blocks with her no ruler, no rules method. 

In her newest book, Create your own Improv Quilts, Rayna steps the reader through the fear of not following a pattern but learning to trust their own intuition and creativity. She does a wonderful job of walking us through the mystery of both Modern Quilting and Improv Quilting.  Rayna encourages each quilter to start by taking small steps and then helps us step into more complicated and complex designs by asking them to push the limits. She encourages us to cut, turn, move and be willing to look at our designs with a new and fresh eye. 
Tilting at Windmills by Rayna Gillman
Going through the book makes you feel like you are creating with a friend, being able to ask questions, use your stash and explore new direction for your quilt design. She continually provides us little nuggets of knowledge  throughout the book in the form of Tips! I love reading the tips throughout the book! 

Rayna is always encouraging us to dig into our stash and use what we have available! With her guidance and wonderful examples of fabric, shapes, color, value, alternative assembly techniques etc your efforts will be rewarded. It takes a good teacher to make us feel comfortable in the design process. Allowing us to fail and redo until we get it right. She shares her successes as well as some less successful pieces to teach us as she helps us grow and stretch our designer eye. Learning how to evaluate your designs just moves you to becoming a better quilter. 

With Rayna's skills as a teacher and her guidance you will be able to create endless quilts using her techniques in this book. Its a must have for every quilters library.  

Win a copy for your Quilting Library!
You have a chance to win a e-copy of Rayna’s book (e-book). Simply share in comments on this post about your favorite quilt style, do you prefer traditional quilts, modern quilts, art quilts, paper piecing, foundation piecing etc, and how might this method book help you improve your quilts? We’ll choose a winner on Sunday, Nov. 26 so make sure you leave a good way to get a hold of you!
Be sure to visit our friends on the tour:
Nov. 10—C&T Publishing
Nov. 13—Cindy Grisdela
Nov. 22 – Angie Wilson

Be Happy, Design, Create, Quilt
Desiree Habicht
www.desireehabicht.com (fine art and fiber art site)
www.desireesdesigns.com (quilt pattern, fabric, embroidery site)

9 comments:

Charlotta said...

I’m definitely a piecer, but I find it a little difficult to label myself or my favorite style beyond that. I think what I love is contemporary/Modern/freestyle/liberated, but I can’t pick just one of those labels!

Sumac said...

love paper piecing and modern quilts. heck, i love them all

Vicki said...

So far, I have enjoyed making traditional quilts as well as art quilts. But lately, I've been captivated by the modern and improv style of piecing and plan on exploring and playing with various improv techniques. I love that this hobby is so multi-faceted.

Studio TBF said...

I like art quilts. And hand sewing. Love the idea of improv!

Bev Longford said...

I am mostly a traditional quilter and passionate about appliqué and embroidery, I like to add some handwork to my quilts. This past year I have done some paper piecing in a contemporary style and found that fun to do I am feeling that now I really want to play with impov I think that I may want to add some hand work to my improv playing.

Chris said...

I love individual quilts if I like the color, design, feel. But I mostly make art quilts.I usually work without a pattern and try to use good design and always color.

Linda M said...

I prefer modern and art quilts.

Gene Black said...

I love art quilts, but I also love any quilt that can be snuggled under. My favorite style is usually whatever I am working on at the time. If I have to choose, I will say art quilts.

Miss Jean said...

I prefer quilts with an element of surprise and/or whimsy. I like to keep that idea in mind whether the pattern is traditional or modern or anywhere in between

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