Inspiring Improv: Explore Creative Piecing with Curves, Strips, Slabs and More

I am absolutely loving this book! I love fabric and quilting but sometimes the precision required in traditional quilting drove my perfectionist brain crazy! One block would be off by 1/4 inch and the whole quilt would be ruined (not really true, but the perfectionist in my head can be a tad dramatic). So I decided to embrace imperfection and try improv. I love it! This book is simple enough for the beginner quilter but has more advanced projects too. It is beautiful to look at while also offering helpful, clear directions. I like that you can jump around as you feel inspired by various techniques and projects. The author also shares his own mistakes (aka learning experiences) and how he responded when things didn’t go according to plan. I hope you enjoy this book as much as I do. Happy improv!

I have a couple of improv quilting books and a whole lot of other quilting books, but this title was a great addition to my collection. It’s technique based, which allows the reader to go out on their own in addition to making the quilts featured. Each of the featured quilts are thoroughly discussed and shown, from inspiration to fabric choices to the quilting. I want to see the whole quilt and know why the maker did what they did! There are at least 4 quilts in the book I’m excited to make right away, but since reading the book has inspired me to finish up my current improv project as well as shown me how to approach a triangle idea I already had but hadn’t worked out yet, I will be doing those quilts first and then making the others. I’m a middle-aged quilter who likes all kinds of quilts from traditional to modern and I adore Mr Ball’s style. I perused his IG account before making this purchase and knew what his quilts were going to look like. This book is inspirational and a true gem. Very happy with my purchase!

Planning: Inspiration, color and pulling fabric. Practice: curves, inserts, rings, slabs, stacks, triangles, assembling the improv jigsaw. Progress: 12 wonderful quilting projects to practice the improv process with suggestions of fabric notes, blocks, inspiration, quilt variations, completing the quilt top and, finishing for each quilt.

I have been in a really bad creative slump and when I saw this book on Amazon, I knew I had to have it. It was delivered yesterday and I have spent the last many hours pouring over it and getting super excited. Now if I can just finish cleaning up my studio, maybe I can find some fabric! His writing style is kind of loose and he does not give you many specifics on how to complete the projects which is actually perfect for pursuing a stronger understanding of improv quilting. I can’t recommend this book enough!

If you've had an interest in improv piecing but never tried it, or if you're a veteran at it, this book is a great addition to your library. Easy to read, instructions well written and illustrated. The projects are simple, yet look complicated. The author's tips and insights are very helpful. Only downside - there's not enough time to make all the projects! :-)

Great book. Nicholas explains different methods to begin improv quilting, and includes detailed instructions and project ideas. It's a great intoduction to many facets of improv quilting.

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Informative and inspiring look at a new less restrictive way to quilt. Includes clear instructions to follow if you aren't ready to go it on your own. I am in love with improv- bring on the scraps!

Someone I was quilting with recommended this book and I wasn't sure at first as I hadn't had luck with improv quilting books before. This book is definitively WORTH IT! Loved how he explains how to do the techniques in detail and there is some inspiration 'patterns' in the back to help you get started with improv quilting. I keep this book on my sewing desk and refer to it often.

Traditional quilting doesn’t appeal to me. Once I’ve done a block perfect - then that’s me done. So seeing Nicholas’ work on his Instagram @quiltsfromtheattic - this triggered something with me and I just NEEDED to have his book when it was released! The way it is written is beautiful and very natural. He’s very clear in how he writes the book and it’s great to see illustrative step by step diagrams rather than photographs. It gives a better design feel to the book also. His choice of colours and fabrics are just insane, I really don't understand how he pulls these colours together to create something so beautiful. He’s really inspired me to get started on an improv quilt! Well Done Nicholas!

This is a great book.

Me encanta el libro! Cada página se entiende perfectamente, pese a estar en inglés. Muy bien explicado con paso a paso de una técnica que adoro y espero poner en práctica pronto. La presentación está muy cuidada y los proyectos son espectaculares.

Seit einiger Zeit interessiere ich mich für Improquilting. Natürlich gibt es viele Anleitungen im Internet, das Nähen danach ist eigentlich kein Problem. Das Designen schon. So habe ich schon viele Patchworkquilts im Improstil gesehen, die mich mit "wüsten" Farb-und Formspielen förmlich erschlagen. Ich habe nach einem Buch gesucht und es gefunden, das den Designprozess besser mit einbezieht. Für jeden der gezeigten Quilts gibt es eine farbige Zeichnung mit Stoffstückchen daneben, auf der die Grundidee deutlich wird. Einige sind eigentlich recht einfach aus Blöcken aufgebaut, andere haben ein Thema, das sich über die ganze Fläche zieht. Bei den ersten Beispielen entsteht trotz aller krummen Ecken und Formen durch geschickte Farbwahl eine Einheit, bei den zweiten gibt es einen Fokus oder einen Blickpunkt, der wie bei einem Bild in das Design hineinführt. Viel Info darüber, was man beim Improquilting alles nicht machen muss im Gegensatz zum normalen Patchworken, wie die einzelnen Blöcke genäht werden, Ideenquellen usw., wie man die fertigen drei Lagen quilten könnte, damit das Quilting zur Gestaltung, passt runden das Buch ab. Etliche der Ideen des Buches kann ich mir gut vorstellen nachzuarbeiten bzw. abzuwandeln. Auch wenn es gute Zeichnungen zum Arbeiten und den Quilts gibt, hat das Buch doch recht viel erklärenden Text, deshalb sollte man etwas English verstehen.