Sometimes getting started on a new project is the hardest part. But you did it! We made it past the first month of the Quilt Alliance Birthday Block of the Month!

One thing that makes the Quilt Alliance special is that we celebrate all kinds of quilts — art quilts, modern quilts, traditional quilts, narrative quilts,  and of course, improv quilts. That’s why we chose an improvisational block designed by beloved quilter Zak Foster as the second block of our BOM series!

Meet Zak Foster

Raised in rural North Carolina and now living in Brooklyn, New York, Zak is a community-taught artist whose work draws on Southern textile traditions and repurposed fabrics. He practices an approach to design that is intuitive and improvisational. He is especially drawn to preserving the stories of quilts and specializes in memory quilts and burial quilts. His work has been featured on the red carpet of the Met Gala, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and more. His QUILTY NOOK community connects and inspires quilters and makers worldwide.

You can follow Zak on his website, QUILTY NOOK, and on Instagram.

 

Zak’s Top BOM Tips

Each month, our Birthday Block of the Month Designers will share their top tips for making the block they designed. Here are three great tips for making this block straight from Zak himself.

Zak’s Tip 1: Trust the Process

Play around with how you arrange your columns, but don’t get too fussy. It’ll be beautiful no matter how your stack them together.

Zak’s Tip 2: Find Visual Interest in Unexpected Places

Consider using the back side of the fabric. Sometimes that can offer a nice subtle variation.

Zak’s Tip 3: Finger Pressing Goes a Long Way

As I’m sewing my first pieces together, I rarely iron. Pressing with my thumbnail is a lot easier at this stage. However, I always try to iron the columns before sewing them to each other. It helps everything fit together true.

Quilt Alliance BOM Tips

Looking for even more tips to make this block? Keep reading — we’ve got you covered! Here are even more tips and tricks to help you make the second block in our Quilt Alliance Birthday Block of the Month, especially for quilters who may not have made an improvisational quilt block before.

Use Scissors for an Improvisational Look

One of the best ways to get an improvisational look for your block this month is to cut your pieces with scissors. In your PDF download, there is a chart showing strips you can cut to create your own fabric sizes. If you need more help, there is a cutting guide with approximate sizes to come close to the look of Zak’s original block. Using your scissors to cut with either of those charts (or using your fingers as a guide as Zak suggests!) is key to making an improv block.

Use a Ruler If You Want Help with Improv Cutting

If cutting freehand with scissors feels intimidating, use a ruler to cut your shapes instead! Vary the size of your cuts using your fingers as Zak suggests (or following the cutting guide) and let loose. 

Improv cutting is a fun way to unwind and experiment with your quilting. Many of the most beautiful quilts use improv piecing and don’t focus on precision piecing. If you’ve never tried improv quilting before or just want to dip your toe in, using a ruler to cut can help build your improv confidence.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

You can see the difference in the look and feel of the two blocks above. My block, made using the cover quilt colors, was cut was a rotary cutter and ruler as an example for quilters who would prefer to cut that way. Zak’s block shows more of the uniqueness of his own hand, between the way the pieces are cut and how they are hand pieced.

Try a Seam Roller

If you have hand or wrist pain, like arthritis or tendonitis, you may find finger pressing painful. Instead of finger pressing, try using a seam roller! This handy tool (get it?) helps flatten seams without having to take lots of trips to your pressing station.

Make Your Block Slightly Larger

With improvisational piecing, it can be tricky to tell how large your block will be after sewing everything together. That’s ok! One of the best things about improv is that you can always add more to get your block large enough to trim down to 12 ½″. That way you don’t have to worry about being so precise with your piecing!

For example, once I sewed all of my columns together, I thought my block would be large enough. But, once I started sewing the columns together, I measured the block and realized that the fourth column was too short.

I grabbed my trusty seam ripper and ripped out some of the stitches between the third and fourth column and added a piece of my favorite color — the dark purple.Once I added that one little piece of fabric, my entire block was the correct size and I could trim it down! 

If your block is too small, you can also add more columns or rows to make it bigger. There are no rules this month! Just play and have fun.

Quilt Documentation Tip

Zak Foster’s quilts are rooted in community. Last month, the Quilt Alliance hosted a Textile Talk with two of the designers from our Birthday Block of the Month — Carole Lyles Shaw and Bonnie Hunter. 

Take a look at the video to hear the powerful things these two quilters had to say about quilting with community! Many Textile Talk viewers left feeling inspired and rejuvenated in their love for their own quilt communities.

But that’s not all you’ll find in this Textile Talk. There is also an extensive conversation about how Carole and Bonnie document their quilts complete with tips from their own documentation practices. Share these tips with the quilters in your community!