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Shannon Fraser Designs

Spreading quilty joy one stitch at a time!

Modern improv play with triangles

August 18, 2023 by Shannon

30 Days of Improv Quilt Along Week 3 Triangles by Shannon Fraser Designs #improvquilting #quiltalong

Modern improv play with triangles.

It’s time to dive into angles! I know this can be a scary step in your improv play, but it also opens up so many possibilities for your improv compositions. Learning how to navigate those biased edges, especially if you’re working with freehand cutting, will really help elevate your piecing skills.

30 Days of Improv Quilt Along Week 3 Triangles by Shannon Fraser Designs - it's all about leaning into those angles! #improvquilting #quiltalong #quiltingtriangles

The shape of the week: triangles

What I love most about piecing triangles is that you can explore angles of varying widths and intensity. This allows you to create details and dimension in your composition that helps keep things from feeling too static and one-dimensional.

They can take a minute to wrap your head around, so take your time with the shape this week.

Day 1

I don’t always have clear ideas before stepping up to the cutting mat, but today I did! I wanted to play with a larger piece that I then connected different types of triangles to.

My play was centered around:

  • Scale – triangles with different angles to see how that impacted the play.
  • Tiny piecing – I wanted an element of strips and tiny piecing that we explored in previous weeks.

I got stuck for a moment on whether to stick with orange being the dominant colour or adding in more purple.

Orange won 😉

30 Days of Improv Quilt Along Week 3 Triangles by Shannon Fraser Designs - the first block for Week 3 had me going with wide angles! #improvquilting #quiltalong #quiltingtriangles

Day 2

It all started with a trimming!

Don’t underestimate those remnants. Part of the scrap that I pulled was too small to piece (I would have lost it to seam allowance), so I trimmed it back to what was usable and started there.

There were a few ways right off the bat that I could have approached piecing this:

  • I thought about a possible log cabin style
  • I could try building it out
  • I could see what other bits I had to play and see how they fit!

In the end, I liked the idea of the trimming complimented with a strip and built it up from there.

See where your curiosity takes you and your piecing!

30 Days of Improv Quilt Along Week 3 Triangles by Shannon Fraser Designs - this one got started with a trimming! Don't underestimate your fabric scraps! #improvquilting #quiltalong #quiltingtriangles

Day 3

I had this vision of stacking triangles of various sizes, and having them float within the improv block composition.

This was such a fun block to piece. Not only was it cool to see an idea in my head take shape, but I love the way the triangles almost take on a flying geese effect.

Plus, those peachy pink hues against that purple background is speaking to my colour-loving heart!

30 Days of Improv Quilt Along Week 3 Triangles by Shannon Fraser Designs - I was curious about exploring floating triangles. They remind me of improv flying geese! #improvquilting #quiltalong #quiltingtriangles

Day 4

What is it about scalene triangles that always captivate my interest?!

I didn’t know at the time when I dove into my first 100-Day Project that the scalene triangles, I was working with were also called half-rectangle triangles. HRT became super popular a few years ago, and for good reason. Those elongated triangles really add a unique structure to your quilt compositions.

30 Days of Improv Quilt Along Week 3 Triangles by Shannon Fraser Designs - have you tired making improv half rectangle triangles? It's so fun!! #improvquilting #quiltalong #quiltingtriangles

Day 5

It’s all about chevron play today!

  • I sliced.
  • I incorporated different angles.
  • I re-assembled.
  • I added some pinky tones to keep it nice and light and airy.

An absolute fave improv block of mine.

Now I can’t wait to see where she ends up in the larger quilt composition!

30 Days of Improv Quilt Along Week 3 Triangles by Shannon Fraser Designs - the last block for Week 3 had me exploring tiny piecing and chevrons! I love how this one turned out! #improvquilting #quiltalong #quiltingtriangles
30 Days of Improv Quilt Along Week 3 Triangles by Shannon Fraser Designs - round up of some of my improv blocks I pieced for Week 3 of the challenge focusing on triangles. #improvquilting #quiltalong #quiltingtriangles

For more 30 Days of Improv QAL check out the following posts:

  • How to prepare for the 30 Days of Improv QAL
  • My fabric pull for the 30 Days of Improv QAL
  • Week 1 – Stripes
  • Week 2 – L-Shapes
Improv Quilting Behind the Scenes a Video On Demand class with Shannon Fraser Designs

Another week of the 30 Days of Improv QAL done! You’ve only got one more week of piecing blocks before you turn your attention to pulling all your blocks together!

Stay focused on your improv exploration and stay open to where it takes you. Sometimes we have an initial idea, but that’s not where we end up after our piecing play. That’s totally normal. Don’t force it. Allow your curiosity to lead the way!

If you haven’t already, there’s still plenty of time to join the improv fun by signing up for the free 30 Days of Improv QAL. Sign up for my weekly newsletter to be notified of the next 30 Days of Improv QAL.

What caught you by surprise this week:? Mine was being called to explore scalene triangles – again! Share yours in the comments below!

xo,

Shannon


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Filed Under: Improv Quilting, Quilt Along Tagged With: 30 Days of Improv QAL

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Hi! I'm Shannon. A modern quilt pattern designer based in Montreal. My quilting journey started by stumbling upon a half square triangle tutorial and I've been hooked since. I'm now spreading that quilty joy to you! Read More…

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