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