All year I have been participating in Cheryl Arkison’s free 52 week Quilters Playcation Adventure Sew Along on Instagram #qpadventuresewalong. Some weeks there is a theme and some weeks it’s just an improv block. We are nearing the end of the sew along so I thought I’d share some of my favorite improv blocks.

Above is my improv Tomte (gnome) block. It is actually a bonus block from the Scandi Village workshop that Cheryl teaches. I took that class last year but she’s added the tomte this fall and did a free reel on Instagram showing how to sew the block. So this is my Plus 1 block!

Block 45/52 Toque (knit hat with a pom pom)

Here’s another representational block. Cheryl lives in Manitoba, Canada, and they had just had their first snow and their winter hats and mittens were out of storage and ready in use that week. (Meanwhile, I think it was in the 70’s here in New England!)

This block is an improv version of the classic quilting block Log Cabin. It was fun using some special fabrics in this block.

And finally Block 48/52. This is a variation on the classic 4 patch block. There are Plus Blocks in each of the four quadrants in the block, separated by a large Plus sign running between them. I think it might have been better if I had used another color fabric, maybe a royal blue, for the large Plus. But it’s still a fun grid.

Oh, and that’s my young helper…Where DID I put that next strip! (Just grateful he was holding it and didn’t eat it)! The fabric was a little damp, but hey, that’s life with a puppy! And now you know why my blog is called SleepingDogQuilts…sewing while a puppy is awake and not crated is just not wise!

I’ll share a few more of the blocks before the end of the year. Because I didn’t use a fabric collection to make these blocks, the quilt is going to be busy. So it’s fun to see the blocks by themselves.