Want to finally make that improv quilt

but you think you're too much of a planner to enjoy the process?

Introducing

Improv For Planners

Dip your toes into improv quilt making

Go from feeling intimidated by unplanned quilts, to having fun with fabric 
and creating unique quilts that reflect your style, without planning them out ahead of time.
Improv_for_Planners_Penny_Spool_Quilts_details3skinny
If you've ever felt intimidated by the thought of not planning out your quilt design before starting, 
or overwhelmed by improvising and making decisions as you go

- this is for you!


Join me live on Zoom on

future dates TBD
click below to be added to the waitlist

Sign up now
“I liked the discussion at the end on how to vary the technique and expand on it.

The instructor was knowledgeable and very organized. I liked that she explained the schedule for the day at the beginning. This will help me to organize my other orphan blocks - something I have been struggling with."

“The instructions were so very well laid out. It was great how the blocks were divided by colour scheme so you could flip back and forth with ease. Extremely well described and illustrated.

The best part was putting the blocks together at the end and finding they were not as crazy looking as I thought!”

“I really enjoyed the recent “Improv for Planners” workshop (…) thank you very much. It was a great workshop - eyeopener for me - leaving me with more ideas for future projects!"

"Like Monika, improv scared me. I once made a paper piecing pattern for a wonky log cabin. I found this process a lot of fun, seeing the end result was a great surprise. Monika explains everything in an easy manner and makes this a great workshop!"

Imagine...

…if you had a simple and structured guide to help you make those 
quilts you've been dreaming of.
  • a layout you know will work out with no partial seams
  • guidance on choosing colours
  • a set of easy-to-sew blocks with crisp points and straight lines
  • basic building blocks like HSTs and strips
  • clear instructions with lots of diagrams
  • an organized approach to keep the overwhelm at bay
  • the option to make it as precise or wonky as you are comfortable with
Add me to the waitlist

ARE YOU...

  • Intimidated by unplanned quilts?
  • Unsure whether the quilt is going to look good?
  • Worried you're wasting your fabric on something you may not like in the end?
  • Overwhelmed by all the decisions you'll have to make on the fly?
  • Thinking you're too much of a planner and improv is not for you?
There are a lot of myths about how to make an improv quilt - such as 
- fabrics must be random
- no rulers can be used
- they have to look wonky...

... but they are just that - myths.

I've always joked that "improv gives me hives" because I am a planner and did not enjoy making completely unplanned, unstructured quilts. Wonky just wasn't fun for me.
So I've designed a system that helps me organize my quilt and give it the structure I love in a pattern, without determining how the quilt will look at the end. I get to play with fabric, but I have a roadmap and I know it will look great when it's finished.
Improv_for_Planners_Penny_Spool_Quilts_sample_4_732b3ce3-c1a9-4ab2-9661-4bb31d6ac1a3

What's included in the workshop?

 This 6-hour live virtual workshop includes:
  • a pre-workshop handout to help you pick fabrics
  • a 30-page pattern with layouts, block patterns, assembly instructions, and how to use the system
  • approximately 2 hours of instruction
  • 4 hours of live sewing time
  • expert guidance during the workshop for any questions that come up
  • a follow-up Zoom call to show off the finished quilt tops
  • access to me via email for questions after the class

FAQs

What are the workshop dates?

To be the first to know when future dates are announced, add yourself to the waitlist below.

I'm busy on those dates or can't attend for the whole day, will there be a recording?

Yes. I am recording the workshops and making them available for you to watch/rewatch after the workshop. The recordings will be available to watch until the “Show & Tell” date.

I'm not sure I'm ready for improv, is this for me?

If you've ever thought you'd like to try improv, but feel overwhelmed by the idea of just sewing pieces together without a plan… this is the perfect way to dip your toes into the water.
I originally developed the Improv For Planners technique for myself, because I felt exactly this way. I needed a way to structure my quilt and curb the overwhelm, make sure the colours were going to work, the pieces would line up and the triangles would have their points.
So I came up with a method that acted as a scaffolding to build your quilt on. We use tested layouts and simple blocks based on traditional piecing techniques, and I walk you through choosing a limited colour palette and how to apply some basic design principles to those blocks. You get to have fun with fabric without worrying about your quilt going off the rails.

I'm trying to save money, can I use fabrics from my stash?

Yes, you can definitely work from your stash. We're working with solids, to keep both the costs down and the overwhelm at bay, but you can also use blenders, or sub in a print or two if that's what you have on hand.
You have the choice of making a wallhanging or a small throw. Both sizes require 8-10 fabrics. For the wallhanging, you need ¼ to ½ yard each, for the small throw you need ½ to ¾ yard each. This may look like a lot, and you won't use it all for the top (use the rest for the backing/binding, or on a different project) but it's important to have enough fabric to play with.
A handout with all the material requirements and a guide to choosing fabrics will be emailed to you when you register.

I thought improv quilts had to be wonky? Is this still improv?

There are many myths about what improv is, or isn't, such as “colours have to be random”, or “you can't use a ruler”, or “it has to look wonky or chaotic”. While those are all rules people may choose to follow when making their improv quilts, it doesn't mean all improv quilts have to follow them.
Improv really just means improvised quilting, in the sense that you start sewing without knowing what the final quilt will look like.
If that means using a ruler and a curated colour palette because that's how you enjoy making a quilt, then that is a perfectly acceptable way to make an improv quilt.

I'm a beginner, can I still take this workshop?

The workshop is listed as “advanced beginner/intermediate”. However, some people jump head first into a new skill, while others prefer to slowly work their way up to more challenging quilts.
So for this workshop, “advanced beginner/intermediate” means that you must be able to sew a straight ¼" seam, construct HSTs and flying geese, press and trim blocks to size without me walking you through the steps. There are instructions in the pattern booklet you will receive, with lots of diagrams and written out steps. So if you can follow those instructions, you are good to go.
The only technique I will be teaching “hands-on” during the workshop is how to make half-rectangle triangles (HRTs) since those are not something everyone knows.

Will I finish the whole quilt in class?

The workshop won't be long enough to finish the whole quilt, but you will be able to sew enough of it that you get a good understanding of the technique and can finish it on your own time afterwards.
I will also be hosting a "Show & Tell" sometime in January (date TBD) where we can show off the finished quilts, because they will all be very unique and seeing everyone else's might inspire more ideas for your own future quilts.

The current dates don't work for me and I really want to attend live, will you teach this again?

Yes, but I don't know yet when. I originally developed this workshop to teach at quilt shops and guilds, but realized that not everyone will have a local shop or guild hosting it, so I decided to open up this opportunity for a live zoom class. You can put your name on the waitlist  if you are interested in hearing when the next one will be held. 
And if you have a local shop or guild, I would love it if you also let them know about it and have them contact me to book a date.

I own a shop/I'm in charge of programming at my guild, can I book you to teach Improv For Planners?

Yes! I would love to teach at your shop or guild, either in-person or virtually. Just send me an email at hello@pennyspoolquilts.com and I can give you all the details.

Join me for THE workshop

future dates TBD

and finally make that improv quilt

Get on the waitlist now
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Still have questions?
Message me!
Monika_Henry_Penny_Spool_Quilts

Hey, 
I'm Monika!

I'm a quilter, designer, and teacher, and passionate about helping quilters build their design confidence.

Being a planner myself I used to struggle to go "off-script", but over my 25+ year quilting career I've found ways to overcome the intimidation, and adapt techniques to suit how my brain likes to work.

I love helping other quilters find their own “secret sauce” and feel comfortable adapting patterns and design ideas to fit their own style.