carkai improv stripes

If you follow me on IG, you’ve likely noticed my obsession with Carolyn Friedlander‘s newest line, Carkai (I usually try to keep from posting the same fabrics over and over, but I haven’t been able to help it this time!). I bought a fat quarter bundle from a friend who snagged one early, and immediately put it to use in my diamond panes quilt. But I wasn’t quite done playing with this line, so when I received a layer cake from a generous sponsor (thank you, Brooke!), I decided to jump right in and make another quilt out of the layer cake and the remnants from the FQ bundle.

I’ve had stripes on my mind for quite a while. I attempted to make something with stripes a while back with one of the C+S lines, but it didn’t work out as I had imagined (those stripes were too straight!). Ever since I’ve been waiting for the right line in order to attempt it again.

I think the prints and colors of Carkai are just perfect for these improv stripes. I love pairing the various prints – especially since many of them aren’t colors I’d typically pair together, but somehow every pairing seems to work. This time around I cut my fabrics without a ruler to give more of that wonky, wavy look, and I tried not to overthink the print/color pairings.

I love making blocks in this manner, though it does take longer than a straightforward pattern. I don’t have tons of time for sewing these days though, so making blocks one at a time worked here. I didn’t worry about block size – just used what I had and figured I’d fill in where needed after the fact.

I finally filled the design wall with messy-looking striped blocks (I wait to trim them until I’m ready to piece together the quilt top, so before sewing them together things look pretty iffy!), and then had the opportunity to spend a lot of time this weekend putting this puzzle together. There’s usually a lot of staring at the blocks on the design wall – determining the best way to sew them together – along with a lot of additional sewing to make up all the extra filler blocks. I get such joy at seeing it come together and it gave me the motivation to get the top finished up (even though I kept eyeing the couch!)

I love this one more than I thought I would now that the top’s finished, and can’t wait to see it as a completed quilt!