Vikings Modern Improv Quilt Completed: "Bjorn & Bjorn"

My Modern Improv Viking Quilt is done!  I love it!  Both the piecing and the quilting are improvisational. This quilt is based on Score #10 in Sherri Lynn Wood's book, The Improv Handbook for Modern Quilters.  I made this quilt during a Quilt Along Event sponsored by JP Knit & Stitch in Jamaica Plain, MA  earlier this month.  A total of 7 of us quilters all had a great time at the shop learning to make improv quilts using the Scores in Sherri Lynn's book as guidelines. 

I had so much fun doing the quilting on this piece.  Most of the quilting is free-motion, but a little bit was quilted with a walking foot.

Here's the sun detail. I love this!

The waves in the ocean are totally unrealistic--they roll from right to left in some places and left to right in others.  In the sky there is a eddy in the breeze that echoes the waves in the ocean.

The castle walls are primarily quilted with interlocking squares and rectangles. However there is  wood grain over the castle gate and some timber in the castle wall. 

If I had to do anything over, I would have marked the sky before I quilted it. I thought I was quilting in reasonably straight lines across the sky...but apparently  not!  Clearly with improv piecing, it would be prudent to assume that is a pieced seam is unlikely to be straight!

The breeze was so crooked that I did something I rarely do with my quilting...I ripped it out and redid some of it.  Here's the before (left) and after (right).  The re-do still has some elements of the original tilted sky, but it's no longer jarring.

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The quilt's name is a bit of an insider joke.  I've always liked the Scandinavian boy's name Bjorn (pronounced Bee-yorn). Bjorn is also the word for Bear. Both man and bear are rightfully Bjorn!  

When I saw the fabric was printed with a Viking meeting the Bear, I knew  "Bjorn & Bjorn" was a great name for my quilt!   Don't you just wonder what they are talking about in those deep, dark woods??

Using a Design Wall to Build a Modern Improv Quilt

Some of you must wonder about how a collection of fabrics become a finished quilt, especially if the quilt is improvisational and no pattern is used.   Here are a progression of photos of my design wall (the fuzzy back of a picnic table cloth hanging over 2 closet doors).  Most of the pictures were taken indoors without a flash.  I took the last photo outside, flat on the front walk, so you could see the real colors in the quilt.  

My post a week ago show the beginnings of this Viking quilt, based on Score #10 in Sherri Lynn Wood's Book, The Improv Handbook for Modern Quilters. 

While the construction of this quilt is done using Modern Improv guidelines, the fact that the Viking fabric was fussy cut and the quilt is going together like a storybook, makes it unusual in the Modern quilt genre. 

Here's what has happened with the quilt so far this week. 

The windsock on the left is new, and the pennant flags have been attached to the right upper part of the castle. Work begins on the top story of the castle. Also thinking about how to build out the meadow/wood section. The boats await the rest of the fleet.

Sections of sky, some of the castle turrets, a bit of castle wall have been sewn together.  No changes in meadow/wood or ocean yet.

The sun and more sky has been added. The top story of the castle is complete. Work begins on the ground level of the castle. the castle lawn and walkway. The meadow, woods section is complete. The ships are at a stand still!

The castle is completely done the 3 sections of sky and castle have been sewn together. The lawn and walk are finished and have been attached to the meadow/woods.  The meadow and woods are the widest section in the quilt. I need to add more sky to the right side of the quilt to make it the same width.

Still nothing happening at sea!

And finally, a rocky Scandinavian beach has been added and the Viking Fleet is about set sail!

What's left?  Adding sky to the top section so it's the same width as the rest of the quilt.  

This is really akin to a assembling a jig saw puzzle.  Except the pieces are cut to order!