Improv Quilting for Real Life

October 22, 2026

One of the best things about being a quilter is that quilting need not be confined to quilts. I’ve quilted a chair, a coat, Christmas stockings, and luggage - all to great effect both practically and aesthetically. I’ve also made bed coverings, picnic blankets and throw quilts, of course, but it’s the everyday quilted projects that keep me awake, excitedly planning and imagining.

Improv quilting, especially, is the perfect medium for creating quilted projects you’ll use in real life because improv quilting, by its nature, makes room for real life. Improv quilting is inherently customizable, bespoke, open to happy accidents. So if the form of improv quilting is adaptable, let’s make its function fluid, too. When deciding what improv projects to include in Everyday Improv Quilting, I wanted to prioritize the pieces that didn’t just look pretty but had functions that I actually used in real life.

I have four kids at home, aged 12 down to 5, so pillows in our house are not just pillows. Pillows are also shields, blanket fort doors, barricades, and seats for tea parties. Pillows in our house need to be versatile, washable, and hearty since they sometimes even travel to the backyard for picnics.

With that in mind, I designed the “Take a Load Off Cushion,” an improvisationally-pieced floor pillow. Knowing my own children, I made this cushion easy to clean. It uses machine washable cotton fabrics and Bosal batting, and it zippers all the way down one side so its inside stuffing can easily be removed for cleaning. I also made this cushion practical. That long side zipper accommodates all kinds of stuffing fillers - from unused winter sweaters to old feather comforters. No need to buy Poly-Fil when we can give new purpose to everyday items we already have. That’s real life quilting.

Another project that I knew I had to include in Everyday Improv Quilting is one I use all day every day: My quilted backpack. “The Mini Backpack of Dreams” is the perfect bag for a quilter on the go. It is a hands-free carry-all that is small enough to not feel bulky but big enough to carry what you need. We have a Type One Diabetic in our family, so I made this everyday bag so it could carry not only my own phone, keys and sunglasses, but also two juiceboxes and a glucose meter. And of course, the piecing is done improvisationally! When you make your Mini Backpack of Dreams, you can use a sawtooth star motif like I did, or you can design your own however you want. That is the beauty of Everyday Improv Quilting - I’ll teach you the ropes, but you find your own path.

One of my favorite, most usable, projects in the book is the “Ready to Party Table Runner.” I just love throwing big parties. Being human can be hard, so I like to find as many things to celebrate as possible. Just the other week, I hosted a birthday brunch for our little girl’s fifth birthday. We decorated the house with balloons, banners, streamers, and of course, an improvisationally-pieced, bright and colorful table runner laying right in the middle of our kitchen island. Not only did it bring cheer to the festivities, it also served a practical purpose: It kept the hot quiches I made off of the surface of the countertop. Did my table runner get dirty in the course of brunching? Of course. Can I wash it? You betchya! Did it make my girl feel loved and special and known on her birthday? Absolutely. That is the whole point of everyday quilt projects.

Whether you make these projects or others in Everyday Improv Quilting (packing cubes, a baby playmat, or convertible bike bag, to name a few,) my hope is that the joy of improv quilting moves beyond rectangular quilts (though those are great fun too!) I hope that the freedom and ingenuity of improv quilting seeps into your real life. May it bring beauty and joy to your daily routine, your home and your every day.