Scrap Situation

I'm still assembling and quilting CiL quilts, but I needed a kind of mindless project to work on in between.  It started off with sorting my over flowing strings bin, trimming anything I could to 2.5" to make binding for upcoming quilts.

Then I started trimming the smaller strings to 1.5" wide...

...and next thing you know I'm making scrappy log cabin blocks.  For centers I'm using a donated charm pack of marbled fabrics.  The blocks end up 12.5" (they should be 13" but my seams must be a little fat) and I need 24 of them plus 6 end cap blocks to make a quilt.  Maybe this will put a dent in my strings bin? It could happen.

Here's Rory, the height of dignity, helping me put together a disappearing 9 patch top.
 

Home Sewing Retreat Part II

I am camping out in front of the TV for a little mini sewing retreat again today.  I haven't done much serious sewing in a week but that is about to change!  I'm starting out by sewing together some flannel scraps I cut a long time ago. The first quilt made from these was in masculine, neutral colors. This one will be bright and fun. If I get bored of sewing flannel I have plenty to choose from.

In the basket are more units for the Bonnie Lass crumb quilt.  The jelly roll was gifted to me by a reader for a Covered in Love quilt.  Maybe a 16 patch? Or maybe something more string-y? I don't know yet. 

In the brown paper bag are assorted scraps.  My guild did a fun activity at our meeting last week. Everyone brought a gallon size ZipLoc of scraps and we mixed them all together then passed out bags of scraps. It's an exercise in improv where you set the clock for 30 minutes then blindly draw fabrics from the bag and sew them together. My first 4 blocks are below.

Next meeting we are all bringing our blocks back to think about how to assemble them into a top.  Part of the reason I haven't done much sewing lately is this sweet little face.  This is Rey.  She is around 7 weeks old and I found her on the side of the highway last week on my way to work.  Rory is not impressed by this interloper into her space, but I think at this point we're keeping her :)

One more thing! July's CiL block drive post went up this morning. I can't wait to see what you all come up with! Now, I'm off to sew the afternoon away.

Linking to "I May Have a Scrap Problem" at Sarah's blog. I don't think there is an "may" about it!

Scrappy Sunday Sewing

I love sewing with scraps.  If I could find a way to never use yardage and just sew scraps I might do it, but yardage makes things go so much faster.  Scraps are all about taking you time, enjoying the process, and finding a way to make the most of what you have.  This particular scrap session was reward sewing for getting a school assignment done yesterday.

A while back when I sorted out scraps for another project I put aside pink, yellow, and purple strings for a rainy day.  Now those girly strings are coming together into my version of Cynthia's string color block quilt.  This is one of her fabulous Scrap-a-Palooza series quilts.

Quilt in potentia

I'm trimming my strings to 11" and sewing each color way into a column, then subcutting 8.5"x10.5" blocks from that.  A couple of thin white strips cut from yardage added to the long sides brings the blocks up to 10.5" square.  I'm not sure yet how big this quilt will be or exactly how I'll layout the blocks. I might even add one more color way!  Right now I'm just enjoying to scrappy sewing.

Linking to Oh Scrap!

"A Lot of Fight Left" in These Crumbs

Finally! At long last the crumb slabs quilt is done!  I went back and looked, my first post about this one was way back in May of last year.  It's really unusual for me to have a quilt in progress that long!

 This is the latest in a line of crumb quilts I've made.  I store my crumbs in a large glass jar and whenever it fills up I make something with them. There was the Sherwood Forest quilt, Crumb Jar Nines, and Scrappy Paint Boxes. I love using scraps!

This is the first crumb quilt to be made entirely from scraps. Even the background pieces are sewn together from low volume fabric scraps.

I used FMQ to quilt the top heavily with overlapping spirals.  I use a scoop shaped foot with measurement lines on it to help keep the spacing even. (You can see the foot in this post).  FMQ as opposed to a walking foot makes for much less shifting and wrinkling of the fabric.

This quilt is going to be in the Modern section at the Tyler Quilt Show this weekend. This is the first quilt I have ever had in a show!  I don't think you are generally supposed to wash show quilts but I just couldn't stand the idea of not washing a scrap quilt. They don't feel done until they have that krinkle.

I ended up facing this quilt so that the design would continue right out to the edge.  It just felt right. First time I've tried that, and it went surprisingly well.  The quilt is also closer to square than I ever dared hope it would be!

The backing is a favorite IKEA fabric.  It makes your eyes do funny things to look at.

When I was working on this back in the fall I kept thinking about the lyrics to "Fight Song" by Rachel Platten and how they related to this quilt. Even the smallest scraps can have a huge effect!  I wrote part of the chorus on the label and the quilt is names "A Lot of Fight Left."

"Like a small boat
On the ocean
Sending big waves
Into motion
Like how a single word
Can make a heart open
I might only have one match
But I can make an explosion"
...

"'Cause I've still got a lot of fight left in me"

Linking to Finish it Friday and Oh Scrap!

Celebration Sew Day

Monday night I took my first exam of grad school, and it went ok!  In celebration I took the whole day Tuesday to sew.  No school or work, just sewing.  I was recently given 2 years worth of Saturday Sampler blocks by a member of the Tyler Modern Guild for Covered in Love (thanks!).

You may recognize the blocks on the right.  Another member of the same group previously donated me her blocks from the same sampler, done with a black background.  I decided to use strings for the setting this time. 

My initial pull for the sampler quilt

Part of the reason I chose strings is that I was recently donated 2 large boxes of fabric, one almost all strings, which considerably increased my stash.  It's so much fun getting to play with other people's scraps!

While I had the strings dumped out I set aside strings for a baby girl quilt I have coming up.

Sew helpful...

I wanted to use mostly white/low volume strings interspersed with some of the same colors from the blocks.  I cut them into common widths and sewed them end to end into loooong strings, then sewed those into panels.

It's definitely busy, but I think I like it.  Unfortunately there will be no more sewing today. It's back to the school grindstone and then work Thursday and Friday.  If you're interested in helping with Covered in Love, remember our February block drive is going on here!

Linking to WIP Wednesday at Freshly Pieced.

WIP Wednesday: Scrapping Away

 Happy Wednesday! Thanks to everyone who left encouraging comments on my last post about my crumb project.  I made pretty good progress on Sunday. I just have a little left to fill in and piece the whole thing together.  There will have to be some partial seams to tackle.
 

I'm going to keep working on that top today, and in between there are these string blocks sent in for the monthly block drive. Three tops worth here ready to be assembled :)  FYI, the post announcing November's block drive will be up sometime tomorrow.

Remember, this week is the beginning of the Bloggers' Quilt Festival!  You can see my entries here and here.

Linking to WIP Wednesday at Freshly Pieced.

A Little Personal Scrapping

It's a rainy Sunday here in Texas, very badly needed rain.  I am taking to day off charity sewing to work on a little personal scrap quilting.  These crumb slabs have been in progress for a while and I'm working on filling in the gaps to complete the top.  Happy Sunday Sew Day :)

Linking to Oh Scrap! and Design Wall Monday.

Scrap Happy QAYG Strings

Happy Friday! I have one of my pet scrappy projects to show today. You know I love a good scrap quilt.

I made this quilt from string scraps using a quilt as you go method, piecing the strings onto strips of batting. When I do QAYG I press the seams flat and top stitch them down to keep the bulk down (pictures of that here.)

Finished size was about 55" x 72".  I found a cute backing with the right colors on sale at the LQS and bound it with a scrappy binding.  With the strings QAYG to the batting the backing just needed a couple of horizontal lines to hold it in place.

This quilt is being donated to the hospital for Covered in Love.  If you want to help out with Covered in Love it's not too late to contribute to this month's block drive, which incidentally also involves strings!

Linking to Crazy Mom Quilts Finish it Friday.

Crumbs Coming Along

I've been working on these scrap blocks forever but I finally got them all sashed.  Now I can start arranging them and filling in the spaces.

Don't get your hopes up, this phase of the top will probably take a really long time, too :)  Meanwhile, I finished the top from the purple and orange blocks the ladies in the Tyler Modern Group gave me Covered in Love.

One of the ladies in the group long arms and she's going to quilt this one. Check out Jeriann's business page at AnnieMcHugs.com. I'm really looking forward to seeing what she does.

Linking to Oh Scrap! and Design Wall Monday.

Scraptastic Checkerboard

I love this quilt. I know, I love them all; but I especially love this one!

Scrap, scrap, scrap! (1008) 2.5" squares went into the making of this little baby.  I do wish that I had picked a slightly different shade of green so that it would have blended more with the blue. I really like how the purple and blue panels blend together so seamlessly.

I made this quilt from a series of 8.5" 16-patches rather than long rows. I almost always piece my tops in blocks rather than rows, it makes it easier to match the corners.

For quilting I FMQ'd a wavy line over all the seams to make a wavy grid. Not too terribly time consuming and it gives a nice effect.

What was time consuming was the binding. I decided to bite the bullet and try matching the bind to the panel colors. Time consuming, but so worth it :)

The backing is pieced around a large cut I got on clearance. I remember loving this fabric when it first came out. I finally waited long enough for it to go on sale!

This is another quilt being donated to Covered in Love.  If you are interested in donated quilts, tops, blocks etc. please click on the link to learn more.  This month you can also contribute by making flying geese for the block drive here!

Linking to Crazy Mom Quilts Finish it Friday.

Flannel Scraps #1

If you've been following along then you'll remember those flannel scraps I've been cutting down ;)

The first flannel scraps quilt is up on the wall.  This one had more of the dark, "manly" colors.  I cut 2.5", 4.5" and 8" squares and arranged them more or less randomly.  Finished size will be 56"x72" (my goal size for Covered in Love quilts).
 
I'm not in love with this one; hoping I'll like it more once it's quilted up.  Right now I'm wondering what to back it with. Seems like a flannel quilt top needs a flannel backing, but that will make it significantly heavier. Plus, I would have to piece it.  We'll see.

Linking to Judy's Design Wall Monday and Cynthia's Oh Scrap.

1,008 Little Squares

1008, that's how many 2.5" scrap squares are in this little quilt!  Every time I start to think my scraps are running low it's like that jar of flour in the Bible story-- they never run out!

This is another Covered in Love quilt. I am going to piece together a tri-color backing for it and then it will go in the pile to be basted.  Meanwhile, I realized I had enough flannel scraps to make an all-flannel scrap quilt, so I've been cutting those up.

I decided my largest squares would be 8.5", so I am also cutting 4.5" and 2.5" squares, whatever is the largest size I can get from that particular scrap.  Soon to be assembled!

Linking to Oh Scrap! @ Quilting is More Fun Than Housework and Design Wall Monday @ Patchwork Times.

Scrappy Sunday

My crumb jar was overflowing again, so I dumped it out and started sewing slabs of fabric by color. I love this kind of quilt. Something from nothing! And it's totally reflective of what was in my scraps at the time. It's the quilting equivalent of opening up the pantry and making dinner from whatever you can find rather than going from a recipe.

I've got 3 shades of blue left to assemble.  I have a really cool idea for setting these. I just hope it works out like I am imagining it!

Linking to Oh Scrap! at Quilting is more fun than housework.

PS: Every week Adrienne at On the Windy Side has Caturday Wisdom. It's always adorable and this week it's extra cute because my boys are there! Check them out!

Scrappy Stringy Triangles (Take 2)

Happy weekend! I am celebrating by pulling out the rest of my scrappy string triangles and playing on the design wall.  If you remember the String Braid quilt  made around the new year, these are the rest of the triangles that didn't go into that quilt.

I have a few design options here. The traditional spider web as above.

...or the pinwheel hexies shown here.  I think I like the second one better, please let me know what you think!  I might also try Bonnie's serpentine layout seen here. 

To sun is shining, the cat-flowers are blooming, and it's a good day to play! Hope you have a great week :)

Linking to Oh Scrap! and Design Wall Monday.