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Quilting with Scraps & Strips

Many of you know I love using scraps and strips in my quilting. Have you ever wondered about the history of scrap or strip quilting? Since the price of fabric is high and many of us keep even the smallest piece in our stash, I thought it would be interesting to look at scrap and strip quilting this week. I know I have a system in place to save scraps and strips. Do you? I’ll share my tips on collecting and storing scraps and strips and, also, what to do with them. Let’s get started!

Scraps, Strips and Strings

Most historians agree that strip quilting, scrap quilting or string quilting often gains popularity in times of economic downturns. Quilters who did not have the disposable income to purchase new fabric would cut up what they had and store in their sewing baskets for future projects. New and old fabrics were used. Sometimes clothes that were no longer wearable. They would sew together scraps and strips until they had created a larger piece of fabric. They used rulers or a specific template they wanted to use to make a block to judge the size of the fabric piece they needed. Once they reached the desired size, they cut their pieces or blocks from the scrappy piece. Here’s some examples of string, scrap and strip units that were used then.

String piecing units were often made from strips of various sizes:

A lot of string quilts made in the past used strips of many different widths like above. Some of the quilts of Gee’s Bend are good examples of this type of piecing.

For my strip piecing, I like to use strips of the same size in a strip set so I can use a rotary cutter to cut squares and rectangles:

I like to keep things simple!

Here’s a representation of a really scrappy piece of fabric created from many pieces of fabric of different widths, shapes and sizes and a 6 1/2″ block that I cut from it.

This was the technique used to make blocks for a crazy quilt. Of course, they used a variety of fabrics unlike mine which is made from all cotton quilting fabrics. Here’s a brief history of crazy quilts from All People Quilt.

Finally, there’s a recent, fun trend called crumb quilting. This is scrap quilting with really small scraps of fabric. See how big the scraps in the block above are? Crumb units and blocks are made from smaller pieces, some as small as 1 to 2 inches! Here’s my example of a bunch of “crumbs” stitched together into a unit and then a 3 1/2″ square cut from it.

Fun, huh?

Quilt Blocks from Strips

Some of my favorite blocks are made from strips. My most favorite is the log cabin block.

These blocks are made by starting with a center square and then adding longer and longer strips as you go to make a block the size you want. Above is a traditional log cabin block. Below is a courthouse steps version.

Whichever version you choose, all you need to start making these is a pile of assorted strips. I have built up a stash of strips by cutting them from leftover fabric. 

I collect the size strips I use the most: 1 1/2″ and 2 1/2″. Here’s how I store them:

So, I can sit down with these bins of strips, along with others, and create as many log cabin blocks as I would like.

Blocks from Strip Sets

Another way to use strips is to make strip sets, then cut those up to make units for blocks. Here’s how to make a strip set:

Strip sets can be made up of two strips like above or several strips. A two strip set is usually made to be sub-cut into units to make 4-patch blocks.

With strip sets of more than two strips can be used to make 9-patch blocks and rail fence blocks.

If you make strips sets with 3 or 4 strips of various colors, cutting them into squares and then piecing them together while rotating two of the squares will get you a rail fence block:

Other uses for Strips – Borders

Another use for my collection of strips? Pieced borders! Here’s a checkerboard style:

Here’s three piano key style borders. All are made with straight strips:

On the left is a simple piano key border, which is strips just stitched together into rows and attached to the border. The center border is made up of pieced piano key sections with stitch and flip corners to make a sawtooth look. And finally, the border on the right is made up of single strips with flip and sew corners and then pieced into rows.

Finally, here are two other strip options. The photo on the left is a border made of strips joined end to end and the one on the right is just what I call “chaos”. Using strips but cutting them different lengths for a really scrappy look.

Other Uses for Strips – Scrappy Binding

Since we covered how to make and attach binding last week, I thought it would be fun to show you scrappy binding. Simply piece together different color strips into the length of binding you need.  

That’s all for this week. Pull out your scrap fabric and have some fun!

Happy Quilting!
Deanne

More Fabric Talk & Tips

Hi there! Last week I covered fabric tips that included what to do before you went to the quilt shop, while you were there and after you came home. We talked about making test blocks, how to pre-wash fabric and even how to square up your fabric. If you missed that post, find it here. This week, I want to cover some things you should know about fabric and also move into some tips on strip piecing. Let’s get started!

Fabric Grain & Bias

It’s a good idea to know what these terms mean because you may have a quilt pattern that requires you to cut fabric on the lengthwise grain or crosswise grain or the pattern may require you to cut strips on the bias. Also having this knowledge will also help you understand how the fabric will behave when you are piecing units and blocks.

The lengthwise grain (warp) of the fabric is parallel to the selvage. This is where the fabric is  most stable.

The crosswise grain (weft) is perpendicular to the selvages (where my finger is pointing). It is a little less stable than the lengthwise grain.

Bias of the fabric is at a 45 degree angle from the selvages of a piece of fabric.

On the bias, the fabric is the least stable and has the most stretch to it. That’s why binding cut on the bias is used for quilt tops with scalloped edges or for a circular quilt. Also, any seam sewn on the bias (like in half-square triangle squares) must be handled with care when pressing or ripping out a seam so the fabric is not stretched out of shape. Once fabric is stretched on the bias, it usually stays distorted. The photo below shows the stretch.

Strip Piecing & Strip Sets

You’ve heard me talk about quilting with strips or strip quilting. I collect 1 1/2″ and 2 1/2″ strips in all color prints and also in tan prints. Since I have them on hand, I can quickly pull out strips, stitch them together and make a lot of different blocks.

Making strip sets is the first step in strip quilting. Strip sets are made from joining two or more long strips on their lengthwise sides. You can use width of fabric strips (40-44″ long), strips from fats that are 20-22″ long or any length of strips you have in your stash. It’s easier for your strip sets to distort if you are using longer strips so I like to use shorter strips.

Here’s some tips on joining strips:

Tip#1: Lay your strips right sides together and pin in a few places. 

Like I’ve said in other posts, pinning is essential. It guarantees that the raw edges of each strip stay matched up throughout the stitching process.

Tip #2: When stitching the strips, do not pull on them or push them as you are joining them with the 1/4″ seam.

Just lightly guide them making sure you are stitching with an accurate 1/4″ seam. If you push or pull the strips through you can shift the top strip from evenly feeding.

Tip #3: Press the strip set open. Whether you do open seams or press them to one side, make sure you are pressing and not ironing. If you iron over the seam, you can distort it. If you want to review pressing vs. ironing, my mini tutorial video can be found in this blog post from a few weeks ago.

Once the strip set is pressed, you’re ready to sub-cut it into the pieces you need (we’ll talk about that later).

Tip #4: Not all strip sets for blocks are made up of only 2 two strips. To add to a two strip set, start the next strip on the end where you stopped stitching the first two together. So you are beginning your stitching on opposite ends for each strip you add to the strip set. If you join all the strips starting at the same end, that can lead to strip set distortion.

To be safe, after adding each additional strip to a strip set, finger press open and measure to be sure your seams are accurate and the size of the strip set measures correctly.

What Can You Make with Strip Sets?

Blocks

Strip sets makes some blocks easier by consolidating some of the sewing. For example, if you are making a nine patch block, instead of piecing nine separate squares together, you can make strip sets, sub-cut and then stitch three units together.

First, you need to sub-cut your strip sets. Sub-cutting just means cutting units from a strip set. Then you join units from the different strip sets to make your block.

Here are the two types of strip sets needed to make nine patch units and how many pieces to cut to make a nine patch block:

You can continue to cut two units from the strip set on the left to one unit from the strip set on the right and make as  many nine patch blocks as you want. It’s an easier way to make these blocks especially if you have to make several in the same color scheme. You can also make other blocks like the four-patch (left) and the rail fence (right) from strip sets.

Borders

Making borders is another use for strip sets. Here are a few quilt borders I have made that use strip sets.

For the quilt on the left, I just made several strip sets of a color print and a tan print. Then I sub-cut them and made several four patch blocks that were then joined into rows. For the center quilt, I just made several two color strip sets and then sub-cut those into 4 1/2″ long segments. Joining them together makes a pretty piano key border. For the last quilt, I made what I call a modified piano key. By adding a stitch and flip tan print corner to opposite side of two strip pieced units and then joining those units, I made a “saw-tooth” piano key border.

So, that’s all I have for this week. Share your thoughts on strip piecing and blocks made from them to be entered into this week’s drawing for my pattern, Sister’s Reunion.

The drawing will be on Monday, August 23rd. Good luck! ***We have a winner! Congrats, Tammy!***

Happy Quilting,
Deanne

Quilting with Strips

If you have followed me awhile you will know that I identify myself as a scrap quilter and I achieve that often by using lots and lots fabric strips. This week I’ll talk about building a fabric strip stash for when you want to whip up a “strippy” quilt and other things you can do with these strips.

Collecting and Storing Fabric Strips

Since I generally buy more fabric than a project calls for (to account for errors in cutting, etc), after I am done cutting out a project’s pieces from large pieces of fabric I am often left with a narrow strip (narrower than 1/8 yard). What do I do with those? I cut them into usable strips for later projects! My favorite size strips to cut are 1 1/2″ and 2 1/2″ strips.

I chose these sizes because these are the width of strips I cut pieces from the most often. Whether they’re used for log cabin blocks, nine-patch blocks or for binding, it’s great to have them on hand. Early on in my collector days, I used to store my strips rather haphazardly.

The problem with these “storage” systems, over time the strips became a giant jumbled mess. Frayed and tangled, some of them were even unusable. So, my solution is the Sterilite tubs you can find at any big box store. Here’s what some of my bins looks like:

It’s a great way to keep my strips separated by color and width. I cut some pieces of acid free cardboard to fit in between as dividers. Now when I am working on a project I can easily find the size and color strip that I want without rummaging through a tangled mess.

Using the Strips

Making Blocks: I was inspired to write this post on using strips this week because of two projects I am working on right now. Here is one of them:

Of course! Use the strips in classic blocks like the Log Cabin. Using strips this way does not involve too much cutting. 

You can also make strip sets and make Four-patch or Nine-patch blocks:

Next, you can cut units from your strips to make flying geese and use those in a star block or the Dutchman’s Puzzle block:

I’m sure if you search through a catalog of blocks, you will find that there are many, many more types of blocks that can be made using pieces cut from these size strips.

Creating Unique Borders: I like to create unique borders for my quilts using strips. Especially if I have strips leftover from the project itself. Here’s the border from my new project I’m working on:

It’s basically a traditional piano key border with flip & sew corners of tan fabric to create the sawtooth. I started out with units like this:

Then I took a set of two of these 3-strip units and did flip and sew corners, going in opposite directions, and then joining those two units together to get the finished border unit:

Other creative borders include checkerboard style and plain piano key borders.

Or just simple strips combined with some plain borders in between:

Making these creative and unique borders are also another way to make a quilt top bigger if you want to.

Binding: Finally, I use the 1 1/2″ strips to  make single-fold binding and 2 1/2″ strips to make double-fold binding. You can even combine many different colors together to create a scrappy binding!

So that’s it for now. I hope this talk of strips has inspired you to start your own collection of strips and use them creatively. Comment on this post and be entered into a drawing for my patterns Rail Fence Blooms and Twinkling Log Cabin to make use of those strips!

The drawing will be on Monday, November 16th!

Happy Quilting!
Deanne

Do You Collect Fabric Strips?

When I am cutting out a project and I have left over yardage that is less than 1/8 of a yard, I like to cut strips to save for other uses. My favorite size of strips to keep are 1 1/2″ and 2 1/2″. Those are sizes I use the most in my scrap quilting and also for bindings. Because of this strip saving habit I have a lot of strips in all colors! In this post, I will talk about storage to keep them organized and what I use these strips for. Maybe it will inspire you to start a strip collection of your own.

Storing the Strips

When I started quilting, I used to just throw strips and scraps into a big bin and rifle through it when I needed one. Let me tell you …. big mistake! Over time, that pile of strips became a giant jumbled mess. The fabric was fraying and the strips were getting so tangled together they became unusable. My first attempt at organization was Ziploc bags of strips.

As you can see, this was OK at first, but looking closer you can see the strips starting to jumble together. Plus I didn’t separate them by color. My newest solution is the Sterilite tubs you can find at any big box store. Here’s what some of my bins looks like:

I made dividers from acid free cardboard cut to fit. Then I organized strips by color and size. Now, when I am looking for a strip of a certain width and color it’s easier to find it. And since they are carefully folded and stacked, they are less likely to get tangled or jumbled up.

Using the Strips

Binding: So, what can be done with strips? So many things! As I mentioned above, by having this stash of strips I always have fabric for binding! I like scrappy binding on my scrap quilts so this is an ideal use. I use the 1 1/2″ strips for single-fold binding and the 2 1/2″ strips for double-fold binding. Here’s some of my projects with scrappy binding.

Borders: Have you ever completed a quilt and thought it was not big enough or that it was missing something? Strips can help you with that! One of the easiest borders to do with strips is a checkerboard border.

Another easy one is a piano key border:

You can even use your strips just randomly like in this quilt border:

Making Quilt Blocks: Finally, these strips can be used to make all kinds of quilt blocks. One of the easiest is a four-patch or nine-patch block. Using 1 1/2″ strips you can make tiny 2 1/2″ four-patch blocks or 3 1/2″ nine-patch blocks. 2 1/2″ strips will make 4 1/2″ four-patch blocks or 6 1/2″ nine-patch blocks.

Bonus! you can make a lot of these blocks by using a strip piecing method I talked about in a blog post from last year: Strip Piecing Tips and Techniques.

Another type of unit used a lot in blocks that you can make from strips is a flying geese. Simply cut a 1 1/2 x 2 1/2″ rectangle from one fabric strip and then cut two 1 1/2″ squares from another fabric strip. Use the traditional stitch and flip method to make a geese unit that measures 1 1/2 x 2 1/2″!

If you use 2 1/2″ strips for your flying geese pieces, you need to cut a rectangle 2 1/2 x 4 1/2″ and two squares 2 1/2 x 2 1/2″. Then you will get geese that measure 2 1/2 x 4 1/2″. You can use these in all kinds of blocks like Evening Star and Dutchman’s Puzzle blocks. I’m sure you can think of others.

And then there’s my favorite block: the Log Cabin. Use the 2 1/2″ strips to cut your center square and the 1 1/2″ strips to cut your logs.

As you can tell… there’s a little applique I did on this quilt that shows in the right hand corner, but you get the idea! There’s also other versions of the log cabin block that can be made from strips like the courthouse steps (with or without cornerstones), a traditional log cabin with cornerstones and a star in the middle (also made with scrap strips!) and even a pineapple style.

So many blocks can be made from just strips that there’s too many to list here. What are some you can think of? Share in the comments and you will be entered in the ongoing drawing for my pattern Season of Joy!

The drawing will be on Monday, February 10th!

Happy Quilting & Strippin’
Deanne

The Fun with Fabric Strips Continues!

Last week I talked about fabric strips, how I cut and store them and the blocks that I make with them. If you missed that post, read it here. So now that you are cutting and organizing your strips and creating fun new blocks, what else can you do with them? Borders and scrappy binding of course!

Borders

Every quilt doesn’t need a border, but they sure do look good with one. I consider it the “frame” of the quilt top center. I like to pull out colors and other elements from the quilt top into the border to add interest. Here’s where you can get creative with strips. This first photo is a piano key border.

It’s fairly simple to do and it makes a striking frame. Plus it’s a great way to use up leftover scraps from the quilt! My quilt tops are usually very scrappy so I like to create separation from the scrappy fabric strip border with a plain border strip. I think it also helps to highlight both the quilt top center and the border.

This next border is a variation of the piano key. I did a flip and sew corner on the “keys” to make the border a bit more interesting.

Also, this quilt does not have a plain border strip between the quilt top and border because the blocks are on point and the setting blocks are not scrappy.

The next style of border I like is a checkerboard border. There are different ways this can be done. A single strip of squares sandwiched between two plain border strips, double rows of the same size squares or even a mix of squares and rectangles in what I call a “wonky” checkerboard/piano key mix.

Fun, huh?

Then there’s the good old fashioned flying geese border. These are easily made with strips because flying geese are made with rectangles and squares.

Finally…. well not really because the possibilities are endless, just plain strips sewn together in unique ways can make a fun border.

Binding

So, now if you still have strips leftover, you can use them to make a scrappy binding! Simply piece the strips together to make the binding and you have another way to pull the colors you used out of the quilt top to the edge. I think a scrappy binding works best if your last border is plain, but that’s not always necessarily the case. Use your judgment.

Well, that’s all I have on fabric strips for now. Comment below on whether you have used strips in this way or if you think you might try. You will be entered into the drawing for a free pattern!

It’s my newest pattern called Seaside Cottage. This drawing is open to all in and out of the USA as this pattern also comes as a PDF download. If your name is drawn and you do not live in the US, you will receive a PDF download. Drawing is August 26th. Good luck! ***We have a winner! Congrats, Marsha B!***

Happy Quilting!
Deanne