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Scrap Quilting – Planned Scrap Quilts and How to Build Them

Last week’s post covered unplanned scrap quilts and taming the “chaos”. This week, I will cover what I call planned scrap quilts. They are still scrappy, but they are definitely more ordered than the unplanned ones I talked about last week. I’ll also give you tip on building one of your own. Let’s go!

Planned Scrap Quilts

I consider a planned scrap quilt one that uses several different color prints, but a finite number. This is in contrast to the unplanned ones of last week where there were a large number of different colors and prints. I will share some examples of my planned quilts.

First up is Sparkler, my newest pattern.

From a distance, it looks very scrappy, perhaps unplanned. But when you look at the center of the quilt (right photo) you can see I used only 8 different color prints. Those prints are repeated on all 4 sides of the sawtooth border of the center star. Those fabrics are also used to make the bordering smaller stars.

This next quilt uses 8 different color prints but I use them in a unique way to make it appear more scrappy. Here’s the quilt, Trinkets:

Here’s a closer look at one of the row of this quilt:

You can see that every other block has the same 4 color prints, but by rotating the block one turn, it makes them appear different. That’s one way to make a limited amount of prints look scrappy in a quilt.

Here’s another way. In this quilt below, Star Wheels, I still use a limited amount of color prints but I mix and match them in the same block type, alternating in which part they appear.

Here’s a close up of a few of the rows:

Notice the block at the upper left first row and the one on the far right of the second row. They are both using the same color prints, pink and green, but they are reversed where they appear in the block. This helps to create a more scrappy look.

How to Plan a Scrap Quilt

 Here’s how I teach people how they can turn any quilt into a scrap quilt by adding more color prints.

Below I’m using a simple 3 color quilt as an example. To make it easy, let’s say this quilt takes a yard of each color fabric (not including the background) and has 12 blocks from each color. Here’s the 3 colors:

If I use only those 3 colors to make a quilt, it will be a little bit scrappy and look like this:

To make it look scrappier from just these three colors, mix and match the colors within the blocks. For example, make some blocks gold/blue and some blocks red/gold and some blue/red:

Now, lets make it even scrappier. You can do this by substituting three 1/3 yard cuts for each yard of fabric from above. I’ve done that here:

To the dark blue fabric, I added a light blue and a purple. To the red fabric, I added pink and brown (both fabrics have red accents) and to the yellow fabric I added green and orange. So, now I have 9 colors which I can distribute through 36 blocks giving me 4 blocks from each color. Or I can mix and match those colors within each block.

The quilt on the left is scrappier than the 3 color quilt examples from above. And the quilt on the right is even scrappier when you mix the colors within each block. So that’s the basics to a planned scrappy quilt.

Color Mapping

How do you plan a scrap quilt using any one block pattern? I’ll show you how I do it.

First I choose a block design, how many blocks I want and how many colors I want to use. Then I make a diagram using a drawing of the block. I call this method “color mapping”.  I number my chosen color prints and then on a printout of the blocks in the quilt, I place the color number(s) in units of the blocks. Then I note how many blocks from each combination.

Here’s an example of one of my color maps showing nine different color prints numbered 1-9:

Notice how the numbers are in different parts of the blocks. That’s what helps achieve the scrappy look.

Once I have this done, then I can figure out how many pieces I need to cut from each color based on the diagram above. It does take a little time and math, but by doing this planning first, you end up with a beautiful planned scrap quilt.

So that’s it for this week and my two lessons on scrap quilting. Leave a comment or ask a question below to be entered into a drawing for my quilt pattern, Country Square.

The drawing will be on Monday, April 21st.**We have a winner! Congrats, Deborah A. Keno!**

Happy Quilting!
Deanne

2022 Block of the Week – Block 9

The final block in the series! All the patterns from block 1 through today are still free for you to download. These are easy to piece 6 1/2″ blocks. After you make all the blocks, including today’s block 9, you can use them any way you want. I will be presenting a finished wall hanging next week that features all the blocks and providing free instructions so you can make it yourself if you choose. If you just found my blog today, here are the links to the previous week’s posts: Week 1, Week 2, Week 3, Week 4, Week 5, Week 6, Week 7 and Week 8. OK… let’s get started on the last block!

2022 BOW Block 9 – Crosses & Losses

Now that you are an expert in HSTs, this block will be a breeze. This is basically a 4 patch block, with each “patch” made from HSTs. The instructions to make this block are found here: 2022 BOW Block 9.

The block made it’s first appearance, like many others in this sew along, in the late 1800s. Published first by the Ladies Art Company in 1897. It’s also known as Bouncing Betty (1933), Fox and Geese (1929) and Hour Glass (1932). It’s believed this block got its original name from the Bible, sometimes the only book that accompanied families in the 19th century to their new homes.

Scrap Quilting

Since the blocks we have been making are from our “scraps”, I think it’s time to talk scrap quilting! Scrap quilts can be planned or unplanned. Planned you say? Isn’t the definition of “scrappy quilt” a quilt that is made from scraps you just randomly pull from your stash? Yes, I call those “unplanned” scrap quilts. These BOW blocks are like that. I just picked scraps out of my stash to piece each of these blocks. But, you can carefully choose an array of color prints and make blocks from various combinations and that is what I call “planned” scrap quilts.

I will use a simple 3 color quilt as an example. To make it easy, let’s say this quilt takes a yard of each color fabric (not including the background) and has 12 blocks from each color. Here’s the 3 colors:

Using these colors above you can make a simple scrap quilt with each block using only one color (left) or you can mix the 3 colors within each block and use each color in different units of the blocks (right).

Both are nice scrap quilts, but the one on the right definitely reads as more scrappy, even though it’s the same 3 colors. You can make the quilt even scrappier, by adding in more colors to each of the ones above. Instead of buying a yard each of the 3 main colors, by 1/3 yards of those fabrics and then an additional 1/3 yard each 6 other color prints that coordinate.

To the dark blue fabric, I added a light blue and a purple. To the red fabric, I added pink and brown (both fabrics have red accents) and to the yellow fabric I added green and orange. So, now I have 9 colors which I can distribute through 36 blocks giving me 4 blocks from each color. Or I can mix and match those colors within each block.

Now, all of the sudden you have a real scrap quilt even though you planned it.

So how do you plan a scrap quilt using any one block pattern? First I choose a block design, then how many blocks I want and then how many colors I want to use. Then I make a diagram using drawings of the blocks. I number the colors I am using and then on a the printout of the blocks in the quilt, I write in the color number(s) in the units that make up the blocks. Then I note how many blocks I have from each combination to help me calculate how much of each fabric I need.

Here’s an example of one of my color maps showing that I am using nine different color prints that are numbered 1-9:

Once I have this done, then I can figure out how many pieces I need to cut from each color based on the diagram above. It does take a little time and math, but by doing this planning first, you end up with a beautiful scrap quilt.

So, I hope this gives you a bit of an idea on how to make a quilt pattern scrappy if it isn’t already that way. I think it’s fun to do and I just love the look of the “riot” of colors. You’d be surprised that colors you think would never look good in the same quilt, look great in a scrappy one!

Come back next week for the Block of the Week wrap-up where I will reveal my wall hanging made from these blocks and give you those instructions. Remember, comment or ask questions throughout this series. At the end, I will have a grand prize giveaway. This will include my book, two of my newer patterns, some fat quarters and sewing scissors!

Happy Quilting!
Deanne