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More Scrap Quilting Tips for Fun!

Last week I talked about quilting with strips and scraps and shared some links to some history, including a look at the quilts of Gee’s Bend and crazy quilting. Here’s the post if you missed it. This week, I thought I’d continue with the scrap quilting fun by showing you two ways I scrap quilt. Making what I call “planned” scrap quilts and true scrap quilts. I’ll show you examples with my quilts and explain how I either plan a scrap quilt or just “fly by the seat of my pants”! 

How to Plan a Scrap Quilt

Sounds kind of funny planning a scrap quilt, right? Well, I know some quilters do not like the complete chaos of a scrap quilt and want to still have some harmony among their fabrics. Here’s an example of how I teach people how they can turn any quilt into a scrap quilt.

I 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:

Here’s what a quilt would look like with those 3 colors in separate blocks.

Pretty quilt, huh?

One way to make a scrap quilt from just these three fabrics is to mix and match the colors within the blocks. For example, make some blocks gold/blue and some blocks red/gold and some blue/red:

This makes it a little scrappier! However, you can turn this even scrappier 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 quilts 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

So how do you plan a scrap quilt using any one block pattern? First choose a block design, then how many blocks you want and then how many colors you want to use. Then I make a diagram using a drawing of the block. I call this method “color mapping”.  I number the colors I am using 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 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. My Scrappy North Stars is an example of one planned this way (although I had more than 9 different fabrics in this one):

Unplanned Scrappy and Color Fun

Now for the unplanned scrap quilt or what I call “chaos”. That’s when I sit beside my tub of assorted strips and make one block after another. As I am making each block, I put them up on a design wall and try to avoid putting the same color strip into a block, at least not in the same place. The two quilts below are examples of some unplanned scrappies.

CrissCross Cabin Blooms
Hugs & Kisses

Yes, I do have colors repeated, but when that happens, it’s generally a different print from one in another block.

As you can see from some of the quilts I have shown in this post, I’m not afraid of putting interesting color prints together. That’s the fun of scrap quilts. You may think certain colors do not belong together, but in a scrap quilt you can get away with it!

Don’t be afraid to play with all different color fabrics and prints in a scrap quilt, whether it’s a planned scrap quilt or an unplanned scrap quilt. You’ll often be surprised with the results!

I hope you enjoyed this scrap quilting discussion and a look into my process. Comment or ask any questions you may have below and you will be entered into a drawing for my Scrappy North Stars quilt pattern (shown above)! **We have a winner… congrats, Ariel!**

Happy Quilting!
Deanne

Block of the Week – Block 9

Here we are! The last block in my 2021 BOW. These 9 weeks have gone fast. I hope you have enjoyed making the first 8 blocks and you will like this one too. If you are just finding this BOW project, you can access the previous block instructions and blog posts by clicking on each week: Week 1, Week 2, Week 3, Week 4, Week 5, Week 6 , Week 7, Week 8. This weeks tip of the week will actually be many mini tips for quilters based on some of the things I like to do to make my quilting experience relaxing and fun. Hopefully you will find a tip or two helpful to you too! As with the last 8 weeks, there will be a drawing for one of my patterns. The winner will be chosen from the comments and questions you leave below. So now that all that is out of the way, lets see the last block!

Block 9 – Bloom

Find the PDF instructions for the block here: 2021 BOW Block 9.

This block has a lot of elements in it that previous blocks in this series had, so you should be able to make this one using the knowledge you have gained making the others. So now onto the time saving tips for quilters.

Time Saving Tips for Quilters

Tip #1 – Always Buy Extra

My quilt patterns use the assumption of 40″ usable width of fabric (as I discussed in last week’s post), but some patterns may not. If you are not sure if the pattern you are buying allows for selvage, cutting errors or pre-washing fabric (if you do that), always buy a bit more than recommended. I usually ad about 1/8 of a yard to what is needed. I don’t pre-wash my fabric, but I have made cutting errors… a lot! You do not want to get to the end of your piece of fabric and still have pieces you need cut from it.

Tip #2 – Test Blocks

One of the things I recommend as a time saver is to read through the pattern you are planning to work on and create a “test” block out of scrap fabric. This is a great way to find out if you understand the instructions! It’s also a way to “audition” color choices.

Here’s one of my test blocks:

After the test block has served it’s purpose in helping me understand the pattern and make color choices, what can I do with it?  I decided to take these blocks and rummage through my scrap stash to make mini quilts for friends and family! Here’s a candle mat I made from the test block:

This is a great way to make a gift for the non-quilter in your life. They will love their little gift and you will not let a scrap of fabric go to waste!

Tip #3 – Label Cut Pieces

This may seem like a no brainer but to keep yourself organized, you should label the pieces you cut and organize them in stacks based on which part of the quilt they construct. This is especially helpful if you cut all the pieces for your project in the beginning. I like to get all the cutting done at once and it allows me to make sure I have enough fabric. If I cut in stages, by the time I figure out I’m short of fabric, it may be sold out!

Above is an example of a project cut out and ready to go. Each stack represents a group of blocks made from the same color prints. This keeps me organized and I avoid picking up the wrong piece and stitching it into a unit. The less “unsewing” I have to do, the better!

Tip #4 – Stitch Ripping

Speaking of “unsewing”, I have a tip on ripping out stitches in a way to hopefully avoid damaging your fabric. Here’s how I do it:

I cut a stitch every 4 or 5 stitches in the middle of the seam and then gently pull apart the pieces.

The seam comes apart fairly easy and then all you have to do is finish cutting the threads on each end of the unit.

Tip #5 – Backstitching

This may seem like a simple tip, but you’d be surprised how many people skip it. Back stitch to lock your stitched seam at the beginning and end of a seam. 

The unit on the left has back stitching at the beginning and end of the seam. The one on the right does not. The next photo shows how the seam can easily separate, which can cause your quilt to come apart at the seams … literally!

The unit that has the back stitching is nice and secure, even with seams pressed open.

Backstitching can be done whether you are just stitching one unit at a time or you are stitching a chain of units. It only takes a brief second to backstitch at the beginning and end of each unit in a chain.

So that’s it! Those are some of my favorite tips to share. I hope you learned something. Share a tip with me in the comments below and your name will be entered into a drawing for my pattern, Twinkling Log Cabin.

This is one of my older scrappy quilt patterns, but it’s still one of my favorites! The drawing will be on Monday, June 14th. That is also the day that I will reveal the wall hanging I made from these blocks and share those instructions. **We have a winner! Congrats, Gail S.!**

So, until next week,

Happy Quilting!
Deanne

New Pattern Release!

Hi all! Just a quick post to tell you about my new quilt pattern, It’s a Tie! This is a scrappy, fun pattern that gives you 2 projects to work on. You can use fabric you have on hand or grab some charm square packs from your favorite quilt shop for some super scrappy runners!

Here it is:

This pattern is now available for purchase from my shop.

How to Build a Scrap Quilt

I love scrap quilts. I think the more colors the merrier! Not that one, two or three color quilts are not beautiful …. but a large variety of colors can make a simple pattern look more vibrant. At least in my opinion!

So, let’s say you have a quilt that requires 1 yard each 3 fabrics and has 36 blocks with instructions to make 12 blocks from each color. For my example, I’ll use yellow, red and blue.

This would be a pretty quilt!

However, what if you want to turn it into a scrappier quilt, instead of buying 1 yard each of the 3 colors, split the yardage up into smaller amounts to add in more colors. For example, instead of 1 yard of yellow, buy 1/3 yard of yellow, green and orange. Do the same thing for the blue and red fabrics.

As you can see above, I now have nine fabrics to work with! Instead of 12 yellow blocks, I will have 4 yellow, 4 orange and 4 green. Instead of 12 red blocks, I will have 4 red, 4 pink and 4 brown. And finally for the dark blue, I’ve added in light blue and purple and will have 4 of each of those blocks. So there you go…. instant scrap quilt!

Here are some real blocks demonstrating what I was talking about above. First, here’s 4 blocks all the same color.

Now, I have taken away 3 of the blue blocks and added in a green, a purple and a red block.

Another way to make a quilt scrappy is to actually mix the fabrics in the same block. Below, you will see that I am using the same 3 colors for the 3 blocks, but the each color is in a different part of each block.

Finally …. true scrappy! This is where you sit next to your basket of scraps and pull out a new color for each section of the block.

Now that’s scrappy!

Do you like scrap quilts? If so, use some of these tips to make any pattern you have into a scrap quilt. Share some of your scrap quilting tips with me and win a Snuggles Quilts T-shirt! The drawing will be next Monday 11/19/18! **We have a winner! Congrats, Pammy!**

Happy Quilting!
Deanne

Scrap Quilting Tips!

As you have noticed, I’m a scrap quilting nut. I love to have a “riot” of color in my designs. Some of them are true scrappy. By this, I mean that I sit next to a tub of scraps and pull out a different piece of fabric for each piece of a block. This is a lot of fun and has made creations like this pattern of mine called Crisscross Cabin Blooms:

And this pattern called Twinkling Log Cabin:

Then there is the kind of scrap quilt that is a little more “planned” like my pattern Scrappy North Stars:

This pattern takes 54 fat quarters. Before you cut out pieces for this quilt, you pair up dark color prints, medium color prints and background fabrics into what I call “color sets”. Each color set will make a certain number of blocks. The dark color will be on the outside in some blocks and on the inside in others. This is a one block quilt, but due to the variety of fabrics, it’s still really interesting and fun to look at!

So now, it’s on to some of my tips for a successful scrap quilt. When you are making a scrap quilt, you are usually using at least 5 or 6 different colors of fabric for variety. But, when you are piecing your quilt top, it never fails, you get the same colors right next to each other or clumped together on one side of a block or quilt. How to remedy this problem?

Tip #1: I number the fabrics. For example, if I have a blue, purple, green, pink and gold fabric, I will number them 1 through 5. If you have 20 different fabrics, you can group them by color family and then number them. Once they are numbered, I then take a diagram of the quilt block or quilt top (you can make a copy of the block or quilt from the pattern and enlarge it if you need to) and write numbers on the quilt top pieces. As I am numbering, I make sure the distribution of the colors is even!

This example above is for a small wall hanging. I call this “color mapping”.

Tip #2: Are you worried that you are going to sew rows or block pieces together wrong after carefully planning the color placement above?

As you can see by the photo above, I have the sections numbered starting with #1. Section 1 is to be sewn to section 2 and then section 3 is sewn to the bottom of section 2 and so on ….. I started doing this when I flubbed on color placement a few times when transferring pieces from my design wall to my sewing machine. I would end up sewing the wrong pieces together and not notice it until a whole border was done and I saw the same colors clumped together. Then …. it was time to “unsew”. An we all know how much fun that is!

I use the sheets of the little square Avery stickers (#5418 Multi-Use Labels) to number my pieces. Here is the complete row laid out and ready to be joined:

Tip #3: Another thing I use these stickers for are “directional” arrows. As you can see by the units above and looking over my pattern diagram above, the triangles face different directions based on which side of the quilt they are on. In order to keep me straight, I draw a little arrow on one of the small stickers and place it at the top of a row so I know which way is up.

As you can see, organization while piecing a scrap quilt is essential if you have blocks or pieces with similar colors. Of course, we always seem to miss something, nobody’s perfect! But this will help you to have the scrappiest quilt you can.

I hope you liked this brief “tutorial” on scrap quilting. Now hit that stash and start stitching!

Leave me a comment below on your favorite scrap quilting tip. You will be entered into a drawing to receive one of the above patterns from my collection! Good luck!

Happy Quilting!
Deanne

More Pattern Inspiration! New Pattern Coming Soon!

So last Saturday, I shared the first of my new patterns that will be arriving soon. See it in this blog post here. Today, I want to share the second of my new patterns. This one also has 2 projects in it and they are for the table, but I added some applique to these. The pattern is called Bloomin’ Spools:

In the pattern are instructions for the long table runner and for the square table topper. Both are embellished with some pretty floral applique that you can do by hand or machine.

This pattern was inspired by the spool block, versions of which have been around since the 19th century. Quilt blocks were often designed and named for ordinary household items. I image the women who designed and named this block based it on the wooden spools that held their thread.

This antique quilt also inspired this pattern:

I loved the scrappy-ness of this old quilt. The different color spools and different color backgrounds inspired me to make my runner and topper scrappy in my pattern.

Here’s a close-up of the applique on each of these projects:

Look for this new pattern at the end of the month, hopefully! It’s being written and tested as we speak.

Happy Quilting!
Deanne

Do You Do … Pieced Borders?

I consider the borders of a quilt the “frame” for the design. Many times, a plain border will do. But with me, I can’t just do plain! Often I will add a pieced border alone or do one in conjunction with a plain border. Here’s one I am working on now:

This happens to be a one color sawtooth border that I am preparing. I also like to do scrappy sawtooth borders as well. Here’s an example of a scrappy border I used for one of the quilts in my book, Blooming Patchwork.

Don’t you think the sawtooth border makes a great frame for the applique in this quilt?

Another reason to add a scrappy pieced border is to use up extra fabric or to make a quilt a bit bigger. For my Scrappy North Stars, I used what is often called a piano key border to frame this quilt.

For this quilt, I framed the blocks with a plain black skinny border and then put the piano key border on the outside.

Another border option I have use is a scrappy checkerboard border along with a flying geese border. My Sister’s Reunion lap quilt shows this type of border the best:

Notice the large flying geese frame the blocks, then I have framed them with a multi-colored checkerboard border.

Here’s a couple of other interesting borders I have done. This first one takes an element from the actual block in the quilt and uses it for the border. It almost give the illusion that the quilt continues on. This pattern is called Paper Chain.

For my next unique border, here is my quilt pattern, High Prairie Blooms:

Notice for this border, I just cut strips from the colors used in the blocks and alternated them with some background strips to create this border.

So, this is just a few borders you can use to jazz up your next quilt. What kind of borders do you use? Share some thoughts you have on pieced borders and also some tips you follow when adding borders. I’d love to hear your thoughts!

Happy Quilting!
Deanne

New Pattern Inspiration – Homestead Trail

This next pattern was inspired by a vintage quilt I found in a book. Here’s that quilt:

Have you ever wondered how one of my quilts begin? First, of course, I get inspired by a vintage quilt like above. Then the design process starts on my computer. Once I have come up with the design, I figure fabric needed and what has to be cut. I write the pattern as I go. Below is this quilt in pieces!

The key to making this quilt successfully is labeling all your pieces with the letter in the pattern and keep the pieces separated by color. That way you can pair up the colors you want to make the block. The first step in making the block is making the center star:

Next, add the outer border of the block to make the unique design.

So after making all the blocks, it’s time to lay them out on a design wall or large floor space to get a distribution of color pleasing to you.

Now it’s time to add the sashing and the piece border:

Finally, I am trying to proof the pattern I’ve written ….. with a bit of help from Addie!

She’s always looking for a soft spot to land when she enters my studio! Here is a close-up of the quilted block to show you detail and the beautiful quilting my quilter did. This quilt was quilted by Annette Ashbach of The Quiltmaker’s Nest.

So, here is the completed quilt, Homestead Trail!

Traditional scrappy lap quilt

In other news ….. I have a new pattern in the Nov/Dec issue of Fons & Porter’s Love of Quilting!

If you would like to win a copy of this issue, comment below on what inspires your quilting! I will pick a winner next week when posting my next new pattern!  **Contest closed. We have a winner! … Marcia!**

Happy Quilting!
Deanne

Inspired by History – New Pattern Feature

Each week on Wednesday, I will be featuring one of my new patterns here on the blog.  I want to share my process in making a quilt design and I will also try to share my inspiration. I hope you find this interesting and inspiring yourself! Most of the time, I am inspired by antique quilts or vintage blocks. This week’s pattern is one of them.

This week’s pattern is Scrap Basket Duo.

This pattern was inspired by the vintage Album Cross block. Here is the block:

The quilt that this block is based on was an album quilt made in the 1840’s in New York state. These quilts were usually presented to someone who was leaving a community. Friends and family of the person who received the quilt would write in the “cross” part of the block. The signer would sign their name with the date and sometimes add a nice sentiment as a message to the receiver. This style of block is only one of the many types of blocks used in album or “friendship” quilts. These quilts were very popular in the 19th century when many people were leaving family and friends to move west.

Of course, I do not make my Album Cross block the traditional way, with set in seams ( or “y” seams). I cheated 🙂 and created this unit below. And when you make 4 and stitch them together, you get the look of the vintage Album Cross without the stress!

Here are the blocks laid out and also the two different table runners I made using those blocks.

So that’s an example of the journey I take in creating a pattern for Snuggles Quilts.

Interested in quilt history? Barbara Brackman is a quilt historian who has written many books about quilts from the 19th and 20th centuries. A quick google search will bring up a long list of her fantastic books. I highly recommend them if you love quilt history! One of my favorite books of hers is Encyclopedia of Pieced Quilt Patterns.  Here’s a photo of my copy.

I have fun looking through this book and seeing all the different names for blocks. Some blocks have been known by many different names throughout quilt making history.

So go forth and stitch!

Happy Quilting, Deanne