Welcome back! This is a continuation of last week’s post where I concentrated on using up scraps in your fabric stash to make blocks. This week, we’ll move on to other ways to use up those fabrics. I know we all have fabric stashes, but whether you’re wanting to whittle that down or just use up the extra fabric from the project you’re currently making, I think my ideas and tips will help with just that. So let’s get started.
Borders
Another way to use up the pre-cuts in your stash or leftover fabric is to make interesting borders. Borders serve two purposes in my quilts: to add to the design and to increase the size of the quilt. Some of my quilts don’t use borders for both of those purposed, but most do.
Here’s an example of borders that are planned along with the quilt itself to add to the design.
One of my favorite pieced borders is the sawtooth (left) made from half-square triangle (HST) squares. I also like to take an element from the quilt block in the quilt itself to make a border (center and right). Here’s close ups of the last two:
See if you can find the block element that makes up the scrappy borders in each of these quilts.
Then there’s this border that drew on the sashing element within the quilt. I extended it into the border to create an interesting symmetry with the rest of the quilt.
Finally, here are borders I came up with that used up the extra fabric adding to the design element and also serving to enlarge the size of the quilt:
For Scrappy North Stars on the left, I used the leftover fabric for a piano key border. The center quilt, Village Square, has strips of fabric, left over from the center blocks, pieced into a colorful strip border. Finally for Country Dance, on the right, I used the remaining fabric from the churn dash blocks to create the scrappy checkerboard border.
Binding
A simple way to use up extra fabric is for binding. You can either use leftover fabric strips in one color for your binding, or you can make a scrappy binding. Use this on quilts big and small. Here’s a couple of examples on my quilts.
Here’s a close-up of both that shows the scrappy bindings:
Fabric Stash & Appliqué
If you do fabric appliqué like I do, you can find a new life for those stash scraps that can’t be cut into strips for borders or binding. Here’s how I store these scraps:
I have tubs with other colors as well. Now when I need a piece of fabric for flowers on a quilt, I don’t have to cut into a large piece of newer fabric. I dig through my tubs of scraps to find the fabrics I want. Here’s some of my appliqué I have created from scraps:
Finally, if you don’t do appliqué like me but still save those odd scraps of fabric, consider making crazy quilt blocks or quilt crumb blocks.
Sew together several odd scraps and then trim in to a uniform block size, like 4 1/2″ or 6 1/2”. Make several of them and use them to make a crazy quilt. If you are good with embroidery, make it a real crazy quilt experience and add it to jazz up the quilt top.
That’s it for this week. Leave a comment or ask a question below and be entered into a drawing for my pattern, Cabin Stars:
The drawing will be on Monday, February 24th. Good luck! **We have a winner! Congrats, Denise Maguire!**
Happy Quilting!
Deanne
Thanks for the tips! I’m trying hard to use my stash instead of buying more.
Good plan since fabric is so expensive!
Got my scraps cut & stored toward size. But have used some crumbs to make strip blocks. Don’t have enough yet to piece for a quilt but will keep working on it. I was trying the method where adding machine tape is used as the base.
Interesting method. I haven’t tried that.
Love all the scrap using ideas
You’re welcome!
I love scrappy borders and bindings, I’ve got just the leftovers in mind for the current quilt, thanks for the reminder!
You’re welcome!
These are great ideas! Lots of ways to individualize a quilt.
Thanks!
I have so much fabric so started to roll the fat quarters and put in old enamel tubs on top of my wire basket organizers. Love the look of antiques in my sewing room.
I like that idea!
Borders can add so much to the way a quilt looks. It’s alway great to have so many ideas for a border and a wonderful way to use up scraps. I also want to thank you for the quilt pattern ” Star Wheel” that I won with your last drawing. The pattern was very well packaged and arrived very quickly. The direction are very easy to follow. I am very excited about starting this quilt. Thank you so much for it!
Borders definitely are a fun design element.
So glad you are happy with the pattern you won. Enjoy making it!
Love your tips for adding borders. I do appliqué and I like your method for storing small scraps for that.
It’s a great way to conserve odd pieces. That’s one of the fun things about doing appliqué. I don’t waste a lot of fabric.
Wonderful ideas for fun borders. Thinking through border ideas to make a quilt more pleasing to the eye makes so much sense. And using our fabric scraps makes so much sense too!
I just now had time to read email.
I love your quilts. I also like the idea of making a crazy quilt. 🤗
I always welcome the opportunity to use my stash in interesting ways – thank you!
Wow! You always give the greatest tips which I appreciate but in this post it’s the photos that knocked my socks off! Your borders are fantastic and add so much dimension to your quilts. I especially enjoyed seeing your applique projects. They are just gorgeous…I save various size scraps but never thought of saving them toward use in applique. I have some interesting fabrics that would be perfect for applique…I’ll be looking at my stash through different eyes now.
Thanks! A fabric stash is a great thing.
I love all of your scrap border and applique ideas. Your patterns are always so amazing, love them. Thank you so much for all the work you put into your blog it is so informative an helpful. I really appreciate it.
You’re welcome!
Thank you for your great tips, I have a disappearing nine-patch quilt started and have extra jelly rolls of the fabric I am using in the blocks. Your border ideas gave me ideas on how to use them for a border and binding. I also am planning on using my stash this year and not buy any fabric unless I absolutely need to.
You’re welcome!
Love the idea of the crazy quilt squares with a border.
Thank you!
All the tips are great but my enthusiasm for your quilts knows no bounds. What colors and designs. Love scrap quilting anyway but your quilts are absolutely gorgeous. And I have to ask….how do you get so many done???
Thanks! I have been quilting for over 30 years. I am able to get a lot done each year because I’m lucky enough to have pattern designing as my job. 😁
Also… I love doing it!