These were made for an OTT swap. I made a master layered swatch with lots of over stitching. I was going to hand embroider, but since I just don’t have the time, I resorted to my trusty sewing machine. I ended up using up most of the swatch making 3 pouches, a glasses case and two bookmarks with leftovers. Hardly a one tiny thing…but I always get carried away.
Lot’s of baby quilt scraps in here, plus other random fabrics. It was fun to go for bright colors. I’ve been making masks and have gotten to some dull colors from my deep dark unused forever stash bin. I have to find some brighter colors to sew…makes me happier.
I never thought about making a master swatch, sort of like making a master board for ATC’s or artwork. Smart idea. I like the color pallet and your little zip pouches too!
It’s a great way to use up little scraps, or create a piece with just the colors you want. I start with a muslin or scrap piece of cotton (I’ve used up some pretty ugly bits of fabric this way, just make sure the backing never, ever, shows. Then lay on the pieces, don’t over-think, just start slapping down, make a few adjustments, pin like crazy, and stitch, by hand with lots of rows of stitching, or run it through the sewing machine, over and over, plain wavy lines, fancy stitches you never get to use on your machine. I sometimes use a dissolvable layer over the top to hold pieces…good when using small scraps, or sometimes fusible interfacing as a backing to iron down pieces, the overlaps are still loose, but it anchors most of it before you stitch. Again, don’t over-think, just be messy. Then create something fun. Dolls, stuffies, zipper pouches of all sizes, bookmarks, anything.
I like this method better than the crumb quilt method! I had used some little scraps that ended up getting lost with the crumb quilt technique. With this method, I could put them on top and they’d still be visible. So fun!
