This reminds me that my scrap bin is getting full and will soon need handling. Her yardage looks cool, but, yeah, what do you do with it? I like the idea of scrappy tote bags or zipper bags, throw pillows or quilt tops.
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Honestly, I hate scrap bins. Hence always cutting up my scraps into specific sizes. I’ve found myself using them so much more often, now that I do. No overflowing bins of ‘junk’ that I eventually just toss to clean the space. Nice neat bins, all cut and ready to use.
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I’m actually saving mine for another crumb quilt, lol.
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I do cut my scraps into specific sizes. I just get behind and then overwhelmed. A few days of cutting scraps with a time limit might help. I have a few books that have some pretty neat quilts and projects to make with those sizes and they can be combined easily because of the math.
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It’s true. I made a swap thingy from 3 rectangular scraps I had. I thought I had used up about half, but it’s a pile now, instead of 3 pieces. At least I managed to use up scrap nr. 3!
I sometimes cut scraps into standard sizes, but my scrap stash is mostly organized by colour. I don’t buy fabric for “collecting” , just when I need something, so what I have is either earmarked or scrap. I use a lot of smaller bits of fabrics, such as for ornaments. When I need a bit of blue, I’ll pull out my bag of blue and see which scrap works.
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Thought you guys might enjoy this!
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This really brightened my day!
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Seriously. I just listened to it a second time because it had me smiling earlier today.
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So I pulled out a jelly roll, and some fat quarters, to try making another Cool Waters quilt, like this one I made for Edel back in 2020. Back then I made it entirely out of 2.5" scrap strips.
I’d have a bunch of strips in the jelly roll, then I could use some from my stash of 2.5" scrap strips, and use up some Fat Quarters to round it out. When I checked the pattern, it said I needed 40 strips to make the quilt top. My jelly roll had 32 usable strips, in 4 fabrics, so 8 strips of each. And you need to divide it by lights and darks. (One of the fabrics was a blue & white stripe that read both light and dark, so I put those strips aside for the binding.)
In order fill it out and to make it more dynamic, I included 6 FQ’s (5 blue, 2 green, & 1 yellow) and a bunch of bright yellow strips, and a few white. I was assuming that with 32 strips, PLUS 2 yards of FQ’s PLUS scrap strips, I’d have plenty. I was hoping I might even get 2 quilt tops out of it. So I started piecing.
I now have 73 units, (with 2 more that are nearly done) that need to be cut into HSTs and repieced. Each finished block is made of 4 units, so I have enough to make 18 blocks, and enough scraps laying around to easily take that up to 19. (The pattern calls for 12 blocks, in a 3x4 layout.) So where did I go wrong? Oh that’s right. I forgot that when making it out of full jelly roll strips, you can get 5 units per strip set. But if you’re using shorter FQ’s, you get 2, and some scrap, so I’m only getting 4/5ths the number of units.
I don’t want to piece the small scraps to get more 8.5" units, so I’m trying to decide what to do with what I have. I could make the quilt bigger, with a 4x4 layout, which would use 16 blocks. Leaving me with 2-3 extra blocks, and those scrap units that I could cut into 2.5" chunks to piece into something bigger.
The only thing I can come up with right now (besides a quilt & pillows), is a picnic set, with the quilt and a matching insulated tote bag. Is there something else I’m not thinking of?
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Would it use things up to make it a “take-a-long” blanket which has handles to carry it when it folds into pocket-bag?
Is that translating? I can try to find an example of what I’m thinking of if not.
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I know what you mean by a take-along bag. But for that I think I’d need more yardage for the pocket, rather than scrap patchwork…
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I woke up crazy early today so I laid out the blocks. Sixteen quilt blocks and one alternate block layout for a pillow.
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Really bright and cheerful colors.
What do you guys think about backings? I’m making this as a picnic quilt, so my inclination is to lean towards a darker color that can get dirty and hide stains. But the yellow is bright and cheerful…
This is my binding:
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Ooh, I was all for that blue, until I scrolled down and saw the yellow. I love how bright and cheery that yellow is, buuut I think your inclination toward the darker color is a wise one.
Also, I love that binding fabric!
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My practical side says “blue”, but if the quilt is intended to be used, it is going to get stains and dirt no matter what…I think it just adds to the memories and it is the back…I love the bright yellow, especially with that binding!
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Love that tasty binding! The quilt is just so bright and lovely. I think, for me, I would likely never regret the blue backing, like I’m not going to be packing up my lovely picnic quilt and thinking “gee, this sure would be nicer with a different colour on the back”. But the same might not be true of the yellow. As pretty as it is, I could feel some sad about grass stains, etc, every time I put it down on the ground. Might make me hesitant to use it.
That’s just me though. I know for a fact that Mizz @sloth003 is not precious about quilts, they are for using and use them she does!
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From this here blog from forever ago… Twas always my attitude, she just said it better. To a broader audience.
and inspired my labels
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Oh, I am absolutely all for my quilts being used. I make them sturdy and washable, and wash them before I gift them, so they get soft and drapey, and I include washing instructions with them. I just figure for a quilt that is specifically supposed to be used on grass, and with food, maybe a backing to hide grass stains is best. LOL
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