Geese Over Fields

I love a good scrappy project. Using what you have on hand to create something is immensely satisfying. The top of this little mini quilt was made entirely from what was left over after I made Swoon Baby Quilt the First. When I trimmed some of the blocks, I was left with triangles that I then sewed together to make half square triangle blocks. Like with my Scrap Migration quilt, I turned those blocks into flying geese. The blue and green reminded me of the sky and growing things, so as I designed the top, I thought of geese flying over fields. The backing was a fabric I had in my stash, Crosshatch Sketch in Grass from Timeless Treasures.

For the quilting, I used white Perle thread to hand quilt the inside of the flying geese. The sky is machine quilted in grey Aurifil thread, and the fields in green. I really enjoy the contrast in textures that comes from combining hand quilting and machine quilting in the same piece.

This quilted finished at 21” square, and small size lent itself to trying a new-to-me technique, so I used my mom’s matched binding tutorial for the first time. I really like how it looks, so will definitely use it again in the future.

For more scrappy goodness, check out the monthly Scraptastic Tuesday link-up at She Can Quilt the second Tuesday of each month.

Scrap Migration Quilt

Did you know that the Seattle Modern Quilt Guild will have a new exhibit early next year? In celebration of the guild turning five years old, there will be a My MODERN exhibit at Island Quilter from January 2 to February 5, 2015. Previously, I have entered preexisting quilts in the guild exhibits, but this time, I was inspired to make a brand new quilt especially for this exhibit.

Scrap Migration came about because the construction of my Patriotic X and Plus Quilt resulted in a pile of leftover half-square triangles. I knew I wanted to use alternate grid work and end up with a quilt 36” square, and the design just evolved from there. Those lonely half-square triangle blocks became scrappy flying geese set against an improvisational pieced background.

The top and binding of Scrap Migration are made entirely of scraps from other quilts, and the back is made from scraps and stash fabric. Even the batting was leftover from another project. How’s that for using what’s on hand? In fact, I’m almost completely out of white scraps now. Guess I’ll just have to start a new quilt!



Linking up to Scraptastic Tuesday at She Can Quilt.

Vintage Modern Marmalade Baby Quilt

Have you ever gone through a period of time where you want to sew, but nothing you are currently working on excites you? That was me around late-February, early-March this year. I was also feeling like my stash was getting a little stale, so I decided to make a little room by using up two charm packs that I had been holding onto for years: Vintage Modern and Marmalade, both by Bonnie & Camille. Honestly, they coordinate so well, it was like one fabric line was an extension of the other, with is kinda fun.

I wanted something quick and simple that involved controlled scrappiness. Inspired by the “scrap therapy” quilts of teaginny and Emily Cier’s book Scrap Republic, I cut 72 charms in half, then sorted them into color groups. At this point, a design wall would have come in very handy. Initially, I mixed the low volume prints with the neutral prints, but when I sewed together the columns, it just looked all wrong. As a rule, I am loathe to break out the seam ripper, but in this case, it was warranted. I like the end result so much better after I tore it apart and reassembled it with all the low volume prints in the right color group.

Going along with the stash busting theme, I used a coordinating stripe from one of the lines for the binding, and my favorite Pearl Bracelets for the backing. This quilt is roughly 36” by 36” and I only had a yard of the backing. In the end, it worked out, but I  definitely learned why it’s a good idea to allow a few extra inches of backing all around. (The sides of the quilt are just a little skinnier than originally planned, due to some necessary but regrettable trimming.)

For the quilting, I reinforced the horizontal lines of the quilt by quilting ½” from each horizontal seam with my walking foot. I used Aurifil thread #2000, which is slightly off-white. Thanks to the luxury of a sewing day with my mom, I was able to complete the quilting the same day I started!

I finished this quilt at the most recent Seattle Modern Quilt Guild sew-in. Between the stimulating company and the glow of a finish, I feel creatively revitalized, like a garden in springtime.

Wrap It Up Doll Quilt

One of the pitfalls of quilting is that there will always be more inspiration than time to sew. I still like the Scrappy Nine-Patch quilt by crazy mom quilts that I started ages ago. However, I recently came to terms with the fact that I was unlikely to finish my version anytime in the near future. Since discarding all the scrappy nine-patch blocks I had made since August 2010 smacked of failure, I decided to repurpose them.

My sweet daughter is not yet two, and already she has shown a fondness for baby dolls. She particularly likes to cover them with a blanket, or carry them around all bundled up, so I figured one more doll quilt couldn’t hurt. I ditched the sashing and borders and just sewed the blocks directly together. A simple cross-hatch pattern made light work of the machine quilting, and I pieced together coordinating binding scraps for a quick finish. At the end of the day, I was left with a fun doll quilt for my sweet girl and one less project on my Work In Progress list.

2011 Memory Quilt

The main reason I started blogging was to document my quilting efforts, so that I could remind myself of what I had finished and inspire myself to greater creativity and productivity. I have come to enjoy blogging for its own sake, though, and found that I wanted something tangible to remember my quilts by. I love using leftovers from a finished quilt in a new quilt, but wanted one quilt to represent all the quilts I finished in 2011. The first two quilts I finished last year used the Yellow Brick Road pattern, which resulted in very little “waste.” Most of the scraps were less than 2” wide, so I decided to make postage stamp blocks out of 1.5” squares. The sashing, backing and binding are also made out of scraps. The last block is a big scrap of Lizzy House’s Pearl Bracelet fabric, embroidered with the year and my initials in my own handwriting.

2011 was a challenging year for me. In fact, it was one of the most difficult periods in my relatively short life. Still, I managed to finish nine quilts, thanks to this blog, the online quilting community and my loving and supportive family. I hung this quilt on a wall of my sewing nook and every time I look at it, I think of the people that I made those quilts for: two little babies who are now walking, a dear friend, my husband’s grandma (twice), my grandma, my mother-in-law, my mother and my sweet girl.  Sometimes, I look at this quilt and think of how much I accomplished during a difficult time, and it gives me hope that I will accomplish even more in the future.

 

Name: 2011 Memory Quilt

Pattern: Postage Stamp blocks

Fabric: Scraps from projects finished in 2011

Started: September 2011

Finished: March 2012

Linking to: Bloggers’ Quilt Festival at Amy’s Creative Side

Blueberry Muffin

Name: Blueberry Muffin

Pattern: Improv

Fabrics: Scraps from Blueberry Pie

Dimensions: 18” by 18”

Started: February 2012

Finished: March 2012

Favorite Blueberry Muffin Recipe: Page 53 of The Cupcake Café Cookbook by Ann Warren & Joan Lilly.

Linking to: Tuesday at the Table at A Quilter's Table, Scrap Attack at Stitched In Color and Finish It Up Friday at crazy mom quilts.

Blueberry Pie (Pops)

Sometimes it's easy to get caught up in the consumerist mindset of always buying the latest and greatest fabric lines. I know I do now and again. More often, I find myself enjoying the process of working with the fabric I have on hand, especially scraps from other projects. For example, my recently finished Blueberry Pie baby quilt is composed almost entirely of scraps, both my own scraps and scraps from a family scrap swap. A few fat eighths that I received as a gift were the only non-scrap fabric.

When I participated in a family scrap swap last year, I wanted to start using the scraps I received sooner rather than later. At first, I didn't know which pattern to use, but when I saw Blueberri Breezes at Angel Scraps Quilting, I was motivated to make my own version. After the top was finished, I still had quite a few scraps left over. Inspired by Missing the Point by Ocheltree Design, I decided to cut the remaining scraps into 2.5" strips and piece them together end-to-end and see where that led me. I wasn’t expecting to make the backing entirely of scraps, but that’s what happened! I even incorporated the tiniest of scraps using completely cauchy’s Scraptacularity method, which I loved.

I quilted Blueberry Pie in a cross-hatch pattern following the design of the “front.” In the end, I like the “back” even better. The binding is also made from scraps, but I bet that’s not a big surprise. This quilt was so enjoyable to make, that I felt compelled to celebrate its completion with baked goods, specifically, Blueberry Pie Pops.

Pie making seems to run in my family, but I’ve never made Blueberry Pie (or Pie Pops) before. By combining Cakespy’s Pie Pop recipe and Macrina Bakery’s Classic Blueberry Pie recipe, I managed to make a passable Blueberry Pie Pop. Somehow I ended up with too much pie filling and not enough dough, so I will share my particular recipe after all the wrinkles are ironed out.

If you like either quilts or food, stop by A Quilter’s Table for Tuesday at the Table. If you like scraps, check out Stitched in Color’s Scrap Attack. I also plan to link up with Finish it Up Friday at crazy mom quilts.

Scrap Attack!

I have too many scraps. Since 2000, I have never thrown away a scrap that I thought I could use later. Things are starting to get out of hand. It’s not that I don’t use them – I do! My Blueberry Pie quilt is made mostly of scraps. Out of my nine current WIPs (woo! I’m down to single digits!), five heavily feature scraps. They must multiply whenever I turn my back. It’s high time I did something about it! I’ve decided to join Scrap Attack! at Stitched in Color. The problem is, I can’t decide what to make first: Granny Squares or x & + blocks or something else entirely. Thoughts?

Libro de Colores

When I saw the Color Book in 101 Patchwork Projects + Quilts, I knew that I had to make one for my sweet girl. I started collecting scraps in May 2011. It took me awhile, but with the help of several family members, I managed to assemble sixteen 2.5” squares of eight different colors each. Overall, this project wasn’t that difficult, but for me it languished at each stage. Part of the problem was that I did not know my own mind. I wanted to change up the cover, and procrastinated designing a new one. Last month, my mom helped me chose the fabric for the inside cover, and I was able to finish it the Color Book in February 2011. I am pleased with the end result, but probably won’t be making another fabric book in the near future. I much prefer making quilts.

Today I am linking up with Finish It Up Friday at crazy mom quilts for the first time.

Family Scrap Swap

I come from a strong family tradition of quilt making. My mother is a quilter, my husband’s grandmother is a quilter, and several of my cousins are quilters as well. Recently my mom organized a scrap swap with a couple of my out-of-state cousins. I really enjoyed going through my scraps and picking out fabrics that I thought they would like. Receiving scraps from them was fun as well.

I received a lot of blue and tan/brown fabrics and was having a hard time deciding what to do with them. I found the answer via last week’s WIP Wednesday event on Freshly Pieced. I really like the Bluberri Breezes quilt from Angel Scraps Quilting. I’m going to call my version Blueberry Pie. I think I’ll work in some of the solids that I have been stashing recently. The small bowl contains the fabrics that I will start my Blueberry Pie quilt with. The large bowl is the other scraps that I still have to play with. Some will end up in my baby’s color book, and I’m looking forward to finding projects for the rest!

Book Review: Scrap Therapy Cut the Scraps!

A few weeks ago I checked out Scrap Therapy Cut the Scraps!: 7 Steps to Quilting Your Way through Your Stash by Joan Ford from my local library. The patterns were nice, although none screamed “make me now!” to me. I was very inspired, though, by Joan’s scrappy story. She saved all of the scraps from her quilting projects, boxed them up and stored them in the basement out of sight and out of mind. One day, she decided to put her scraps to good use. She methodically cut her scraps into 5”, 3.5” and 2” squares and developed patterns that used those pieces and made scrap quilt after scrap quilt. I look working with scraps, but never thought about organizing them in such a manner. After reading her book, I couldn’t wait to start trimming my own scraps!

I decided to cut my scraps into 5” and 2.5” squares, as those are the sizes that I use most often, due to the prevalence of pre-cuts and patterns for pre-cuts. I really like the idea of using charm pack patterns with charms I have cut myself. I’m a sucker for charm packs anyways. I classify my stash into three categories: scraps, which are smaller than a fat eighth or so; leftovers, which are bigger than a fat eighth and/or sorted by projects; and unwashed fabric, which is new fabric that I haven’t touched yet. I plan on trimming all of my scraps and some of my leftovers into 5” and 2.5” squares. I’ve only just started, but already my box of neatly trimmed scraps makes me smile.

P.S. My mom made the quilt in the picture above.