Monday came and went - actually the whole weekend - and I totally forgot about the blog. Now that I'm back on track with the calendar (kinda) after market, let's announce the winner of this week's Charming Thursday Flannel Days charm pack and pattern - quilter4. Lois and I will be cutting 5" squares tomorrow for the lucky winner so send your address and we'll get them sent out as soon as they're ready.
Another one of the market projects is Collection of Scraps. I showed a couple blocks last summer when we started piecing them. The idea began when Lois and I saw a quilt by Lissa Alexander, Moda Marketing Director, on the cover of an APQ magazine. Lots of 1" squares in a Grandmother's Flower Garden type block seemed the perfect way to showcase 11 years of fabric collections. As we assembled 1 1/2" strips and squares, I thought how crazy it was to spend so much time making a king size quilt and then not be able to sell the pattern. So, I designed a block that could be pieced in a variety of ways with lots of scraps. We each have 1 block using the first 36 KT fabric lines and a great pieced border with leftovers. A lap size quilt with 20 blocks started with a couple of Honey Buns and a simpler border. I love the result! My quilt came home from market and went directly onto my bed at the cabin. I'm sure sleeping under 11 years of fabrics will inspire me in my dreams.
My quilt has 36 blocks - 34 of the first KT fabric collections in the order they were released plus 2 scrappy blocks in the places where Lucy's Feather Bed and Farmyard Friends would be. Lois pieced the quilts together with the pastel baby fabrics in the quilt top, but I just couldn't live with it, so mine are sewn into the backing. The border has a few squares of these two lines, so I'm good with it.
The simplified border on the lap quilt finishes it off nicely without all the extra piecing. I think this would be a good long term project, making a block with leftover scraps of fabrics from each project you finish over the course of time. Eventually, you'll have enough for a bed size quilt. For those less patient, cut 1 1/2" strips from fat 1/8's and exchange with friends to add to your collection of strips, or split a Honey Bun and share. We found that 40 - 1 1/2" x 22" strips will easily make 2 blocks with leftovers to add to other blocks. The pattern, Collection of Scraps, will be available around Dec. 1st. This project has inspired some of our blog giveaways for next year. Watch for more details in January.
Question of the Day: How do you save your scraps? Do you cut them into strips/squares and keep them organized? Any tips?
Another one of the market projects is Collection of Scraps. I showed a couple blocks last summer when we started piecing them. The idea began when Lois and I saw a quilt by Lissa Alexander, Moda Marketing Director, on the cover of an APQ magazine. Lots of 1" squares in a Grandmother's Flower Garden type block seemed the perfect way to showcase 11 years of fabric collections. As we assembled 1 1/2" strips and squares, I thought how crazy it was to spend so much time making a king size quilt and then not be able to sell the pattern. So, I designed a block that could be pieced in a variety of ways with lots of scraps. We each have 1 block using the first 36 KT fabric lines and a great pieced border with leftovers. A lap size quilt with 20 blocks started with a couple of Honey Buns and a simpler border. I love the result! My quilt came home from market and went directly onto my bed at the cabin. I'm sure sleeping under 11 years of fabrics will inspire me in my dreams.
Question of the Day: How do you save your scraps? Do you cut them into strips/squares and keep them organized? Any tips?
MY GROCER USES CLEAR CARTONS FOR FRESH FRUIT+VEG+THESE MAKE NEAT STORAGE UNITS FOR SCRAPS.THE GRAPE TOMATO ONE IS EXACTLY THE SIZE OF A CHARM SQUARE. THANKS LYNNE FOR ALWAYS SHARING WITH US!
ReplyDeleteyour quilt is beautiful, I have a tub of fabrics that I am planning to do a Dear Jane with, the scraps from that project will be used in series for as many other tops as I can get.
ReplyDeleteI am not a fan of cutting my scraps into 'sizes' It is way easier for me to keep an ongoing tub of strings, crumbs, small enough for applique, smaller than fats, fats and yardage.
If/when I have a quilt in mind, I 'shop' the stash and make a collection. That grouping then becomes the stock for a series.
The project in mind gets priority and once totally cut out, the rest of the materials get die cut into kits. by the end of die cutting all that is left is strings, crumbs and applique.
my goal is to bust my stash by shopping it first and then having kits I can do for quick projects or give aways,
When I have left over sqs or triangles I add them to the crumb tub.
When strings or crumbs get to full I pull out enough for a top and bag it up for a future TO DO or a give away kit.
I did get the 1 1/2" die for the GO so I hope to see many scrappy TO DO's in my future.
The quilts are lovely. I try and cut my scraps into what I can use so they are ready to go.
ReplyDeleteI love the dark shades in your quilt, beautiful piece.
ReplyDeleteI keep my scraps in a basket, so I can grab pieces when I need them.
Debbie
I don't have a good way of doing it. I just dump them all into a bag. Thanks for asking the question I'm getting some good ideas.
ReplyDeleteHi Lynne. The scrappy pieced border looks so good. I just keep all of my scaps in a huge basket. :)
ReplyDeleteI use clear containers and try to cut scraps into usable sizes but I also have a big jumbled mess in a bag.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful quilts!! I sort my scraps by color and keep them in ziploc bags so they are easy to see.
ReplyDeleteYes I am a scrap organiser, I use Bonnie Hunter's scrap saving system, strips and squares filed in darks and lights in plastic draws. It took me a while to get the system up and running, but now it is a breeze.
ReplyDeleteI do keep mine in plastic containers, mostly the shoe box size. I cut them up when I can.
ReplyDeleteOrganize?? I should have started that YEARS ago. I think that it would take me years to get everything I have organized now. HOpefully I will get some doable tips from your readers. At least I have thought about the need for me to start organizing.
ReplyDeleteI have a container for strips, one for selvages, and the rest are rest are in plastic containers by colour or sometimes by theme, such as Christmas, Dr.Seuss. I don't usually cut them up.
ReplyDeleteI am such a slob. I just toss them in a bin. My scraps are not all color coordinated as yours are
ReplyDeleteI have two 3-drawer strip bins on my sewing table for 1 1/2", 2" and 2 1/2" strips; and I save 1 1/2", 2" and 2 1/2" squares in different bins. They are my Leader and Ender projects a la Bonnie Hunter. They aren't color coordinated, except for a separate bin of novelty 2 1/2" squares that I use for kids' quilts.
ReplyDeleteI tried organizing scraps into sizes but that didn't work for me. I have a big shopping bag that I drop scraps into. When I need something, I rummage through. You must be very proud of that quilt with all of your fabric lines. It is certainly beautiful.
ReplyDeleteYour bed quilt and couch quilt are stunning! Just beautiful.
ReplyDeleteI keep scraps organized by approximate size. I rarely cut anything up into squares or strips so I am not restricted. I do have one plastic tub that is jammed with pretty small pieces which I find myself digging through quite often. I once made a quilt with scraps from over my first 5 years of quilting and I LOVE it because every time I look at it I remember many other quilts.
I try to store my scraps by cutting them into strips. I store them in a 3 drawer system. Some little pieces I stuff into pillowcases and make them into pet beds.
ReplyDelete