grab & sew

I'm a Mile a Minute fan! with string quilts for dealing with scrap strips. Not that I ever do anything much, though; so I don't really have much of a leg to stand on with you against your scrap collection >g< . In message , "Karen, Queen of Squishies" writes

There are some things about quilting, Karen, that you simply must accept. Scraps will win every time. Every quilt I'd made from leftovers has been joyful and I've been very pleased. However, when I look back at the scrap bin, it sits there laughing at me. You can pretend you're going to divide and conquer. (You're not of course but you can pretend.) Polly

"Karen, Queen of Squishies" I have an ongoing love/hate relationship with my scraps. One of these days

No favorites, I love all of them. But my next one will be a split

9-patch. You need 3 dark squares, 3 light squares, and 3 HST squares with a light and a dark half. Values relative of course. Arrange with the split diag>I have an ongoing love/hate relationship with my scraps. One of these days

I occasionally go on a rampage about the scraps, but it never seems to accomplish much. I've mailed out and shared scraps with family and friends, made tote bags, made pillows, made scrappy quilts, and donated them to the local senior citizens center, and the pile never seems any smaller. Sometimes I think those scraps BREED MORE SCRAP BABIES when left to their own devices and I'm not watching, just like hangars do in the closet.

Just about the only way I have found to win a partial battle with scraps is to find a new quilter and start them on the way to battling scraps. Emptied only part of one bine last time I gave away some. The rest just sat the smug and happy. Anna Belle

Take them to a guild meeting and pass them on to someone else!! I did this recently when we were doing a fabric exchange. Most people brought in bigger pieces of fabric but I had my scrap bags -got rid of quite a bit that night! (The best is when someone is all excited about their new "find" from your leftovers). Allison

Howdy!

Persistent, too.

R/S - Q.o.B.

Sandy...i have about 4 banker's boxes full of scraps. At one time i separated them all into small, medium and large sized piles, large being less than a fat quarter. then i divided them into lights, darks and funky. it was a chore, but then again i had started this phase after trying to find a certain fabric scrap i was looking for. now they are back to overbearing disarray. You'll not win. Ever.

i did a king sized scrappy quilt too, and still have 3 boxes left. i think next time i want to tackle them, i'll borrow some football gear and dive in head first. Just sew together anything my hands grab and take it from there. After all, it cant turn out too bad...i loved all the fabrics when i got them, right?

amy in CNY

Okay, mile a minute it is, but I don't think I'll be measuring how many miles I get.

Karen, Queen of Squishies

You all talk like scraps are a bad thing. I LOVE scraps! Every quilt I make has some scraps in it, even if the quilt is carefully color controlled. I admire those of you who can make blocks using the same fabrics over and over. But me, I'd lose my mind. Every block MUST be different even if the color scheme remains the same. So if any of you just can't face your scrap pile, my address is in the directory. :-)

I recently discovered something I'm just waiting for a vacation day to try with my scraps. chain sew a lot of them together to make irregular shaped larger blocks - no different from crazy blocks, and then, apply doublesided fusible interfacing to the back, cut out shapes, like flip flops, large sunflowers or daisies, volkswagon shapes etc, and fuse to a larger block or quilt foundation.

Musicmaker

I know what you mean Roberta. I somehow enjoy knowing that the little 4X4" piece that came from someone else's stash is the ONLY piece like it in the whole quilt. Just buried in there, minding its own business, being its own unique self. (Okay, now you KNOW, I'm ready for the quilting funny farm! ;-)

Good idea to use the tiny pieces as stuffing. Your pioneer women ancestors would be proud!

Sounds like a fun & challenging project. You will be sure to take pictures, won't you?

Exactly! The quilts made in which every block incorporates the same fabric look more formal, imho, and sometimes that's just the ticket. They also provide a great canvass for those who are skilled quilters--where the quilting itself is almost more important than the block design. Those quilts are beautiful. I just don't enjoy making them--and my quilting is way below the artistry of many here.

I got the love of quilting from my great grandmother, and all of her quilts were scrappy. She was born in 1900, and in her day, quilts were still made from the leftovers of clothes, etc. When I was a kid, I loved looking at how she incorporated very different fabrics to make lovely designs. It was a real talent. I just hope that some of mine would make her proud.