Lucie The Happy Quilter's Blog

I think it’s the perfect time of year to be using up our scraps. I played, for most of the day, in the sewing room with scraps. My current scrappy project will be a door banner. I pieced the Scrappy Log Cabin background today. In fact I decided if I was going to start that job I may as well make several Scrappy Log Cabin blocks that I can use in more than one project. So I set up for 28 blocks. I managed to piece the four  12” blocks I needed for the door banner and the other 24 block still need just two more rows of strips added to bring them to the full 12”. Here’s a photo of the finished quilt top background that I will use for the applique patches.

I thought while we were on the subject of Scrappy Log Cabin I would do a little How-To. This is how I approach the task.

First I start by choosing my fabrics. I press them and cut them up into strips. Today I cut all my strips 2-1/2” but when I work on Wonky Log Cabin blocks I use a variety of strip widths to make it interesting. For today’s job I was able to cut my strips to this width because I used a lot of leftover widebacks and part fat quarters and such.

In this case my centre square is 3” but you can make your centre as big or small as you like. The rest is pretty straight forward. I take my first centre square and lay my first strip with right sides together and sew.

Without cutting I add the next centre square. So I guess this can be called the chain piecing method. You can get the same results from using small bits of fabric only it will be a little bit scrappier. So now that you’ve got plenty of squares sewn to a second bit of fabric you either clip them apart, or if they’re already separate because you’re using smaller scraps, you take them to the iron and press the seam. Now I press toward the fabric you just added.

Once your sections are pressed you trim the overhanging bits of fabric. And then we start the process all over again. Add the next strip/bits of fabrics, press and trim and so on.

It’s really very simple. And it’s a good simple way of using up scraps. Have a go…. You’ll see for yourself just how simple it is. Next week I will do this all over again with a twist. Only next time I’m going to use more colour and the blocks will be wonky. The reason that I work more than one block at a time is I would rather sit sewing for a bit and then take all the blocks to the iron and then onto the cutting table rather than going back and forth for every block. It’s much more productive.

Now on to the next bit of news; I have been moaning that the light just isn’t very good for taking photos lately. Well this morning I took my Lively Logs Quilt outside and thru it over the garden seat to see if could get some reasonable photos. Well here it is. The colours on my screen look pretty good. I love this quilt and the fact that it’s all leftover fabric makes it even more attractive.

Sometime back in the warmer months I got an email from a lovely lady looking for advice about spray basting quilts for machine quilting. Well I told the lovely June what little I knew about spray basting. I was very pleased to say that the quilt that June was working at the time is now finished and was handed over to her daughter as a Christmas present. And here are two shots of the quilt in situ:

Didn’t June do a great job with this quilt. The reason I’ve posted Junes photos is for the benefit of the beginners who think they will never be able to complete a full size bed quilt from choosing fabrics right thru to attaching the label. June’s quilt measures 94” x 104” and it was quilted using her domestic sewing machine! So ladies, there’s hope for everyone who would like to attempt making a full size quilt.

After all that sewing I did today my scrap piles still don’t seem to have gone down! I am planning a largish Wonky Log Cabin using all the colours in my scrap bins so hopefully after I’ve done that the scrap bins will look emptier. Have you used any scraps yet this month? If so let us know what you plan to make.

I have a little plan for tomorrow. I’m hoping to start the applique part on today’s quilt top. I am debating whether to cut my applique patches using my GO! Fabric Cutter which means using fusible web and machine stitching or perhaps I should use the old fashioned freezer paper and hand stitching method. I also hope to spend some time in the Freemotion Quilting room where I keep most of my books. I know I have several books on scrappy quilts that might inspire us all to use up our scraps. And some of these books cover the use of smaller scraps.

It’s been a good productive day. In fact I feel a bit weary after spending all that time playing in the sewing room. It’s quite rare that I’m allowed to spend that much time playing! It feels really good to have gotten as much done as I did.

So for this evening, this very happy longarm quilter will be working on the Double Wedding Ring Quilt. Whatever you may be doing this evening, I hope it involves scraps. Until you read me again,

Happy stitching. ♥ ♥