Scissor Queen

I've done scrappy several ways. I did a star quilt in just two colors but used 17 reds and over 30 neutrals. I did two log cabins where I sorted into light and dark and just used whatever came out of the bag. They turned out really cool and fairly masculine since I used every ugly and weird fabric I could find. I do square in a square scrap quilts for the girls where I go thru and pick each square combination. I put some together that really go together, some don't really go together but work together and some clash. Putting a few together that really clash really gives those quilts zing. For the boys I do string quilts but for them I make light blocks and dark blocks and then cut them on opposite diagonals and then put them back together. For those quilts I just made two piles of light and dark and did all of the light blocks first and just plucked strings out of the pile and then did the same with the darks.

I should write a book about how to make scrap fabrics work together.

AnitaSt

I make pretty much nothing but scrappies now. Some are controlled, most are not controlled as to color but as to value (relative lightness of darkness of a fabric.) Here's an example that's on my design wall now. The only limitation on the actual colors was what I had available (quite a few repeats). I made these blocks as a lesson in the importance of value instead of color in a scrappy. This layout happens to be from a book by Lynn Roddy Brown "Simple Strategies for Scrap Quilts" but Bonnie Hunter has the same layout in a design called Patches and Pinwheels. Lynn's book has a great lesson on understanding value. In arranging the blocks, I did try to distribute the ones with reds and yellows throughout the quilt to spread around those little bright colors.

As for sorting and storage...I go by size rather than color or value. When I want to make something I then sort for either color or value. Try that....ignore the color and focus on the value then pick a pattern that plays up the lights vs darks.

RainyBC

That is a gorgeous quilt!

Sunnye

I'm going to make my first scrappy soon. I have the same thoughts as you. I like the method I've seen of just tossing them all together and grab one! No thinking.

mom-6

So far the only scrappy I've done was the mystery train ride one. Being a bit of a control freak I sorted my lights, mediums and darks and then picked sets of nine that I liked together that had variety of both color and value in each set. The thing that gave it continuity was the sashing and using the same dark background multicolor print fabric for all the stars at the intersections of the sashing. I've since added borders which also help pull it together as well as increase the size. Will see if I can get a picture of it.

mom-6

Here's a picture of my mystery train rude scrappy. Still need to do quilting and binding.

WMUTeach

I have begun to cut my scraps in standard usable sizes and put them in the plastic shoe box size containers. I then generally just root through the size that I want to use and choose colors or just pick them randomly. I am always concerned about color this and color that but in the end my favorite quilt is one that is truly random. It is just light and dark half-square triangles but in the barn raising pattern. Love it and the blocks are organized only by light and dark. Take a chance and try a random. You likely will find that it will all work out in the end.

jarenie

I love scrappy quilts.
My assistant two greatgranddaughters will chose the fabric from my scrap bin that will be sewn together. Then they take turns deciding which of the pieces get added next. I would have never put some of those fabrics next to each other. I have received a lot of compliments on the ones that the girls help with.
Do not worry about how to colors look together. Wait until it is finished and then look.
One thing about scrappy that I have found works well is to add a color for the eyes to rest on. This will pull the scrappy together.

Quilt Fan

In the picture section today 7/30/13 there is a Serenity Scrappy Quilt. (very nice) I made the pattern with gold focus color for the X's and the other sections every and any scrap, just watching color value, light, med, and dark. I did not have the dark border in that quilt but that is an option. Someone once said if the pieces are small enough it will work. My small pieces are 2 1/2 inches put together to 4 1/2 inch squares. The pattern was called Chocolate Dip but I did not have a lot of browns. This is just one idea but there are many really nice scrap quilts.

Painiacs

I agree NO QUESTION dumb! Glad you asked! wondered same thing, thought you just put whatever together! Learned a lot from your DUMB QUESTION!