question about string or scrappy quilts in general?
 

When you're making a string or scrappy quilt, do you use fabric that blends or do you use everything? I found a QAYG string quilt on a website and I want to make it but I'm not sure if I can use all my scraps or do I need to stick with a color scheme. Thanks for any advice

As I dear Mother would say...."six to one half dozen to the other"....meaning doesn't matter......
I am currently doing a mans lap quilt so I am using only tans, browns and black (my choice).....
I have also seen them done with 2 or 3 colors combinations, like red, green and white...... I personally
like a 3 color combo, I tend to do a lot of things in 'odd numbers' and prefer the look !!!!
What I like to do with all my 'string quilts' is do the center piece in a 1-1/2" black fabric....then when
I layout the squares I can play with the design of matching that center string.....into connecting diamonds.
I am almost done piecing this one, when I get the squares sewn together with take a pic and post...
I use deli paper for my foundation, and then just carefully rip it off when done....you can use muslin if you
so desire, I just find the deli paper cheap and easy.......I end up making a 11-3/4" square with my paper.....
With a scrapy quilt I just think it is important to have at least one strong solid, be it black or white, to pull all the colors into playing nicely with others :p

Value is more important than color.

You can decide you want a "green" color scheme, but if they are all the same value, than you've got mish-mash.

Sad topic but check out this scrappy quilt. It didn't matter what the colors were - there are reds,blues, greens, browns.
And it's fabulous - and ALL about value.
http://www.quiltingboard.com/picture...t-t202633.html

I would suggest sorting your fabrics into light, medium and dark piles, and then go from there.

Your pattern can be constructed based on the value changes as opposed to color changes.

It is your quilt and you make it the way you want. I have made several string type quilt and really like the scrappy look, I just took the scraps as they came from the box and sewed them on. On the other hand, ones that are color coordinated look really nice too.

I toss all my scraps on the floor... back up about 6 ft... and what ever screams "get me out of here" gets tossed into a different pile ... sometimes I like that pile better.

With strings I've done some that are totally scrappy and some that are limited (i.e. blues & yellows, pink,white & black or all brights). I love string quilts and think you can mix pretty much anything. Sometimes I will make the center strip one color or fabric to help kind of "tame" them. With other scrappy quilts, like MTS said, you have to watch your value or the pattern can get muddled together. I sometimes avoid medium values and just go dark & light if I don't want to pay too much attention while piecing.

I just take out what colors I want to use for my scrappies. If I decide to use sashes I tend to make them all one color of fabric.

Your quilt, your rules. I made one using bug fabrics. Totally off the wall but after the blocks were sewn I did a black thin border to stop the action, then a wider bug border then a tone on tone color that was in many of the fabrics for the final border. Play & have fun.

piney

This is so your own personal preference of what you like to have as a finished quilt or what you want to sew on right now. I have seen some wonderful quilts where the scraps were sewn together to make fabric, then the fabric was used to cut blocks or strips or whatever was wanted. Some pieces were used as the applique pieces in houses - sides, doors, roofs, etc. In this case, the scraps were sewn together in color coordinated pieces so that the pieced fabric when used read as one color or as a print of one predominate color. One woman had used her pieced fabric pieces to made a 9 piece and another to make yellow brick road. The quilts were so different and outstanding and certainly had used up the stash! They just had more creativity that the usual scrappy quilt.

I've done both. Check out http://www.maryquilts.com for all kinds of scrappy and strings.