What do I do with these bargello scraps?
 

Hello, everyone! I've got a dilemma. A while back I made a bargello quilt (click for link), and now I have all these scraps of pieced fabric in long strips (think 5-20 rectangles/squares pieced together) of various length. Now, I had the idea to make pillow covers in mostly white with a strip or two going across, which is to my taste. But one or two strips per pillow cover would make like 50 pillow covers.

The issue with just sewing them together is that they were cut for a bargello, which means the widths are different. I mean, I suppose I could just sew them together like a jelly roll quilt, but that seems like a waste of all that color-grading effort (http://www.quiltingboard.com/main-f1...o-t212798.html).

So I ask you, wise quilters, what should I do with the scraps?

love the quilt. as to the scraps I can't help, sorry. I love working with scraps but I have not as of yet done a bargello. but is on my someday list. good luck I 'm sure what every you do it will great.

I used some of mine in a postage stamp quilt - the strips that were cut the same width as the height.

Or are you talking about strips of fabric not cut to width? I see that your bargello uses different heights of strips. You could unsew the ones that are different or just figure out how to use them as they are.

could you make a minature wall hanging version of the bed quilt?

I "make fabric" of pieces like this. Add coordinating fabric - perhaps strips of solids or prints between the strips you have and build it up into a larger piece which can be used as...wall hanging, back for sweatshirt quilt, cut into blocks for inclusion in a charity jacket, etc. I've used this "made fabric" for fixing cuffs and collars on old jackets that I couldn't throw away, piecing into backs of quilts, small wall hangings, etc. Our guild has a teddy bear program where we take stuffed animals (cleaned up used or new ones) and make a small quilt just for them and the pair are given to local children's charities....fabric like this is perfect for projects like this.

Maybe cut blocks of back ground fabric, slice at different angles and sew in strips. I beleive this method of wonky blocks is shown in block of the month in Craftsy 2012.

what if you offset the strip colorwise like in a trip around the world kind of like this
http://starrfabrics.danemcoweb.com/s...ce-as-charmed/

I love your bargello! Just wonderful! I plan on making a tote bag out of my left overs from my Surf Song bargello, though I think I have fewer than you did.

Note, I haven't done this yet and it isn't soon on my "To Do List" so it might not work well.

Just thought I would pass on a possibility. I think the leftovers will be pretty in a tote bag, and I am not sure yet if I will try for a semi-pattern or just go with the stripes. I'm posting a picture of the quit on the design wall, as I can't find a finished picture. Maybe I didn't take one? I will have to correct that. This is a new quilt (wall hanging) so I am still getting used to it. Thus I have to share the picture. :)

Dina

I like to cut my scraps into strips that are 6.5 long by various widths, and then I make scrappy quilts by just sewing all those strips into "coin stack" type columns. My last one included bargello strips too - I just cut them to 6.5 and threw them right in. It does sort of lose the gradient but then you get little 3-color spots in the columns. I love scrappy quilts so to me that's just super cool.