lclang

I am making one now with a red strip down the middle and dark, light, dark, light pieces down one side and light, dark, light, dark down the other, sort of a crazy looking Log Cabin design. All the side pieces are black prints and white prints. Looks like it will be a real barn burner. I also have a nice black/red/white floral border print that will go around as the final border.

ManiacQuilter2

I agree with ALL the quilters who have posted on this thread. I tried the pulling out the bag and it didn't work for me. What works for me is using a design wall, laying out the fabric moving it around until I am happy with the balance. Then I carefully stitch it. If I don't like it, I keep trying a different mixture until I am satisfied. Working on this African Safari quilt.

Judi in Ohio

I am a scrappy girl thru and thru. I could never do a 2-3 fabric quilt. I shudder at the thought.
My first scrappy was a log cabin and I had to pay attention to light, medium. and dark values so much that I forgot to worry about if a color went together. Even today I will see two colors that I can't abide next to each other and I have to change, but I found out, even if I change it I will invariably put these two colors together anyway, somehow. So, I really don't worry about it. I just finished a spool quilt (Bonnie Hunter's leader/ender challenge for last year.) I made over 1,000 3 1/2" spool blocks and everyone was different. It's on my long arm now and I love it. Bonnie just finished her mystery quilt and what I like about her patterns is the controlled scrappiness of them. I didn't use her color palette but chose my own and used bunches of different fabric within that color palette. Give yourself a chance to create your own special scrappy style.
I do respectfully disagree with the poster who said scrappy was not intended to be and shouldn't be kitchen sink. That is exactly what scrappy started from. The farm wives used feed sacks, old clothes, and such, anything they had handy. We are lucky enough we can be a bit more selective now. I also disagree about using only certain "styles" of fabric. I don't have many of the more modern styles, but everything I have, if it's in the color range I'm looking for in it goes. I sprinkle batiks in with the civil wars, with the 30', anything goes in fabric choice. Bonnie Hunter says about ugly fabric. "If it's still ugly you haven't cut it small enough". She is so right. So, think twice before not using what you think of as ugly. The ugliest fabric I've ever owned (don't know where it came from) was on the cover of a book. I laughed so hard at that.
What have you got to lose? Give yourself permission to really go crazy and mix like mad. If you don't like it, donate it, someone will love it.

mannem

what is the worst that can happen? you like the results or you don't. either will be a learning experience. the quilt is not going to attack you, eat your house or burn your supper. so, just do a small quilt.

kathyd

As others have said, try controlled scrappy. I am making one of Bonnie Hunter's Scrappy Trip Around the World quilts. I started with a fat 1/8th pack and added more from my stash. I am also using the same fabric in all blocks for the center diagonal. It only has about 15 fabrics, and some are of the "ugly" variety or a bigger print that makes the small squares have more variety and the look is a very scrappy quilt. Will post a pic in a new thread when I get it together.

luvstoquilt301

Love that quilt GIGI

mighty

I love scrappy quilts. Just go for it you will be surprised how good it looks.

duckydo

Our guild used to make scrappy log cabins for charity quilts.. We had one stack of lights and one stack of darks. You were not allowed to match up colors.. You would be amazed at how pretty they come out.. I think the most important thing is to make sure they are true darks.. not medium colors. If you are not sure get a red cellophane and look thru it, it will help you distinguish the darks and meds. I had a cousin that would try to match up colors,, I had to stand over her and make her take one dark and one light just randomly...when it was completed she would be amazed... Just expand your boundaries, by not being so restrictive.... Good luck

Sewnoma

I love a super random crazy/scrappy quilt! I don't have the least bit of trouble making them - I really LIKE it when I end up with a couple of colors next to each other that I wouldn't normally choose...I just roll with it and so far zero regrets. In fact I think my taste in color has broadened considerably since I started quilting.

I keep a scrap bin going and when it's too full to close I know it's time to make a crazy quilt or two. I do foundation-pieced 12" blocks on muslin and it's so much fun to just grab stuff and stitch it down however it'll fit. I pay zero attention to color, value, pattern or style EXCEPT I try to never put two matching pieces together. Those end up being some of my favorite quilts! So much to look at, and of course all the little bits and pieces remind me of the quilts they came from in the first place. Spare/failed blocks make it into these quilts too.

Plus, crazy quilts are great for practicing FMQ - all the crazy shapes and colors really hide a lot of boo-boos. LOL

eastslopequilter

Two of my quilt teachers said to throw all colors of like-sized pieces into a paper bag and pick them out one at a time and sew them together and don't worry about color matching. It works and makes for an interesting quilt.