Easy Peasy Scrappy Quilt
Scrappy Quilt
Scrappy quilts are my passion these days. When cutting fabric, I take odd-ball pieces and cut widths of 1-1/2, 2, and 2-1/2 strips, and throw them in their own boxes. Having WOF strips simplifies the process of getting the strips ready for the quilt but is not necessary.. When the box is full, I make a quilt for the charity I sew for. I was asked how to do this quilt so I made her a tutorial and will share it with the QB. I know a lot of you are experienced and there is more information than you need, but I want to help the new quilter who may be intimidated thinking this is not easy. This is NOT a difficult quilt to make.
The pictures accompanying this tutorial have been cut at 2. The second from the bottom is one I made last week using 1-1/2 strips. The block in the tute ends up being 6-1/2 square, and 4 put together to make a 12-1/2 block. (I like the look of the 1-1/2 strips better. From now on will use the 2 for herringbone quilt tops.)
For my first attempt at this, I made this quilt using a 7 square of fabric, marking a 2 wide section down the center on the diagonal leaving the center blank and sewing strips to the end but it was expensive I bought 108 backing fabric but that first quilt was a king size and used a lot of fabric for the blocks and for the backing. I should have used a wider section showing, and perhaps chosen something with better contrast so the X pattern would have showed up better. But we always learn when we do something new, dont we? This quilt is shown in the last picture.
Now I have found something fabulous for the foundation instead of muslin. Pellon 830 is for pattern drafting and comes 42 wide and is only $2.49 a yard, and we all have those 40% off coupons from our neighborhood fabric/craft chain store, the one that starts with a J. It is very light weight, stable, and is washable. I cut 7 squares from this product.
So now I have figured how many blocks I want to make. (Make half blocks if you want something wider or longer than the 12-1/2 block will make. The one I am doing now from the 2 strips will be 3-1/2 blocks wide and 4-1/2 long, 42 x 54, as was the one using the 1-1/2 strips. The length of the more narrow strips will not be the sme as you cut for the 2 strips. I dont have it here to measure the length but I know you will be able to see how to measure those sizes.
Start by cutting 9-1/2 pieces of dark and of medium and light half dark, and half light and medium. I do it this way to give my blocks more variety. In the case of this block cut from 2 width pieces, I cut pieces about 9-1/2 long, but at least 9-1/4, 7-1/2, and 5-1/2. Keep scraps for the final little piece at the end. If I had used a slightly wider 9-1/2 piece, it would have eliminated the need for the little piece to fill in those ends. Half of the blocks will use one 9-1/2 dark and two 5-/12 dark and one 7-1/2 light, and a scrap of light for the end. The other half of your blocks will use the opposite in light or medium, one 9-1/2 and two 5-1/2, one dark 7-1/2 and a dark scrap. I find it easiest to have all the strips cut to length, and assemble all of step one of the blocks starting with a light 9-1/2 strip in all the blocks, press, do the second set of strips, press, do the 3rd set of strips and press. Add the little piece, press and trim with a 6-1/2 square. Then do the same with the ones starting with a dark strip. Put two light blocks with two dark blocks and sew into a 12-1/2 square.
Hope you enjoyed this tute.