Dumb scrappy question
 

I have a lot of fabric I can cut up for scraps, I just don't a have a good eye for color when it comes to what scrappy quilt looks good with a variety of colors. Some people will make a scrappy quilt with just a few colors and some with no rhyme or reason.


Dumb question of the day: Now how do you organize your scraps to know what scrappy quilt pattern to make?

as with most quilting questions :1 its not dumb! and 2 its a matter of preference. Some quilters just canNOT make scrappy quilts. And thats OK! Check out Bonnie Hunter's site for tons of info, including a scrap cutting method for organizing your scraps. She is AWESOME! You might pick out a quilt from her free patterns and start cutting to fit that quilt.

www.quiltville.com

The free patterns are along the right side, with the tips and techniques below them. Have fun! I have been to that site MANY MANY times..and I still could spend an hour looking around...hehehehehehe

I am in the process of making a very scrappy string quilt. How I do it is to have a large selection of fabrics to choose from and just grab one. If i don't like it, or feel it goes with the last string, I choose another color. I have so many to choose from, it's gonna be scrappy no matter what I pick up.

I guess I'm the dumb one. I thought a scrappy quilt was just that - scrappy with no rhythm or reason. Unless, of course it's a controlled scrappy, then that's a whole new ball game. I'm anxious what others are saying.

Some go according to pattern like all dots, gingham checks, florals, colors, such as black and grey, black and white black any other color. Nothing but neutrals which could be, black, shades of grey, beige, brown, creams etc. Sometimes one pattern material and pull similar colors from it. It all depends on what it's for. Many piece odds and ends and use for a backing on a donated quilt. Some have left over knits, linens, cottons, just all depends on the moment an what the situation calls for. I try to keep like colors together. Blacks, browns and beiges, greens, reds, pinks,yellows, I have found if I keep according to the color wheel, I'm good. Also each color usually has 2 bins 1 1/2 to 5" scraps. Then up to 1/2 yd. Anything larger than 1/2 yd goes on a fabric board. I usually pin a note as to what is left after use. If there is 1/2 yd or less it goes into the scrap bin according to size.

Never met a scrappy quilt I didn't like. When making a truly scrappy quilt I think more in terms of light, medium and dark. For a truly scrappy quilt the color is less important than the values. When its all together it is amazing how all the colors blend. Lately I want to make a scrappy with a limited amount of colors. Since my stash is sorted by colors it will be easy to pick two or three colors with maybe an occasional splash of another to give it spark. Really, you can't go wrong with scrappy. A postage stamp quilt is a good way to get a feel for how the fabrics work together. Also there have been some great scrappys on the Board using a larger pieced block among the smaller squares. If you do a search for "scrappy" there are some beautiful pictures to give you some ideas. Just a couple of thoughts, hope this gets you started. Have fun.

I love the scrappy look but I have never been able to do it. I am way to ocd to be able to cope with just throwing fabric together.

you're not dumb. Scrappy is made from scraps. They can have no rhyme or reason or they can have rhyme or reason.

We used to make scrappy quilts all the time when I was a kid. We cut up the good parts of worn out clothes and sewed them on to squares of an old sheet that was saved for this purposed. Cleaned up the edges then sewed them all together. Used old army blankets for batting. Did not even know what batting was until I retired and started taking quilting classes! Went to the TG&Y for $1 a yard fabric for the back. Everybody loved those quilts. Can't get more scrappy than what they were.

I, too love all those scrappy quilts. I haven't made one yet but plan to as soon as I get a couple more UFOs finished. I'm sure I can do it and use up a few bags of scraps...... that's the plan anyways. It looks like fun and will clear out some of the 'stuff' in the sewing area.