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I love strings and acraps. Like you, I have enough to make a hundred or more quilts. They do make quick kiddie quilts, just applique flowers or toys around the border, and it's done. :thumbup:

Love scrap quilts. The most fun will be laying them out and making your own design. Enjoy!

LOL Seeing new quilts and new patterns start sparking new brain cells into action. You can only do what you have energy for. Looking forward to seeing finished quilts.

if you know a longarm quilter, ask for the strips cut from their finished quilts when they trim the edges. You will get a lot of strips that way.

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Originally Posted by lclang

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Originally Posted by CoventryUK

What width did you cut your strips???? You do know that scraps multiply when you're not looking don't you???? LOL!!

I have a lot of strips and strings. As long as they are reasonably straight, I use them as they are. They are different widths and they work fine. I am making the telephone book blocks. You cut pages out of a telephone book into 8 inch squares (or whatever you wish) and then piece your strips on the papers. I like to sew them together into a quilt top before I spray with water and remove the paper because some of the strips are on the bias but when they are sewn to another fabric they won't stretch. I also have some "glitzy" cottons and some with metallic trim and I use only one strip of that in a block because I don't have a lot of it. It really spices up the block.These blocks are addictive and I really enjoy them.

Second quilt I ever made was string blocks but I didn't know it then. I was just winging it. I used paper for my backing. maybe that's why I love PP so much.

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Originally Posted by quilter1

I decided to make a few string blocks just to see how they looked. Now I have 80 done and I like them all. The fabrics are all colors and patterns, but for some reason they look good all put together. I am surprised at how nice they look, I picked the scraps totally at random and sewed them onto a 7 inch muslin backing. So I will have 61/2 " finished blocks which I am putting together with 11/2 " black sashing. The bad part about this is that it doesn't even scratch the surface of my scrap box! Bet I could make 20 string quilts, better get busy!

If you haven't seen some of the ideas for string blocks, my favorite is to cut them across from corner to corner (against the strings) and take four of these and join them for a larger block - you get so much movement. Try them on two of yours. See how gorgeous they are. Quiltville just finished a mystery quilt using this method - if you join there are tons of pictures to see - the quilt is called Roll, Roll, cotton boll. I, also use doodle pads to sew on. Tried phone book pages, but doodle pads snap right off.

Congratulations. I have 3 bags just saved for a scrap quilt. Maybe today I will whittle them down. I have too many scraps but have learned to use them more that I was.

I like to sew my strings onto a 8 to 10 in base block. Then you simply use your scraps and pin first strip in the middle of your base block. It will be face up. Then grab another strip and lay it face down. Sew the second piece over the first. The one side only. Flip it open and get another strip, lay it over the edge of the second piece. It starts out face down, you sew that one side. Then open it up. You will have the beginning of your scrap quilt block. Just keep doing this untill it covers the corner. Pin. Turn the block around and do the same. Now let me tell you some of the prettiest blocks use all sizes of strips, and any color or print. When you get the first block covered you should be able to handle it from there. Its fun and besides you will have space for more fabric when the strings are all sewed up. Our mothers probably did this during the depression because they had to. Now we simply enjoy doing it.

I must be too frugal with my scraps. I just don't accumulate much. In all my years of quilting I probably don't have enough scraps to make a doll quilt. Really, no kidding. How can that be?

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Originally Posted by quilterguy27

I must be too frugal with my scraps. I just don't accumulate much. In all my years of quilting I probably don't have enough scraps to make a doll quilt. Really, no kidding. How can that be?

I wonder too how that can be. I make lots of smaller items and also quilts and I have scraps everywhere. Even after I have pieced dozens of phone book blocks, and crumb blocks, I have bushels of scraps. They don't seem to go down much, just get smaller. Well, trying to figure out what to do with them and trying to do it keeps me out of the bars!LOL