I'm nervous! I've never made a "scrappy" quilt before!!! :/
 

I'm going to try to make a "scrappy" quilt and I'm nervous because I've only used patterns with exact fabric requirements before. Is it hard to combine different prints? What if I don't have enough of a certain print? Ugh! I love this new fabric I've bought (ok, my stash isn't very big yet so I'm having to buy my "scrappy" fabric) and I don't want to ruin it! It's different prints of aqua, red and white. I think out of LOTS of searching and responses on a different post I had, I've decided I'm going to make a Jacob's Ladder. I've included a picture of one I saw that I hope will look good with what I've got! Any suggestions before I get started??? Wish me luck!!! :)

By the way, I'm thinking of just using white around the 16 square patch in the middle and possibly for the little squares in the "sashing" . . .

don't be scared. Sounds pretty already.

Most of the time when I am doing scrappy , its the light fabrics I run short on. So buy a few more fat 1/4 of some lights...blender type ... as you will aways use them.
Do not worry about the running out of a fabric. thats why there are quilt shops. When making a scrappy and Im really thinking i might be cutting it close on fabric. I do about 1/2 of the blocks and re- evaluate how much is left in the pile. That way if I have to introduce a few new pieces , I can get them into the mix fabrics I am using for the remainder of blocks with out one ot two of the blocks looking too much different in the mix of the others.

That's a really good idea to do about half the quilt and then see how much fabric I have! Thanks!

Don't be scared! I would be more scared doing a quilt with precisely measured amounts of fabric - I would be sure to mess up and then not be able to get more!!!

Scrappy all the way...

:)

If you run out you can get more. No worries. Are you going to mix all of the colors or are you keeping the Jacob's Ladder components sorted out? By that I mean, will the triangular path be one color with white and the center pieces the other color?
If you plan it that way, I would separate the colors and then mix and match from your piles.

Pay attention to the tone of the scraps. I usually sort light, medium and dark into piles, then attach a light to a medium, a medium to a dark, and a dark to a light to get the best contrast of the colors.

Take a look at your example. They used 4 dark or 4 light/medium in the center, surrounded by dark, light, light, dark strips for the squares, and a uniform medium blue/light blue for the squares making up the diagonals. The equilateral triangles around the border are all the same tone as well. That is what makes that design pop.

This is what I would consider to be an organized scrappy quilt, as opposed to one where you just grab and attach whatever color your hand has in it. It will take a bit of planning on your design board before assembling to make the colors blend the way you want them to, but the result is WELL worth it.

Good luck!

A couple of scrappy "rules." First there is no "enough of a certain print" second, eventually it all goes together, third, don't over think it, fourth, while two reds, blues, greens, etc, etc may clash, 20 go together. Okay so that was more than a couple!

Couldn't have said it better :)