patching scraps together
 

How far will you go to get a big enough piece to be able to finish a quilt? I needed 5" patches and this strip was only 4.5" so I cut a piece off the other end and matched it as best as I could. My daughter said she would not have guessed had I not told her. It's not perfect, except for the galloping horse look. Does anyone else have pictures to share of their 'emergency' patch jobs?

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I don't have any pictures to share but you did a bang up job matching those squares!

Looks good to me....good job..... :-) yes I have had to do that a few times....

I have done that on backings....and of course it was on striped fabric....lots of little pieces, but you didn't see them unless you looked up close!

I've had to do it...... You did a good job!

I don't have any pictures but I too have pieced scraps together to make a patch big enough for my need and I feel very smart about it too! I am working on a scrap quilt right now and some of the 5" squares are pieced from smaller scraps. Can you tell?

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peace

I've done it quite a few times. Unless you look very closely it is rarely noticable.

i can't spot any... good job

Once when doing a binding, I ran out of fabric that was wide enough on the last 12" or so. Once I realized that only half of the width of binding actually shows due to folding, then I knew that I could piece the binding horizontally, putting a completely different fabric on the part that folds to the inside. The binding was slightly thicker in that area, but nobody was the wiser. I thought I was pretty smart, and I saved the project.

I had a backing out of plaid flannel that was perfect for my son's quilt. Sandwiched it and had about a 12 x 8 area that was short, but there was a large piece that was excess on the other end. I quilted 3/4 of the quilt so that I could cut off the excess piece up to the stitching to make sure I had enough. When I went to attach it to the corner, wouldn't you know it, the plaid pattern weave was not square, therefore did not match. I had so many seams in that corner from matching the threads with some of the patches only 1.5 inches wide. There is a lot of waste when you match irregular plaids. There was just enough to finish the quilt. I had maybe a 2 x 8 inch strip left. I just got the quilt out as I was going to show a picture, but had a hard time finding the seams, so guess I did a good enough job. Boy, did I learn a lesson on that one!!

Great job you can't tell I don't think I could have done it.

My GGF is completely made from scraps, and some of the yellow pieces I used for middles were only the size of half hexagons... I just pieced them together:

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Having some technical difficulties, so I start a second post to finish. I don't have the quilt with me to show you a close up of the finished flowers, but in this pic (which is part of my avatar) you should be able to spot one:

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I'll have to remember this one!

and Monale... love your hexies... great job

It is such fun trying to match fabrics to make a big patch. Just like doing a jigsaw puzzle.

You did a fabulous job in matching those squares!

Sometimes it's best to keep "little secrets" to our self and just smile.

I am always having to figure how how to make something work. You did a really excellent job with matching those small checks. I was short a 2.5" square on this Bible bag. Had to piece two small strips together. It won't show because it is on the bottom of the bag.

Do not see any, and, your quilt is wonderful.

Ube Quilting - your quilt is beautiful!

I have done the same. People have done it for years. Looks great.

Does anyone know the pattern name for Ube Quilting's quilt???

Wow, I don't see any in yours or the other one right below it...can see in the Grandmother's Flower Garden, but would not have noticed had she not told.

Missouri Star Quilt Co. just did a tutorial for this, I think. Just within the past month or so. Click here to see...

Google quilt pattern called "Country Spirit". It's a free pattern by McCall's. It looks pretty close to Ube quilting. But instead of using a charm square they used rail fence. The sashing looks the same. Miss Fay.

I was always taught that if you do something wrong once it's a "mistake"; it you do it wrong twice, it's a "pattern". Now I just make sure to repeat my mistake if I need to. Biggest one was when I spent hours hand-appliqueing on an intricate layered pattern with fusible web. The next morning I realized that my white on white fabric was backwards. The raised polka dots were now on the back of my block. There was no way to fix it because I had used fusible & I didn't have enough fabric, patience or time to re-do the entire block. So I just made 2 more of the remaining blocks with the fabric backwards. You can definitely tell the difference, but I unashamedly put those 3 blocks right down the center of my quilt. It's a baby quilt for family & was one of my first. If anyone has a problem with it -- TOO BAD! :p

I was going to post a pic of it, but you can't even tell that the fabric is backwards in the photo. It's pretty hard to notice in real life either unless you are within 12" of the quilt. The polka dots do show through, they're just not as shiny as the front and you can't feel them when you touch the quilt. It was a good learning experience for me -- don't try to layout fabric when I'm tired or don't have sufficient light.

Great job Nan!

Looks good to me. The small checks make it difficult to tell it's two pieces sewn together.

Yes, I have done the same thing!

Nice match up...I have a dilemma right now with a border. I am using from my stash and calculated that had enough for the border cutting wof. I like to use a diagonal seam in longer pieces and now am short about 12" of border..I may have just enough leftovers. to piece that 12", but may have to use a vertical seam..haven't had time to fix it, but this type of mistake is what sends projects into a UFO pile.

Can't find anything that is pieced, but sure love that quilt.

Also don't have pic of a repair job but remembered years ago I found this great golf fabric I wanted to use for a backing but of course its not wide enough. I ironed a fold down one side and then added steam-a-seam to the underside, then matched it to the other piece and pressed it together. No one knew there was seam and I was ever so proud as this was one of my 1st quilts and my 1st and only commissioned quilt. I don't do quilts for money, just as gifts. Now I use Elmer's Glue when I want to match fabrics together.

You did a great job on your match up.

QuiltnNan - your patch looks perfect to me!

And Tartan, what a great idea about the glue! Definitely writing that tip down in my book of quilting tips!

Pieced together Deer and Elk on backing
 

I pieced this for a backing once. Had to piece it vertically and horizontally. I think it turned out nice!

nice job! i did spot the horizontal, but cannot see the vertical.

Nan I like your quilt and the star pattern

You did that perfectly! Great job!

Great patch job of matching the design of the fabric. You go girl.

i like your glue idea!