postage stamp?
 

hi all i have a few questions. I've been cutting my scraps into 1 1/2 inch squares to use in a postage stamp quilt (ish) some of the fabrics will appear more than one time. i looked up pictures of postage stamp quilts and still have no idea how i want to do this. 4 patches? in blocks of color? so far i don't have many lights.. does it matter? am i over thinking this? So i guess my question is more of a search for other people's opinions. What do you like to see in postage stamp quilts?:shock:

I love them when they're just random...no order at all. A few lights would make it pop, so you might want to invest in a bit of fabric...or tear up an old sheet, or pillowcase. :)

~ C.

I love the big blocks in this quilt
http://www.ohfransson.com/oh_fransso...ilt-block.html

I love postage stamp quilts. Prefer to put them together in four by four blocks (16 pieces) and then lay out the quilt. That keeps it random but gives me flexibility in the final arrangement. Too dark? Add lights in the second batch of blocks.

I love to look at postage stamp quilts. You might try a google search for images of postage stamp quilts and figure out why some appeal and some not so much. The ones I like best have a small element of order or pattern in them. I saw one beautiful quilt that had more reds than any other color, but still very scrappy with lots of other colors.

As remadder suggested if you make blocks of squares you could arrange them as you go. If you have a design wall, you will be able to step back and look at the whole and adjust placement or add colors.

I agree wholeheartedly! This is a great quilt!

Some people use the pieces as mosaic tiles and make "pictures" from the pieces.

If I ever made one, it would just be "scrappy" - and I would try to keep the colors distributed more or less evenly over the entire top.

here is one I'm working on. I got the idea from a poster here. I wish I could remember her name. I thought I saved her post but I can't find it. Her stars were solid yellow, and her squares were bigger, but it was such a neat idea. I do the stars first, and then just fill in randomly with 4 patches and single blocks to make everything fit.

http://i136.photobucket.com/albums/q...ed/001-4-1.jpg

I love this board! thanks guys! I think i'll just start matching them as leaders and enders and see where that takes me

Put the squares in a paper bag and no matter what one you pull out use it. I would do a 16 patch with that size... 4 squares X4 squares. That is the only way I can make a scrappy. I over agonize the matching :)

I don't have the patience to assemble them one stamp at a time, I prefer to strip-piece them. :)

neither do I, but this is to use up bits and pieces. It's a nice in between project to sew on. Good piecing therapy while you plan out your masterpieces ;-) The little memories attached to all the different fabrics are fun to revisit too.

I like scrappy, but I think you do need some variety to get some visual movement. So I would make sure to include some lighter fabrics. If you are short, maybe you can go to the trading section of the board and ask to get some from people. Then you have a better variety.

I agree with assembling 4 patches and then making those into 16 patch blocks.

I have a bag of 2 1/2 inch squares that I got with a sewing machine. I use them as leaders and enders and making 9 patch blocks. I try to be random but I find myself doing a bit of lights and darks like you would a regular 9 patch pattern.

Look forward to seeing pictures of your progress.

i am currently working on 2 postage stamp quilts (psq), one is random pieced and the other is perkiomen daydreams by bonnie hunter. i had 1000's of 1.5" squares already cut and have used these for both quilts. also i am strip piecing for both quilts but mainly for the perkiomen daydreams quilt. you can sew these squares as leaders and enders (bonnie hunters method) to get through them quicker. i havent done so yet.

i am using both lights, mediums and darks for the random pieced quilt not in any particular order. the perkiomen daydreams quilt has a specific color order for the squares. i am posting my progress on both postage stamp quilts on my quiltboard blog so take a look.

there are so many ways to approach a postage stamp quilt (random, ordered, patterned) so i would suggest doing a search and see what style suits your fancy and have at it. there is a postage stamp fabric swap going on right now that you may want to consider participating in if you want to collect some different prints for your psq. i hope to see your psq progress real soon.:)

http://www.quiltingboard.com/member-...a-t185361.html

very nice! has a color wash look to it.

I am also working on a postage stamp quilt. I'm doing 4 x 4's to make a 16" block. I have purposefully added lights so it wouldn't be too dark. I just takes two piles and pick one front each pile and sew them together. So far it is coming together well. Waiting for my next swap which closes Sunday to swap another 2000 blocks to add to it. Can't wait.

This is my favorite postage stamp quilt: http://audreypawdrey.blogspot.com/20...most-done.html. I'd like to make one similar, but I don't have a lot of orange in my stash (on purpose). When I do finally make one, it will be with large blocks, then sashed.

Cheers, K

what postage stamp block swap are you in?

Postage stamps are fun, and whimsical. I'm collecting squares for a personal quilt. I call it "A Quilter's Quilt", and I cut 1-2 squares that are 1.25" from fabrics that I liked and used in other quilts. When I'm done I'll have squares from fabrics that I put into quilts for my boys, my nieces and nephews, my grandmother, squares from my favorite jeans or favorite shirts, etc.

I would agree with Coyote Quilts about how to do it. And for more creativity, when you begin sewing all of those little squares, sew them in 2's and that way you can keep a straight line going in a string. Snip the threads that join the sets in the string. Toss the sets in a bag and then pull out 2 sets at a time, join them, and form another string. You now have rows of 4 squares. Mix those up and stitch your blocks.