I am cutting strips from fabric left over from previously made quilts. Some of them are from nice bright colored quilts, and some are from more earth toned quilts. My questions is how do sort the different colors for strip piecing? Do you still just pull the strips out and sew them on as long as the colors don't clash or are the same as the previous strip? In case you can't tell, this is my first scrap quilt. Appreciate any help given.

Honestly I think a scrap quilt... Any quilt for that matter when made is always beautiful. I am actually working on my first scrap quilt ever right now! I did lay the strips out but only to make sure one of the same piece of fabric didn't get too clumped in one area. Like it said I think a scrap quilt looks beautiful no matter what, especially when you can look and say "that piece is on so-and-so quilt.. Adds character.. And the no rhyme or reason but cohesiveness to it makes it amazing!
Maybe I don't know that much... Like I said I'm on my first scrap quilt too :)

Good luck and can't wait to see what youve come up with!

Would like to know the answer to this question myself. I have not done a scrapy quilt but so many have so I must get with the program and try one.

The choice is entirely yours. Think about how you would like it to finish or make two blocks and see which you prefer. No matter what the "quilt police" think I believe quilting has no real rules but is a great place to experiment.
Even if you make a couple of blocks then don't like them you can always add a few borders and make a lap quilt which the local nursing home will appreciate. Another idea is to make a dog quilt. I made one for a friend's dog and did a different technique in each block. Things I'd been wanting to try and a few ideas of my own. I had so much fun with that little quilt.
Also look at Quiltville, Bonnie does some spectacular scrappies. Just have fun.

mainly i would sort them into light and dark. alternate them when sewing. if you have a 'ton' of them ; you could first sort them into brights and earth tones. no scrap quilt could have wrong colours, they always look terrrific.

I've never made a scrappy quilt. I want to try one someday.

I sew light to dark pieces together. It seems to balance it out.

I've made a ton and just don't sew like pieces together. The more random the better.

I'd think that as long as you didn't have a big chunk of one or the other you'd be ok. I'd try to keep them more or less evenly spread throughout so it looks random but doesn't have glaringly bright or dark sections. You should be ok if you just shuffle them around in the scrap basket so everything is mixed pretty evenly.

I think it just depends on what affect you want.
I like to do random, no two same fabrics (or colors) together.
But sometimes I do an organized scrap, laying them out for the pattern I like best.
These are what I go to when I don't want to think about anything but the sound of my machine working.
Just Enjoy the sound - Music to my ears.

often where scrap quilts are concerned- color has nothing to do with anything- you sort according to values- without worry about color- dark, medium and light is what makes scrap quilts work...color is just...bonus life.

thats what I have done

with scrappy quilts, the more variation, the better. that's why some folks just put the pieces in a bag and sew as they are drawn out... randomly. that said, i just don't like to sew similar pieces together, so put those back in as i go.

I am using scrap squares in the 10 MInute block and also the Split 9 square, both are turning out quilt beautiful. Sashing emphasizes the beauty of scraps too. Or make a string quilt, strips of scraps, all sizes trimed to one width and sashed, people win prizes for making them. Use them up whichever way you can.

Carol J.

I like this suggestion and will work from this. I am cutting all my scraps into strips of various widths. I think this will be a good way to do the first one. Thanks everyone for your suggestions. I have many strips to cut as I have been saving scraps for a long time.

Since you're cutting strips, I'd do a string quilt.
I've made several, never paying any attention to which strip I was adding, except if it was the same fabric.
One of the ones I did putting 4 blocks together, I tried to keep the centers (triangles) the same fabric. Way too much trouble and not worth the angst.

I make a lot of scrap quilts (usually strip piece) for the quilts I make for the cancer patients. I stash them by lights and darks and when sewing, don't even look at the colors. I just pick the top one out of the dark stack and the top one out of the light stack and begin sewing. I used to not like scrappy quilts, but have found quite a few patterns that appeal to me and they are a great way not to waste fabric.

I do the paper bag piecing technique. put all the scraps in a paper bag and use 'em as you pull 'em. If I don't like one piece next to another I toss it back. It's sort of like catch and release fishing!

I believe I think light/dark mostly in scrap quilts and I don't like to use the fabric more than once in a block. Other than that, anything goes, the more fabrics the better.

This is my view also. ;)