Working With Very Small Pieces
 

As I work on my "Masonry" quilt with its 1 x 6 inch sashings, I marvel at those who can make full blocks the size of a key chain. I applaud all of you.

Sometimes I have to really look at what I am doing so that they line up right.

I was just thinking this! I'm going through my tiny box of ~2" scraps trying to figure out what to do with them... tried to do tiny HSTs but I know I'm going to get frustrated fast!

I've tried a couple of times and ended up tossing them !!!! So yes, I do admire those that can do that tiny work!

Me too. I don't like working with small pieces either. I just keep stuffing them in a bag! Kudos to those with the skills and patience!

I find it very therapeutic. Especially crumb blocks where nothing has to line up. Just stitch and flip, starch and press. So pretty.

Would you be willing to show us a picture or two?

none of the quilters i sew with like using small scraps. so, mostly, they give them to me! :o at last weeks get-together someone remarked on the "larger than normal" blocks i was working on. another asked ..those are what ..8"? no ..only 7" ..but yes they are much larger patches than the 3" 20-patch blocks i have been working on :D

I took a 2 day class this summer on precision piecing in small blocks. In two days I finished two blocks.
Everything they taught could apply to any size block work :)

:D...Well you know me rogue, quilt friends see a 12" block quilt by me and they don't think it's could possibly be mine...Everyone waits to see what I make with their leftovers, and if they are really lucky they get a mini quilt from me as a thank you for their wonderful scraps.

Jane, you are sew right, it is very therapeutic...

OBTW, I just finished a little quilt with 1" finished hearts...going to a school fundraiser. And then I finally got the little house flimsy done...278 3" pieced houses....

I just sewed 1 1/2" HST, half & quarter squares using Paula Doyle's technique from her Mini mosaic quilt book. She's got a YouTube on the technique too. Super easy and accurate.

Love these, Teen!

thank you Teen for the link... I am in the middle of trying to use up some 1 1/2" scraps. this method is to cute. I might just try it.

Cut into 2" squares, and use as leaders and Enders-2 at a time, then make 4zies, or 6' - when you have a gazilion,join to make blocks, sash and a cute scrappy! Working on mine now.......

It is funny how so many times we all work on the same type projects. I had many flannel triangles left over from the over and down under quilt I made hubby, so I thought I would try and make a pillow with them. Now, I don't do small quilts so it was a challenge for me to keep everything so precise. But it was only a small piece to finish and I did it. But, the thing is, it was flannel and hard to press open the seams. I think I did pretty well and here is the pic of my unfinished little quilt. (way too small for a pillow)

Redgarnet, it is pure charm. ;-)

I sometimes start going through a "thrifty" phase where I don't throw anything out larger than 1.5" because I think....hm...maybe someday I'll do a postage stamp quilt. But then I start looking at those and think....what the Haiti was I thinking?!!

I'm not sure I can find a use for those tiny squares for anything other than that.

But I see "tiny" things and end up "oohing and ahhing" Every. Single. Time!

Love working with the small tidbits myself. Made a very cute wallhanging from them a couple years ago for my DH, for Valentines Day. I also inserted a line of little leftover half square triangles in the edging of a pillowcase for our grandson to go with the quilt I had made. Your piece above, red garnett, could be a great 12 inch pillow with an appropriate sized border around the edge, or a very cute wall hanging. Love the dark accents in it and the intensity of your colors.

I like the way Paula Doyle uses those small pieces. Thanks for sharing her process, Teen.

I do save 1.5” and up and, on occasion, I will cut some 1” strips on my die cutter when I am cutting other sizes.

I have tried crumb blocks many different times but they are not relaxing for me. One of these days, I will try again.

Connie

I love to make mini log cabin blocks using quad (1/4 inch) graph paper and paper piecing them. One of these days, I'm going to try other blocks.

RedGarnet...great job...flannel is so stretchy, but that is a fantastic quality of fabric and that has helped...I generally let the flannel fabrics go somewhere else rather than use them.

Today at my QBuddy's home I sewed waste triangles together. I ended up with 74 1 3/4" squares and 22 1 1/2" squares of red and cream HST's. Now onto what am I going to do with them.

I am just getting into the small squares. A friend gave me a bunch of 1.5" squares and I made them into a small
wall hanging about 18" square. I love it.

Redgarnet.....that is so cute....flannel and tiny = scary hard...

Here is the mini block I made with all the tiny pieces above. It finished at 5 1-2'raw edge so I made it 8 1/2 w/borders. After I finished it, I decided I'm going to make 5 or 6 different mini's and border them with black and white...then hang them in my future sewing studio as a grouping. I may quilt and bind or just frame them. I love black and white w/bright colors so this really suits me... So much fun!!

Cute, Teen....will be a great addition to you sewing room!

Thank you for mentioning this quilt artist. I just checked out her site, and though it is late, I sat through her www.greenmountainquilts.com which were fantastic. I think I maybe adding her book to my library to try these techniques. Does anyone know the brand name of the iron Paula Doyle was using in her videos and where it might be purchased?

I'm a fan of small pieces

http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...psjkithbzx.jpg

http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...pstamzsfku.jpg

Love these Macy!

I don't do a lot of "minis", but when I work w/ tiny pieces it is usually foundation paper piecing. This is my record, over 300 pieces in this 12 inch block.

https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net...10&oe=5ADA3D80

Here is a 4" crumb block:

Jane...that is awesome!! Good lord!

Macy love your little blocks! Jane isn't fun to make these small crumbs? Kassundra--I admire anyone who likes to paper piece. I can, but don't like to have to remove the paper.

These are a few of my mini's. All of them are pieced, not paper pieced.
1. Center is made of 1/2" 4P's
2. Crumb blocks are either 2 or 2 1/2" finished.
3. Hole in the barn door1 1/2" finished blocks.
4. Log Cabin Hearts finish at 1 1/2" [ATTACH=CONFIG]587729[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]587730[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]587731[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]587733[/ATTACH]

OMGosh!!! These are awesome. I love love love the churn dash mini.... And that crumb block...yikes! Can you actually do a 1/4" seam allowance on tiles this small? These are really tiny pieces.

Wow these tiny blocks / quilts are amazing. Do you hand sew them or machine?

Oh, my! I absolutely love all of the projects shown but no way am I doing those small pieces! Lol!

Connie

Thanks folks...Kassaundra, all machine pieced. I use 1/4" seam allowance on almost everything. Nice thing about the crumb blocks is you can go a little narrower, because accuracy is not important.

MAKE them into ribbon borders by adding triangles on the sides.

You did a great job on this. I have this pattern, and look at it from time to time.

YIKES, you are a very ambitious person. My hat's off to you for these for sure.

I think this mini quilt holds the record of number of pieces for me. It's 14 x 14 and close to 700 pieces. I made the stars 3" with extra around the edges to avoid matching point.

These are paper pieced, and some of the pieces ended up only 1/8" wide. I graded all the seams to help them lay flat, and hand tacked a lot of the points together when assembling the stars.

http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...pspckh1nvl.jpg

Edyta Sitar's pattern, Quilter's Patch requires precision piecing. Some pieces are cut less than an inch. I had a huge amount of trouble until I realized I needed to pin, pin, pin with my thinnest pins! I have gained some valuable skills doing this quilt--which I will never do again. I like larger pieces to work with. My scraps include nothing less than 2". Everything else goes into dog beds for the shelter.

Wow that is amazing and impressive!