Scrappy quilts, love them or hate them?
#11
Junior Member
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: Eagan, Minnesota
Posts: 111
I can't decide if I like scrappy quilts or not - I'm much too anal and need things to be somewhat organized/coordinated, ya know? However, I have seen some scrappy quilts that I do like because they seem a bit more cohesive than just random all over. I appreciate the work that goes into them and Lord knows I have a HUGE container of scraps that I need to do *something* with, so I'm always on the lookout for a scrappy pattern that will both use up my scraps but not so scrappy that it will drive me insane lol
#12
Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2011
Posts: 357
I like to do scrappy quilts because they tell a story of your past sewing. I made a bow-tie quilt using only material that I used to sew my childrens clothes or pieces from quilts I had made, or any fabric that had a "past". One block has green and pink frogs from a little jumper I made my daughter when she was three. LOL It sits on my quilt stand in my living room. My adult children call it the Memory quilt. I hope it is one thing they all want when I am no longer on this earth.
#13
Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2011
Posts: 357
One more thing about scrappy quilts. When my mom passed away, my sisters and I cleaned out her sewing room. My one sister, who would not know a half square triangle, from a nine patch, wanted to throw my mom's collection of scraps away. I grabbed them from her, and put them in a safe place to take home and treasure. I am now working on organizing them, and have a few quilts in the making. As I said in my earlier post, scrap quilts have a story, and the quilts that come from my mom's scraps will be much more special, as she had laid her hands on them.
#14
#15
Super Member
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: Illinois
Posts: 9,312
I am a huge fan of scrappies... infact its an addiction. I struggled to get past the need to know exactly where each and every fabric was going to be in the quilt. Once I "let go" it was very liberating.
I finally adopted a scrappy method that suits me.. I toss all the fabrics scraps on the floor.. stand back about 6 feet .. then remove the ones screaming at me "I don't belong here" and put in a seperate pile... very often that "other" pile is one that makes its own scrappy. The pile I want to work with I then seperate into lights , darks, medium.. and go from there to pick my pattern. The pattern comes from what size scraps will be used most efficiently.
The addiction is so bad .. I have actually traded yardage for a premium box of scraps.
I finally adopted a scrappy method that suits me.. I toss all the fabrics scraps on the floor.. stand back about 6 feet .. then remove the ones screaming at me "I don't belong here" and put in a seperate pile... very often that "other" pile is one that makes its own scrappy. The pile I want to work with I then seperate into lights , darks, medium.. and go from there to pick my pattern. The pattern comes from what size scraps will be used most efficiently.
The addiction is so bad .. I have actually traded yardage for a premium box of scraps.
Last edited by Lori S; 11-18-2012 at 06:51 AM.
#16
Super Member
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: Fox Valley Wisconsin
Posts: 1,920
I love scrap quilts and that is mostly what I make. I have a really hard time making a quilt with limited fabrics...I get bored...I like being able to see how the different fabrics end up as I sew them.
#18
The first few scrappies I made were controlled. Now I have made some with darks in one bag and lights in the other and just pull out a piece and go for it. I do both controlled and random. Both are fun and I am to practical to throw away usable pieces of fabric. Scrappies feel almost like free quilts.
#19
I love scrappy quilts and hate to waste any fabric but I too try to control the layout sometimes you have to just walk away and say it looks fine and go with it. I have a scrappy king size on the frame to quilt from 2008. I just got anew used frame so now I can finish all the quilts I start way back when. Don't know how to put pic in or I would do that. Since the change to this new way I'm lost.
Last edited by crazyquilter56; 11-18-2012 at 07:28 AM.
#20
Super Member
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: Michigan. . .FINALLY!!!!
Posts: 6,726
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