MarthaT

I can't believe I stayed up until 2 AM working with this ugly fabric! I was trying to downsize my stash yesterday by cutting scrappy fabric into 2" and 5" (charm sized) squares and jelly roll sized strips. I was on a roll and about 12 midnight, when I should have been quitting, I came to this fabric. I almost tossed it because patchwork fabric scraps don't do well turning them into randomly cut 2" squares or 2 1/2 inch strips and they weren't big enough for the 5" charms. Then I remembered seeing where someone had cut "pieced" prints into 4-patch squares, so I decided to try it. I cut all I could from the scraps that were large enough and then started fooling with layout...and went to bed at 2:00. I have enough to make 10 blocks and will fussy cut 2" squares from some of the fabric that I could use in borders or something. Is it worth spending this much time with ugly fabric. What will I do with 10 blocks?

CarrieAnne

They arent ugly anymore! I love the blocks!

debbieumphress

Really nice. I do my best planning at night. They will make a nice quilt top. I also cut small fabrics into my "lumberyard" 2 x 4 1x4 4x4 5x5 etc. Such a great idea. Woould love to see the finished quilt top. Have fun.

Butterflyblue

Put some alternate blocks and maybe a border - at least you could get a lap quilt or child's quilt for charity out of it, and it would look like more work that it actually was.

erstan947

Make the quilt. It will find a home:)

MarthaT

Well, I tried posting a picture of the original fabric, but I just put up the one of the blocks twice, must have clicked on the same picture both times. I think someone gave me a pile scraps from a shirt factory. They all look like 70's shirts to me. Remember when they had all those bold colors?
I'll see if I can attach the picture here. The 4-patch are only 3" square, so the blocks aren't turning out very big. Guess a lap quilt is in the making. I could sew some of the 2" squares together and make some more 4-patch until I get 12 blocks. That may be a better size to work with...3 blocks by 4 blocks.

peggymunday

I like them. I don't think they're ugly at all. I like the layout, and turning them on point was a good idea. If it were me, I might use the larger floral and continue cutting and have an 8" square in the center of these which would spill over into the squares you have here and look like a "piecy" (is that a word?) bouquet. But, you said scraps, so you probably don't have enough of it for that. You'll find something appropriate I'm sure. Your avatar is beautiful and you seem to be on the right track with this. And, as far as staying up til 2am, I've been up til 6 or 7, still stitchin'. Hey, when you're on a roll, you have to go for it. LOL
Oopsy! While I was typing you posted more.... thought all the squares were separate. My bad! Guess you couldn't use just the floral... I have faith you'll find something appropriate for the spaces between, though. Keep us posted on your progress.

deranged_damsel

I like it! a bright blue would make the flowers POP!

sewbizgirl

It looks great the way you have cut the fabric and pieced the blocks... Why not find some other fabrics to alternate with those blocks, and experiment with layout? I think it's going to make a nice quilt!

MarthaT

Thanks for all the encouragement and ideas. I think it's growing on me. Maybe I will keep going. I'll post the final whenever it gets done. (I may store the blocks for awhile. Too many other irons in the fire.)

I thought with all the scraps I had that I could cut out more of the 3" 4-patches, but as you can see from the second pic I posted, the scraps are just not quite big enough. I think I'll try cutting some border pieces that are rows of the patchwork, so I don't have to do quite so much piecing back together of fussy cut squares.