WMUTeach

I have been keeping my scraps less than 2.5 and putting them in to 4 patches too! No particular plans for them but, I have a growing collection. I square them to 3" and goodness, when sewn into a project will end up at 2.5. Weird. I am really stuck on that measurement!

Heather, I may just package a bunch of squares that are over whelming my stash and send them to you. Any particular color way that you need? Or are your just looking for scrappy?

pamelor

Janice, I like the 4-patch idea and will try it, thanks for posting. I've been using candy rejects (usually my cutting mistakes) for hexagons since those need be only 2 inches and grain doesn't matter. But I like the idea of having a bunch of four patches ready to go and the randomness of what will pop up in the pile when you revisit those patches months or years later.

pamelor

I just saw your post WMUTeach. I'll see whether squaring to 3 or 3.5 makes the most sense for me. At this point seems like bigger is better. I am struggling with the 1.5 size for checkerboard chain and ready to size up again. The smaller the square, the more obvious any inaccuracies.

Heathermom2opmc

That would be amazing. My Jack's Chain quilt is stalled in piecing bc I am lacking in brights. I am in need of primary brighter colors, solids or prints or florals---basically anything bright. I resorted to fussy cutting a bug fabric I had to get a red ladybug for the center of the 1.5 square to get a bright color so I could finish a block needed to finish a row. I tend to gravitate to the muted earthy colors when I quilt. I love how it is coming out bc the small blocks in the bright are just so cute.....but like I said I have stalled for the time being bc of a lack of colors. I think I sent a pic of the Jack's Chain before, but here it is again so you can see what the colors are like. Definitely a bright scrappy quilt in the works.

For the postage stamp quilt top, anything goes for that one. I am making blocks of 100 then will assemble from there--that one is by hand as well.

WMUTeach

Heathermom2opmc, I will search my 2.5's, and small scrap stash and bundle up some brights for you. I will send them in a couple of days. By hand! Wow, and three cheers for you.

Pamelor, I struggled with the 1.5 for the checkerboard chain for a little while but it became easy when I started strip piecing rather than doing individual 1.5 squares. My strips were about 12 inches long. You can use strips of color-white-color (need twice as many of these) and then white-color-white. I made a whole pile of them in the colors I was using, then mixed them up and began nesting and stitching. Oh, yeah, I chained pieced my blocks and squared up to 3.5 after every group of 10. Then I clipped the group of 10 together so I could easily count how may I had. This worked better for me than stitching those itty-bitties with the machine.

pamelor

Oooh! Thanks WMUTeach.... I think I understand this. So you stitched several 12-inch long 1.5 inch wide strips together alternating white and color along the long side? Then cut them across and mixed up the strips then sewed back together. I think I need to look up "chain piecing" on youtube...

WMUTeach

Wooops, I got caught using quilt lingo. Yes, google chain piecing, Pamelor. There are many to choose from. I learned from the old Jenny Doan tutorials when she was first online. Chaining or chain piecing simply means sewing pieces together without cutting the thread between the pieces. Often this technique is used when doing a number of repeated pieces that are the same.

For instance if you are joining 10 - 2.5's to 10 other 2.5s, you just run them under the needle without cutting the thread between them. So in the case of making those wee bitty 9-patches for the Checker Board Chain quilt, using the strips I have created, I would join columns one and two, making 10 sets of 6 little squares. (2x3) Without cutting the threads between the 2X3s I go back and add column 3. I end up with 10 finished 9-patches. (3x3). Cut the threads, press, square up and ta-da, ten little 9-patches.

Pictures really help but there are so many good tutorials online, view a couple and away you go. I would not be surprised if you do this already and I just tossed in a term that was new to you. BTW chaining works beautifully with all shapes and sizes of pieces. It is usually a good time saver and thread saver.

Hope this explanation and help from Mr. Google you will find making the little 9-patches easier.

Janice McC

Chain piecing saves time, thread and keeps order to units that can become unruly. Very helpful.

Pamelor, if you need some brighter colors for your Jack’s chain I can cut some strips for you from my stash. I also tend to gravitate to muted colors but I do have some I can share. PM me with the width you need (1-1/2 inch I think) and your address and I’ll cut some this week.

My candies are in the mail! Have a happy week everyone!

Rebaquilts

Looks like one of my candy packages has vanished, which is so frustrating as I mailed it at the same exact time as another one and that one arrived quickly. UGH. So, I have a second package out, but added some other goodies. FYI, I got back from the Doan girls retreat where they showcased a small quilt with candies that were snowballed with 1" squares and then put together in a rainbow pattern. I see that Laundry Basket Quilts has one that has appliqued circles on a background that is similar. I think that may be what I will be doing with my first candy quilt top. I love the pics of the Jacks Chain though. so pretty. Hugs all!

Heathermom2opmc

May birthday envelopes went out in the mail today. Fingers crossed especially for the one headed to GA. My son is at GT in Atlanta and the mail system down in that area has been a nightmare.