sewingpup

I usually make up silly rules as I go. For a scrappy string quilt made of 12 inch blocks. I put all my strings and pulled them out blindly. My rule for that one was I could not use the same fabric twice in a block. It turned out fun. Sometimes I divide my scraps roughly into "dark" and "light" and alternate them. This is especially fun for a string block made on the diagonal where one half is light and the other half is dark. I also used this light/dark idea for a scrappy jacobs ladder made with nine patches and half square triangle squares. in this one, I used any scrap as long as it was light or dark. In another one of large print fabric made into fairly large tumblers I just alternated "warm with cool" colors. That was fun. And then there was "scrappy" bed runner made up of "orphan blocks" from a lot of projects made over that years. That did require a bit more planning as the blocks were different sizes but I made them all fit by using "scrappy parts of leftover cuts from making blocks" Go for it. Just have fun. Make up whatever rules you want. I am currently working on a bunch of left over grey batick 1.5 strips in different hues and value. I decided to dig out my green scraps and cut some more 1.5 strips and alternate with the greys. This is actually being used in Bonnie's bitcoin pattern. It will just end up being a table topper.

Jingle

I just use whatever scraps I have. Totally scrappy.

Onebyone

I string and crumb scraps and never think about red next to red or whatever. Scraps don't deserve all my brain power. They are pretty no matter how much thinking goes in it.

Watson

I try to keep like colours from being next door to each other, but I don't obsess. Here are three scrappy quilts that I've done as random as possible. I just reached into the bag and whatever came out went together.
Watson

toverly

So funny, I am totally opposite. The first two I sew together are to be the same. Then whenever it happens again, and it will, it's serendipity. This way I don't drive myself nuts trying to keep them apart. For me, it makes scrappy fun.

maryb119

I sort thru my scraps and chose the same color shades, like dark or medium or light and then start cutting. My theory is a pretty block will make a pretty quilt. It all goes together when the quilt is done. I am working on square dancing with the stars pattern now and it used a lot of scraps. It also takes a lot of time to make because it has so many pieces. I used anything and everything in this quilt and it is turning out beautifully.

Synnove

Watson, these are absolutely wonderful! They may be scrappy but you have skillfully tied the scraps together by your choice of colors, values, and fabrics. I especially love the one with the black in the blocks. Reminds me of stained glass.

lindaschipper

Watson, I've got some tumbler blocks cut out using the MSQC template, but not enough to make a whole quilt as of yet. Need to think about that as I do the 2 1/2 blocks. I also have some 9 patch and some 1 1/2 in half square triangles. A little of this and a little of that. Seems as if I just can't concentrate on working on one set of anything at a time.

liking quilting

I try hard to use up scraps too, after all, we paid for all of that material! I like scrappy quilts, but I tend to be a bit of a "controlled scrappy" type person.

Watson

lindaschipper...if you look close, you'll see that I didn't have enough large pieces of fabric, so I sewed scraps together and made tumblers out of the "scrap" fabric for some of the blocks.

Watson