OK, you've finished the quilt, now what to do with the scraps? Have fun!

You reminded me of something.... long ago, I used to throw away tiny
pieces... then one day I was in an antique shop and spotted this single
crazy quilt block - all done in pieces 'too small to do anything with'....
that was the beginning of madness of the quilting variety... (some call it
inability to throw anything away)

Joe wrote in message
m...
I use pieces down to 3/8" square, so all I throw away is lint,
practically. Yes, I am certifiably crazy :-)

I usually don't make 'planned quilts,' rather I work from a particular
fabic collection. When I finish the quilt, I always have left over
fabric. For a long while, it has been my practice to make another quilt
with the same fabric collection. Sometimes I add more material,
sometimes I don't. Examples:

1st quilt - basket quilt, meant to look like a turn of the century
quilt. 2nd quilt - blue, grey, white single irish chain. 3rd quilt -
shirting quilt. Used a pattern I took from an antique quilt. Just 2
rectangles, side by side, with another rectange set accross the top of
two rectangels.

1st House quilt, set strippy style with wonderful orange fabric (fifty
cents from flea market). 2nd quilt - cross within a square, lap size.
This one won a judges choice ribbon at local quilt show.

1st quilt: Star with a star, purple, red and teals. Gave this one to
my mom and step dad for their wedding. 2nd quilt, double four patch,
gave to my friend Linda.

1st quilt: Baby quilt made using Elephant Alphabet Material. 2nd
quilt. Nine patch plaid quilt. Also baby sized.

lisae





QUILTKITTY wrote:


It's done, it's beautiful...the quilt you finally finished! But, what do
you do if you have scraps and blocks left over? If you have nothing, or very
few pieces left, congrats, you estimated your fabric requirements perfectly!
If you have a smidge left, just cut them up into squares or strips to use on
your next scrap quilt.

However, if you have a bunch of fabric leftover: say, several blocks that
were too small for the main top, or a huge swatch of fabric that you fussy cut
your quilt's motifs out of and now you're left with "holey" fabric....what can
you do with it? I've learned how to have fun. Forget patterns...you can
piece any which way you want. With my leftovers, depending how much I have,
either I make a large, large pillow for a coordinating backrest (26" square) to
the quilt, a lap quilt or doggie quilt. No pattern whatsoever! You don't
need one.

Start with all the larger "good" pieces and decide whether you have enough
for a lap quilt (say, 50" x 60") or just a smaller pillow. Readi-made pillow
forms come in a variety of sizes. Cut the "holey" fabric around other motifs,
as large as possible, if they're slightly "cut off" it doesn't matter, just cut
them all out the same way so you have a pile of them. Arrange all the fabric
scraps into like sizes. On a counter, start with the large pieces or blocks,
and then add here and there the smaller scraps where-ever they "fit". I try to
make things semi-symetrical, if I have 3 good blocks left I'll do 2 on the top,
and one center in the middle under it. Then just fill in till you have a mini
"top" (pillow, lap or doggie). The emphasis is on "NO PATTERN", you just piece
with what you've got. If you can do a lap or doggie size top, I recommend just
getting a high loft batting and tie it off. For a pillow, just put more pieces
into 2 overlapping rectangles for the backing so that you can insert the pillow
form easily. It doesn't matter if it "matches" the main quilt, as long as the
fabrics are the same it matches!

Then, when you're done, you'll really just have a few "scraps" good for your
scrap pile, and really....another quilted item to keep or give away! This
method is fun because you just piece-as-you-go!

The dog will just love his/her new quilt if it's fluffy, you'll like looking
at it, it'll be washable, and you'll have something to remember those great
fabrics you used on that other quilt.

~Monique (quiltkitty)

I do this too. just blindly piecing is so relaxing!

QUILTKITTY wrote:


Start with all the larger "good" pieces and decide whether you have enough
for a lap quilt (say, 50" x 60") or just a smaller pillow. Readi-made pillow
forms come in a variety of sizes. Cut the "holey" fabric around other motifs,
as large as possible, if they're slightly "cut off" it doesn't matter, just cut
them all out the same way so you have a pile of them. Arrange all the fabric
scraps into like sizes. On a counter, start with the large pieces or blocks,
and then add here and there the smaller scraps where-ever they "fit". I try to
make things semi-symetrical, if I have 3 good blocks left I'll do 2 on the top,
and one center in the middle under it. Then just fill in till you have a mini
"top" (pillow, lap or doggie). The emphasis is on "NO PATTERN", you just piece
with what you've got. If you can do a lap or doggie size top, I recommend just
getting a high loft batting and tie it off. For a pillow, just put more pieces
into 2 overlapping rectangles for the backing so that you can insert the pillow
form easily. It doesn't matter if it "matches" the main quilt, as long as the
fabrics are the same it matches!
--
Dr. Quilter
Ambassador of Extraordinary Aliens
(take the dog out before replying)