Batik Scrap Advice

So yesterday, while waiting for word on my 5 year old grandson who was
having an extensive dental procedure under anesthesia (he's fine!), I
needed some mindless project.

I pressed all of my batik scraps and started cutting them into 2.5"
squares or 2.5x4.5" rectangles. I've sorting them into three piles,
although that's not critical at this point.
blue/green
neutral/yellow/orange
red/pink/purple

No design has come to mind. The rectangles could easily become
squares, if you know what I mean. My complaint about MY scrap quilts
is that they look just like that. Scraps, thrown together, without
design, logic or grace.

Any suggestions? I'm not adverse to buying more fabric (!) to pull
this project together.

tia,
joan

I collect batik scraps. Just an idea since you asked.

Musicmaker

The easiest thing I can think of for your squares and rectangles: Get some
good black, or any other dark that looks good with batiks. Cut 2.5" squares.
Make little 4.5" square blocks with a black corner. If you have enough
matching batik squares and rectangles, you can do that, or mix the colors.
Then play with layouts. (Any log cabin set would work.)
Of course, you could just dump all your scraps in my mailbox!
Roberta in D, Queen of the Scrap Heap

"joan8904 in Bellevue Nebraska" schrieb im Newsbeitrag
...
So yesterday, while waiting for word on my 5 year old grandson who was
having an extensive dental procedure under anesthesia (he's fine!), I
needed some mindless project.

I pressed all of my batik scraps and started cutting them into 2.5"
squares or 2.5x4.5" rectangles. I've sorting them into three piles,
although that's not critical at this point.
blue/green
neutral/yellow/orange
red/pink/purple

No design has come to mind. The rectangles could easily become
squares, if you know what I mean. My complaint about MY scrap quilts
is that they look just like that. Scraps, thrown together, without
design, logic or grace.

Any suggestions? I'm not adverse to buying more fabric (!) to pull
this project together.

tia,
joan

On Wed, 19 Dec 2007 06:10:11 -0800 (PST), joan8904 in Bellevue
Nebraska wrote:

So yesterday, while waiting for word on my 5 year old grandson who was
having an extensive dental procedure under anesthesia (he's fine!), I
needed some mindless project.

I pressed all of my batik scraps and started cutting them into 2.5"
squares or 2.5x4.5" rectangles. I've sorting them into three piles,
although that's not critical at this point.
blue/green
neutral/yellow/orange
red/pink/purple

No design has come to mind. The rectangles could easily become
squares, if you know what I mean. My complaint about MY scrap quilts
is that they look just like that. Scraps, thrown together, without
design, logic or grace.

Any suggestions? I'm not adverse to buying more fabric (!) to pull
this project together.

tia,
joan

If you don't like the totally scrappy look, try what I call planned
scrappy. Print style/theme, repeated block design, fabric color,
sashing, and other things can tie a quilt together into a cohesive
whole.

You already have a print style--batiks. Stick with those.

You can also add specific color by sorting the scraps into rough
categories. Sort by only primary color (red, pink, reddish orange,
burgundy are all reds, ect.). Whatever you have the most of (reds,
blues, or yellows) will be your main color and one of the other two
can be your second color or your zinger. Now add whites, or blacks,
or browns for a third color and you have your whole quilt color
palette.

Next find a block design that looks good by itself. Turning Twenty is
hard to do without looking scrappy so avoid blocks like that if you
don't like a totally scrappy look. Pick one, or a nice pair of,
traditional block(s) and make them all the same size.

Use as many different prints and shades of color as possible per block
so that all the various prints and shades of color get evenly
distributed across the quilt. The blocks will go together better if
you do it this way, even if you think the individual blocks look ugly
as you sew them.

After making the blocks lay them out. Do they seem to need something
else to tie them together or do they look good butted up against each
other? Not sure? Audition sashing by laying a large piece of fabric
on your bed then laying four or six blocks over that, spacing the
blocks so you see the fabric underneath between them.

Now borders. If you still have scraps left you can do a randomly
scrappy border. Put it between two non-scrappy borders or add one
non-scrappy and then one scrappy border to finish it off.

I call it planned scrappy, I don't know what anyone else would call
it.
Debra in VA
See my quilts at
http://community.webshots.com/user/debplayshere

Debra wrote:
On Wed, 19 Dec 2007 06:10:11 -0800 (PST), joan8904 in Bellevue
Nebraska wrote:

So yesterday, while waiting for word on my 5 year old grandson who was
having an extensive dental procedure under anesthesia (he's fine!), I
needed some mindless project.

I pressed all of my batik scraps and started cutting them into 2.5"
squares or 2.5x4.5" rectangles. I've sorting them into three piles,
although that's not critical at this point.
blue/green
neutral/yellow/orange
red/pink/purple

No design has come to mind. The rectangles could easily become
squares, if you know what I mean. My complaint about MY scrap quilts
is that they look just like that. Scraps, thrown together, without
design, logic or grace.

Any suggestions? I'm not adverse to buying more fabric (!) to pull
this project together.

tia,
joan

If you don't like the totally scrappy look, try what I call planned
scrappy. Print style/theme, repeated block design, fabric color,
sashing, and other things can tie a quilt together into a cohesive
whole.

You already have a print style--batiks. Stick with those.

You can also add specific color by sorting the scraps into rough
categories. Sort by only primary color (red, pink, reddish orange,
burgundy are all reds, ect.). Whatever you have the most of (reds,
blues, or yellows) will be your main color and one of the other two
can be your second color or your zinger. Now add whites, or blacks,
or browns for a third color and you have your whole quilt color
palette.

Next find a block design that looks good by itself. Turning Twenty is
hard to do without looking scrappy so avoid blocks like that if you
don't like a totally scrappy look. Pick one, or a nice pair of,
traditional block(s) and make them all the same size.

Use as many different prints and shades of color as possible per block
so that all the various prints and shades of color get evenly
distributed across the quilt. The blocks will go together better if
you do it this way, even if you think the individual blocks look ugly
as you sew them.

After making the blocks lay them out. Do they seem to need something
else to tie them together or do they look good butted up against each
other? Not sure? Audition sashing by laying a large piece of fabric
on your bed then laying four or six blocks over that, spacing the
blocks so you see the fabric underneath between them.

Now borders. If you still have scraps left you can do a randomly
scrappy border. Put it between two non-scrappy borders or add one
non-scrappy and then one scrappy border to finish it off.

I call it planned scrappy, I don't know what anyone else would call
it.
Debra in VA
See my quilts at
http://community.webshots.com/user/debplayshere
Jewel Box is a good "scrappy" pattern that I have made several times. I
think it looks a bit more complicated than it is -- it's all half-square
triangles and four-patches. The pattern is at
http://www.quilterscache.com/J/JewelBoxBlock.html. Photos of mine are
at http://webpages.charter.net/jaccola/MomBlueJewelBox.JPG and
http://webpages.charter.net/jaccola/SouthwestJewels.JPG

Julia in MN

--
This message has been scanned for viruses by Norton Anti-Virus

http://webpages.charter.net/jaccola/

Howdy!

Scrappy is one of my favorite ways to quilt.
I find this site very inspiring.
http://www.pieintheskyquilts.com/

Squares & rectangles: http://www.pieintheskyquilts.com/yakity.html

Several years ago I recv'd a box of scraps from you, Joan,
and finally tucked into them this summer, going thru' my scrap collections.
So far I've made 3 scrappy tops, all sandwiched & pinned and waiting for the
hoop. Gene loves the biggest one, which I consider "just a scrappy quilt"
but he thinks is "beautiful, Sandra!" g I gave it to him, pinned,
to use as a muffler in the trunk of his car (kept 30 cans of cookies
from sliding around on the way to Dallas). He returned it w/ reassurances
that "the quilt didn't get a bit of dust or dirt on it!" I wasn't
worried, considering his car, and "It's just a scrap quilt!" ;-)

Cheers!
Good luck!
Merry Christmas!

R/Sandy-- remembering a little "feather tree" sent for Christmas...VBG


On 12/19/07 8:10 AM, in article
, "joan8904
in Bellevue Nebraska" wrote:

So yesterday, while waiting for word on my 5 year old grandson who was
having an extensive dental procedure under anesthesia (he's fine!), I
needed some mindless project.

I pressed all of my batik scraps and started cutting them into 2.5"
squares or 2.5x4.5" rectangles. I've sorting them into three piles,
although that's not critical at this point.
blue/green
neutral/yellow/orange
red/pink/purple

No design has come to mind. The rectangles could easily become
squares, if you know what I mean. My complaint about MY scrap quilts
is that they look just like that. Scraps, thrown together, without
design, logic or grace.

Any suggestions? I'm not adverse to buying more fabric (!) to pull
this project together.

tia,
joan

Howdy!

Very good! Subtle but classic.

R/Sandy--Queen of the Beggars


On 12/19/07 9:34 AM, in article
,
"Musicmaker" wrote:

I collect batik scraps. Just an idea since you asked.

Musicmaker

Thanks for the site link, Sandy.
One of these days, I *might* manage a scrappy mini!!
I will consider myself a 'broken-in' quilter once I have made a scrappy
that I like g
I love the example you picked out.
..
In message , Sandy Ellison
writes
Howdy!

Scrappy is one of my favorite ways to quilt.
I find this site very inspiring.
http://www.pieintheskyquilts.com/

Squares & rectangles: http://www.pieintheskyquilts.com/yakity.html

Several years ago I recv'd a box of scraps from you, Joan,
and finally tucked into them this summer, going thru' my scrap collections.
So far I've made 3 scrappy tops, all sandwiched & pinned and waiting for the
hoop. Gene loves the biggest one, which I consider "just a scrappy quilt"
but he thinks is "beautiful, Sandra!" g I gave it to him, pinned,
to use as a muffler in the trunk of his car (kept 30 cans of cookies
from sliding around on the way to Dallas). He returned it w/ reassurances
that "the quilt didn't get a bit of dust or dirt on it!" I wasn't
worried, considering his car, and "It's just a scrap quilt!" ;-)

Cheers!
Good luck!
Merry Christmas!

R/Sandy-- remembering a little "feather tree" sent for Christmas...VBG
--
Best Regards
pat on the hill

On Dec 19, 8:10 am, joan8904 in Bellevue Nebraska
wrote:
Any suggestions? I'm not adverse to buying more fabric (!) to pull
this project together.

tia,
joan
Hi Joan
Try
www.quiltville.com....
She has lots of free scrap quilts and some using"bricks"
Mauvice in central WI