Scrap Processing: 1.5 Inch Scraps

Soul Searching 

with 1.5 inch scraps

12 x 14 inch finished blocks

I mentioned previously that I recently received a LARGE box of small scraps and I blogged about processing the 2.5 inch width pieces I found in that box and on my cutting matt.  Today I will tell you what I did with some of the 1.5 inch width pieces in that box and in my 1.5 inch scrap bin I've been trying to empty out for a couple of years. My bin doesn't have many long pieces in it and most of those are browns.    This week I only worked on the blues, greens and purples. 

Soul Searching with 1.5 inch scraps is a new start. I started making Soul Searching blocks with 2.5 inch rose print scraps and Wanda (Exuberant Color blog) commented that she had made several Soul Searching quilts and even made one with 1.5 inch strips. Oh, I liked that idea! So I set to work and made a few blocks before I forgot I liked that idea.   

Switch Plates

3 x 5 finished

I've been making Switch Plate blocks as a Rainbow Scrap Challenge (RSC) project for awhile. I make these when I have 1.5 or 3.5 inch scraps enough for four 1.5 x 3.5 inch pieces.  All have neutral centers. 

18 Patch

(I call them Small Change)

6 inch finished

I've also been making these blocks for awhile as an RSC project. They are made of dark and lights of the same color and 1.5 x 2.5 inch pieces. I cut pieces from 2.5 or 1.5 inch scraps. 

I started a couple more new RSC projects that use 1.5 x 2.5 inch pieces.

1. I've seen these called Potato Chip blocks. They finish at 6 inches.  

2. Windmill blocks that finish at 4 inches. 

Thirteen

13 inch blocks

Block instructions at Klein Meisje Quilts.

I've also been slowly making Thirteen (Lego inspired) blocks as I accumulate pieces. So after I made all of the above blocks any leftover 1.5 x 2.5 rectangles went into my Thirteen project box. 

Then I cut postage stamps (1.5 inch squares) for my latest Postage Stamp quilt. 

This one is inspired by a vintage quilt and will consist of several columns like the partial one above on the right.   Sometimes as a leader/ender I sew together stamps into rows to be added to my strip (on the left). My rows consist of 9 postage stamps. Then I add a solid on both ends. Then I add a muslin 1.5 inch HST (cut with Easy Angle ruler) to both ends. 

Then anything less than a 1.5 inch square but more than .5 inch gets sewn into strips for future Chinese Coin quilt. 

The plan is to empty my bin of 1.5 inch pieces as well as the recently acquired scrap pieces by year end. Then next year I will cut 1.5 inch strips off of any scrap chunks I have in the RSC color of the month to make blocks. 

And sew on...

 

Limes and Oranges

Anvil Blocks

in limes and oranges

8 inch finished

I now have 80 blocks - 40 with orange backgrounds and 40 with lime backgrounds. 

I started making these blocks in response to the AdHoc Improv Utility Quilt color palette challenge.  

I challenged myself to make a quilt I like with colors I don't particularly like. Why orange and lime?

I watched an episode of Gardener's World. In one segment Arit Anderson was the presenter in a large topiary garden (large garden and large topiaries). She had on an orange and lime green outfit (do people still wear outfits?) and I found the combination of colors striking. Although I like most colors those are the two colors I would have to say I would list last as colors I use or would ever wear. But those colors together said "wow" to me. 

Now there's some assembly required.  Then I'll have to listen and see if I hear a "wow" from a lime and orange quilt. 

And sew on...

 

Scrap Processing: 2.5 Inch Scraps

Bear Paw

6 inch finished

I was sorting a box of scraps I recently received and pulled out the 2.5 inch width pieces to process.  If any were long enough to cut 8 HSTs with an Easy Angle ruler then I cut and made 8 HSTs to be used in two different blocks.  

I used 4 HSTs in Bear Paw blocks combined with a 4.5 inch square from my bin of different sizes of squares. 

I've been making Bear Paw blocks from scraps for quite some time. One of these days I'll count out how many I have and how many donation quilts I can make.

Monkey Wrench

5 inch finished

Then I used the other four HSTs to make Monkey Wrench blocks. These blocks also use some 1.5 inch squares from the Monkey Wrench Parts Department. 

From scraps this year and next I'll be making Monkey Wrench blocks in three different sizes and at the end of 2023 assemble them into different donation quilts. 

If I could make 2 HSTs then I made Broken Dishes blocks that finish at 4 inches. I'm thinking I will probably make 2 quilts with these - one with blocks with colors and neutrals and the other with two color blocks. 

This year and next I'll also be making Broken Dishes from scraps.

Monkey Wrench 

10 inch finished

Then if I was able to cut four 2.5 inch squares from the scraps then I used them in Monkey Wrench blocks. I also had to dig into scraps to make four 4.5 inch HSTs. I have some neutral squares already cut in my Monkey Wrench Parts Dept. 

I'm making one Monkey Wrench quilt with only brown scraps and...

...the other (or others depending upon how many blocks get made from scraps the rest of this year and most of next year) will be all colors. 

There were a few other 4.5 inch width scraps on the cutting mat so I went ahead and made them into HSTs and then Broken Dishes blocks that finish at 8 inches. 

The rest of the squares got cut into 2.5 inch squares for the Parts Department. If I could cut four identical squares then they will go into the Monkey Wrench Parts Dept. or they can be used to make Indian Hatchet blocks. If there are neutral squares they are kept separate for Monkey Wrench block centers.   If I could cut a 2.5 x 1.5 inch rectangle then I cut those for the Parts Dept. They can be used in a couple of different blocks I'm making and I'll show you those when I process some 1.5 inch scrap. 

Anything less than 1.5 inch but greater than an inch or so got made into Chinese Coin parts. 

Oh Scrap! at Quilting Is More Fun Than Housework

 

September Blues -- Part III

Light blue is the Rainbow Scrap Challenge (RSC) color of the month. Last week I decided I might have enough bits and pieces of light blues to make a child sized zipper quilt.  The goal is 42 blocks and now I have 32 and I have the remaining 10 cut out. 

This week I also added a few blue Chips to my stock. Blocks finish at 3 inches. 

RSC ScrapHappy Saturday

 

It's A Clue!

Clue #1

60 Flying Geese

Long May She Wave 

a patriotic mystery quilt

by Alycia at Alycia Quilts

I wasn't going to participate in the mystery this time because I have used almost all of my patriotic prints except for some small bits and pieces. BUT after some thought I decided I could use some civil war reproduction prints (or similar prints) in blues and reds and muslin. I just happened to have some blue  scraps in the desired width to make my flying geese. 

And sew on...

Definitely NOT FINISHED this week

Finished or Not Finished Friday at Alycia Quilts

 

Soul Searching

Soul Searching

No, no deep thinking going on here. Soul Searching is the name of a quilt in the book Making Quilts by Kathy Doughty.   I was looking in that book for what I needed to do to finish up an old UFO (Pickle Dish Variation - make bias binding to go around pickle dish blocks and I have never made that much bias binding). While browsing in the book I saw Soul Searching and decided that is another one to make with my rose prints. 

I was actually going to make another Log Cabin like the one I just made with fruity '30s reproduction prints and solids but decided Soul Searching was the way to go instead. 

These blocks are easy to pick up and sew when I have a few minutes here and there.  Each block measures 12 x 14 inches finished. 

I now have 16 blocks and need just 20 more. 

Soul Searching 

from Making Quilts

by Kathy Doughty. 

And sew on...

 

Vintage Inspired

I'm not sure of the name of this block. I've been calling it a Buckeye Beauty Variation. Instead of a four patch in the corner there is a nine patch.   I was inspired by a vintage quilt to make these blocks. I'm using '30s reproduction fabrics as well as plaids, shirtings and homespuns.  When all is said and done these blocks should finish off a lot of bits and pieces of all those fabrics. 

The blocks finish at six inches and I'm thinking I'll aim for a twin sized quilt/comfort quilt about 60 x 78. That's 130 blocks if my fabrics stretch that far. If they stretch farther then I will aim for an 84 x 84 quilt. 

Right now I think I have 44 blocks. 

This is the inspiration quilt (or maybe those are just blocks? Can't remember just now the source of that photo).  Reminds me of the quilts grandma used to make from old clothes and other scraps. 

And sew on...