Sunday, February 4, 2018

It's a Flimsy! Plain Brown Wrapper

 Plain Brown Wrapper
80 x 80


I don't normally like square quilts but this one says, "enough is enough". 

 I'll use any excuse to dig out a UFO and move it forward and the latest Ad hoc Improv Quilters (AHIQ) Challenge to play with scale prompted me to dig this oldie out and get it to flimsy stage. 
I think I started this back in 2014 or maybe even earlier.  At that time I was making some postage stamp hearts and some postage stamp 49 patch blocks in all colors of the rainbow plus some as a Rainbow Scrap Challenge project.  I actually didn't know what I was going to do with them  - I was just using up itty bits of scraps.  For my purpose brown is defined as anything from cream to tan to taupe to rust to dark chocolate. 


 No strip sets were allowed in this quilt. I'm not a fan of them. I like sewing each piece to the next. I like taking time to look at each little piece of fabric as it goes under the needle. I'm not in any hurry to finish most of my quilts so no need for strip sets anyway unless I need a quickie donation quilt. 

I think around 2015 I decided to use the postage stamp blocks in rainbow colors only in a rainbow quilt (still a UFO) and I then thought of using the brown blocks in a plain brown wrapper quilt.  The black/white/gray blocks are a different quilt and the neutrals are still another quilt. Maybe in a few years you will see those flimsies too. 


 Anyway, I formed a vague idea in my mind of how I wanted the quilt to look but knew I needed LOTS of brown postage stamps before I did any math to figure out how to proceed.   In November 2017 I counted up my postage stamp blocks and found I had quite a few of them but I really didn't know how many postage stamp blocks were enough. Then I did the math to figure out how to proceed. I actually thought about it before I went to bed and woke up in the middle of the night with the answer - 50 inch square center of 1.5 inch  (1 inch finished) postage stamps, 4 borders around of 2.5 inch (2 inch finished) brown scraps - but use some of the brown four inch (finished) four patches from the Parts Department in the middle row of four patches...
...then one border of 3.5 inch squares and a few 3 inch 9 patches from the Parts Department and then one border of 4.5 inch squares with more of those four patches from the Parts Department used in the corners and in the middle of the border. 

I think I'll hand quilt it in a variety of brown threads some day. 





24 comments:

Julierose said...

Oh this is one of my very favorites of all the quilts you've made--I love a pretty postage stamp quilt..beautiful work hugs, Julierose

LIttle Penguin Quilts said...

That is an amazing quilt! Even though you call it "Plain Brown Wrapper," it is anything but plain!

Libby in TN said...

I can't believe you did all those little squares without stripsets! Great finish.

Jeanne said...

Awesome as usual! I love the heart camouflaged in there :)

Mary-Kay said...

That is so cool! I just might have to make one, I certainly have lots of scraps. So you have one started in rainbow colours and one in blacks, white and grey and then you just add to them as you get more scraps. In case I missed something in your post, are you making blocks or just piecing them in to rows? That is a great way to use up scraps. Love it!

gayle said...

Wow! Wow wow wow, and as usual, wow!
I just calculated how many squares you've individually sewn together here, and all I've got to say is "wow" again.
Wow!
(And nothing "plain" about it!)

scraphappy said...

So very many squares! Congratulation on getting it to flimsy stage. Some quilts just need to progress at their own pace. Glad this one was ready to be moved along.

Quilting Babcia said...

Wow! So many fun fabrics Tobe found in this flimsy. What really makes it special is that heart block set among the other postage stamp blocks.

Cynthia Brunz Designs said...

Great job finishing up an older project. There is a whole bunch of scrappy goodness in this one. Thanks for sharing with Oh Scrap!

The Joyful Quilter said...

You might CALL it Plain Brown Wrapper, but it is anything but plain!! I see LOTS of colors hidden in those brown bits. Congrats on finishing up the quilt top!!

Alycia~Quiltygirl said...

Its a perfect size!! and A beautiful quilt

Sally Trude said...

What a wonderful quilt. Love the varying sizes moving out to the border. And once again you've shown yourself to be the master of having a complete mix from very light to very dark.

Linda said...

Just one immediate thought"........Oh My Goodness! How many tiny pieces in this top???????

mangozz said...

This is a very unique quilt top and I'm sure you have NO more brown scraps left, right? Is there any quilt design that you haven't made?

Quilter Kathy said...

This is a fabulous scrap quilt! Don't you love it when you wake up in the night with a creative answer!!??

Louise said...

Super flimsy, Cathy! Love how the different scales play with each other, all in gorgeous browns.

Nancy said...

At the rate you finish quilt tops I am really surprised to read that you are not a speed sewer, Cathy, but take time to sew each two pieces together separately and enjoy looking at the fabric.

This is a wonderfully fun top. I just recently sewed a tiny little top of 9 x 12 1½" squares together and I can't imagine sewing as many as are in this quilt. Do you think it will be a bear to hand quilt, with all the little seams?

Janie said...

I like the look of the center made of small squares then the borders made of larger scale squares around it.
A good medallion type design, the heart is perfect in the mix.
Lovely.

Kaja said...

I'm glad AHIQ inspired you to get this one out - it's fabulous. I love all the little squares jostling each other in the centre and the bigger ones you've used as borders. It's really effective. I seem to think of problems in the middle of the night, not mathematical solutions!

Wendy Caton Reed said...

I love everything about this quilt! Good job!

cspoonquilt said...

Now that's what I call Scrappy! Fabulous!

Ann said...

You've done a fabulous job changing scale. The borders appear permeable in places although when I look closely I can see they are not. Creatively broad definition of brown and the design make this quilt sing. Congratulations.
Thanks for linking with AHIQ and playing with scale.

Kaja said...

Thanks for linking up with AHIQ - n this the fastest response to the challenge!

patty a. said...

Very cool quilt!