Strings, Strings, Strings

 I've completed a couple of string quilt tops in the past few weeks; however, that didn't really seam to make much of a dent in the boxes of strings.  So I've been doing some mindless string sewing and have completed a few sets of blocks that need trimming and the papers removed. 

Strings around here are different from strips. Strings are usually the result of quilt back trimmings or wonky fabric ends or long  scraps leftover from a project that is not in a size of strip I save and those are usually between 1.5 and 2 inches in width. 

I've been using newspaper cut 10.5 inch square for foundations in some of these blocks. I'd rather remove papers than spend money on fabric foundations.  A 10 inch finished is a nice size for the smaller donation quilts I make and set 4 x 6. 

The first set of 24 ten inch blocks consists of a center black string and brights. I had a lot of black strings of different widths I laid on the diagonal and then I sewed bright strings on either side. 

 When trimmed they will be sewn together and look something like this. I don't normally name donation quilts but I think this might have to be called "The Eyes Have It" because there sure are a lot of scraps in this one with creatures peeping.  Thats' probably a better name than "Sleep With One Eye Open". 

 The second set of 24 ten inch blocks are browns and pinks. 

I used different solid pink strings for the center string and then added a brown string on each side of that and then pink strings on each side of those brown strings. And then I finished out the blocks with browns.  I think I used most of the brown strings in this one. 

 When I get around to trimming and sewing them together they will look similar to this. 

 I had made 24 nine inch Wonky Log blocks in red, white and blue. My goal was 48. These take short and skinny strings so  I put them on hold and made the blocks in the two above quilts before I proceeded on with these and cut long strings into shorter lengths while making these. I need to evaluate now if I have enough red,white and blue strings to make 24 more blocks.   

 And speaking of shorter and skinnier strings...I have a set of 11 ten inch blocks (aka UFO)  I made a long time ago when I only had a few strings to work with. I put them on hold until I gathered more string scraps and then forgot about them. Now that I have some bright shorter and skinnier strings I think I will make 13 more and then I will have a complete set of 24 for another donation quilt. I might have to make 14 of them though because I see Santa Claus in one of the blocks and I don't put holiday figures in donation quilts. Maybe I can just replace the Santa scrap? and not make a whole new block. 

I have a big box of low volume strings so I made ten of these low volume String Hearts last year. They finish at about 6 x 9 inches. I really do not enjoy making these so I was thinking of throwing them in the orphan block box. But I still need to make something from low volume strings. So I think I will make a Chinese Coin type quilt of low volume strings and use some of these hearts as a column or row. 

Oh Scrap! at Quilting is More Fun than Housework

Monday Making at Love Laugh Quilt