Scrap Processing: HSTs

10 inch Monkey Wrench Blocks.

I have a couple of men's size 13 shoeboxes full of HST pieces of all sizes. Some have been given to me over the years, some are flippy corner cut offs and some are the ends of a strip cut with an Easy Angle ruler when I have cut Flying Geese parts with the Easy Angle Companion ruler. Some are matched up with a second half and some are not. Some that were given to me look like they were cut with a cutter of some type. So anyway, I think the shoeboxes are bottomless because I've been working to empty the box for quite some time.  Usually I use them as leader/enders if I need one. When I make the HSTs I trim the dog ears and keep them separated by size in different gallon baggies within a box. 

This week I was working with some 4.5 inch HST parts in brown. I found a lot of sets of four for my ongoing Monkey Wrench project so found some neutrals for the other halves of the HSTs, made the HSTs then found some brown 2 inch scraps and made the Monkey Wrench blocks. 

Since I'm also trying to empty a scrap bag of browns I think I will keep this collection of brown Monkey Wrench blocks separate from the other colors of 10 inch Monkey Wrenches and make just a brown twin sized (approx. 60 x 80) quilt. 

10 inch Monkey Wrench blocks.

This time the HST parts were green. 

And they will be added to my pile of other Monkey Wrench blocks in all colors of the rainbow. 

7.5 inch Monkey Wrench blocks with yellow background (except for one). 

I previously made a lot of 7.5 inch Monkey Wrench blocks when I found I had four identical 3.5 inch HSTs with yellow.  I decided I would keep the ones with yellow as a separate collection and when I have 48 blocks I will make a kiddo sized quilt. Yellow is a nice bright happy color for kid's quilts. 

I also have a pile of neutral background 7.5 inch Monkey Wrenches and as I come across four identical 3.5 inch HSTs I'll make Monkey Wrenches. 

8 inch Broken Dishes blocks

If I have two identical HSTs then I pair them up with others and have been making Broken Dishes blocks in all sizes.  

4 inch Broken Dishes blocks

4 inch Broken Dishes and on the bottom a weird sized 5 inch Broken Dishes blocks. 

I have a bunch of 1 inch ( finished) HSTs that came out of those shoeboxes. Last month I made the HSTs and then threw them into a baggie for ironing and then to trim the dog ears.  I finally ironed and trimmed some and now I've been sewing them together into strips of five for my collection of strips to make a vintage inspired quilt. I'll probably use all different sizes of HSTs.  The blue 2 inch HST parts came from someone and I just had to sew them together. Since there were lots of the same they went into strips of five. 

I try to make, iron and fill a little cigar box with HSTs to trim at night while I watch TV with hubby. I don't actually square them up because I don't care if a few are Wonky - I'm saving these from the compost pile and not making a show quilt. I do trim off dog ears. And then I pair them up for strips, Broken Dishes or Monkey Wrench blocks. If no pairings they go into baggies separated by size. Then later as HSTs are added I periodically go through to see if there are any new pairings for blocks. 

I also try to iron and trim the dog ears off of some QSTs. 

See January 2021 blog post about making QSTs from waste triangles for a vintage inspired quilt. 

Over the years I have emptied a couple of boxes of waste triangles making these but now I have a box of ones I made that need ironing and trimming. I've almost emptied that box and may be ready to actually assemble a quilt top one of these days because...

...I now have a large USPS flat rate box full of colorful QSTs and...

...I have the center of my vintage inspired quilt made. 

And sew on...

Oh Scrap! at Quilting Is More Fun Than Housework

 

Scrap Processing: Orange Scraps

Orange was the Rainbow Scrap Challenge (RSC) color of the month of August. 

Monkey Wrenches

7.5 inch finished

I also made a few with yellow backgrounds because I just need a few more on yellow in order to make a kiddo sized quilt. 

I turned some orange 3.5 inch squares into Snowballs with light corners. These will be combined with some little 3.5 inch Nine Patches with light corners. 

And the ends of 3.5 inch scraps cut 1.5 x 3.5 were made into Switch Plate blocks

Then I made 6 Postage Stamp Pandemic (PSP) blocks. I've been making these off and on since 2020.  My target is 121 blocks and I think I am now up to 97 blocks.  

And sew on...

RSC ScrapHappy Saturday

 

Scrap Processing: '30s Reproductions

I mentioned yesterday that I decided to make a Log Cabin quilt top in '30s reproduction fabrics because I was working with those scraps. 

I have a bunch of small chunks of '30s reproduction fabrics. I also have a big box of '30s reproduction scraps.  My '30s scraps are snobs - they don't mix with the general population of scraps most of the time.  This time they mixed with more snobby scraps - plaids, shirtings and homespuns.   My grandmother made her quilts mostly with old worn out clothes and I loved the mix of flowery dress fabrics with old men's shirts.  

So I started a new block that mixed some of the '30s fabrics with some of the plaids in memory of grandma.     I'm not sure of the name of this block. I saw it when I was doing a Google search for something else and saved the picture and put it in my box of '30s chunks last year. In that post it is called "Pieces of Eight". 

I was not sure what size I wanted to make the blocks but I finally decided on 12 inch blocks so I could cut the chunks into 3.5 inch strips. Then I could use the leftovers from the 3.5 strips to make blocks to add to collections of a couple of other blocks I started making from '30s scraps last year. 

I'm using muslin to make the HSTs.   I plan on a twin sized quilt -- 35 blocks set 5 x 7.  And, oops, I see a problem. Problem has been fixed. I fixed it right after I finished taking photos so I wouldn't forget. 

I started these Buckeye Beauty Variation blocks last year. They are six inch blocks. 

They are inspired by a vintage quilt. 

And with 2.5 inch or 3.5 inch scraps I've been making 8 Patch blocks. Again I started these last year. 

My goal is to empty the box of scraps and greatly reduce the box of '30s scrap chunks as well as the plaid scrap chunks.  I also have made some Four Patches from these scraps but didn't make any new ones this week. Maybe next week. 

And sew on...

 

A Fruit Flavored Top

Log Cabin

in 30s reproduction fabrics and solids

65 x 65

I first saw Linda at Kokaquilts making the blocks. And she saw (and then I saw) Rachel at Stitched in Color's Circus Log Cabin and I was inspired and thought about making a Log Cabin like that. Then a day or so later someone with the Stashbusters group posted a link to Rachel's gorgeous Log Cabin and so I thought it was meant to be and stopped thinking about making one and made one. 

I've been working with my 30s reproduction scraps so decided to use some bright 30s fabrics with a fruit theme as well as the few light 30s fabrics I have. I don't have many solids so I tried to match up fruits with solids . On the lighter side I first tried a couple of blocks with lighter solids alternating with a lighter solid but I didn't like that so instead alternated the light prints with a light Kona Snow. I use Snow or muslin with 30s a lot so happened to have some on hand. 

Now that I've made a few more 30s scraps it's time to get back to the scrappier blocks I was making before I dropped everything and made this top. (I need to get back to weeding the gardens too).

And sew on...

Finished Or Not Finished Friday at Alycia Quilts

Peacock Party at Wendy's Quilts and More

 

The Last Of The Strawberry Baskets

And that makes 18 big 15 inch (finished) Strawberry Basket blocks. 

Now I need to figure out what to use for side setting triangles. I have a few ideas. 

And sew on...

Monday Making at Love Laugh Quilt

 

Easy Sunday Quilt Top

Easy Sunday

It's a top!

Easy Sunday is a free Free Spirit pattern intended for use with Kaffe Fassett Artisan prints but that is not what I used because that's not what I had. 

I keep telling myself not to use patterns intended for a particular line of fabric. It takes me longer to figure out what to use and then figure out if I have enough of each fabric A--U to use. Then I need to keep track of which fabrics are A--U and hope they all look good next to each other.  For quite awhile I've had a little box of fabrics in brick reds, eggplant, dark pinks and browns I thought would play nicely together. I was hoping to empty the box and make something easy with those fabrics. So once the fabrics are picked out and cut it is easy to make. 

I did not empty that little box of fabric so will probably be making something else in these colors. I'm just not sure what that will be at this point. 

I used a mustard colored grunge fabric for the block corners. 

And sew on...

Oh Scrap! at Quilting Is More Fun Than Housework

 

More Orange Scraps

This week I combined the Rainbow Scrap Challenge color of the month (orange) with solids to make my blocks. 

A quilt called Dalarna can be found in an issue of Quiltmania (Issue 68, 2008, #4) and was made by Mariet Soethout-Mous.  Her quilt was inspired by a child's quilt found in Asa Wettre's book Old Swedish Quilts. Now I've been inspired by Mariet's Dalarna to make my own version of an Old Swedish Quilt. 

I'm calling these Dalarna blocks. They finish at six inches. 

Overlapped Nine Patch

7.5 inch blocks

Instructions may be found at Klein Meisje Quilts

Zip

6 x 9

Again, block instructions can be found at Klein Meisje Quilts

and sew on...

RSC ScrapHappy Saturday

 

Starz Finish

Starz

It's a finish!

60 x 72

This was one of my oldest UFOs. The blocks were swapped back in 2012. The free online pattern was called Starz.  Before I had much in the way of stash I participated in a lot of swaps in order to add variety to my quilts. I could buy a yard or so of one fabric, make several blocks and then get several different ones back in return.  I finally got around to assembling the top in October 2019. 

Now, ten years after the blocks were swapped, the quilt is finished! I quilted it with vertical organic lines on my DSM.  I'm always kind of surprised the quilting this close doesn't turn the quilt into a stiff board - just the opposite happens - it's nice and cuddly soft. 

I think I used 7 pieces of batting in this one. I'm trying to use up all my bits and pieces of batting before I open up a new roll of batting. Ugh. Piecing batting is not may favorite job but waste not want not or something like that. 

I also had to piece the backing. Again...not my fav job. 

Part of the backing matches the jewel tones on front. I used solid black for the binding. 

This quilt is now ready to comfort someone.  And I get to mark a UFO off of my list. 

And sew on...

Finished or Not Finished Friday at Alycia Quilts

Peacock Party at Wendy's Quilts and More