Sunday, August 14, 2022

Scrap Miscellany

Last week I cleaned up a few piles of scraps that had collected on my cutting mat and ironing board. With some longer 2.5 inch pieces I cut and made HSTs. 

I combined four alike with some 4.5 inch squares from my squares bin and made Bear Paws to add to my growing collection of blocks that will be made into quilts at year end (if I get around to it). 



Also if there were four HSTs alike they got turned into Monkey Wrench blocks for a growing collection. For these the HSTs get combined with some 1.5 inch squares and the blocks finish at 5 inches. 

I have fun making these blocks. I've decided to make these in three sizes (5, 7.5 and 10 inch) with scraps throughout the rest of the year and probably into next year.  And, oops, I forgot to take a pic of that Bear Paw with the glow in the dark eyes. 

If there aren't sets of four HSTs that match but there are two that do then I've been turning them into Broken Dishes blocks. I have several different sizes of those now too. I've been going through a box of HST parts accumulated over the years and have been sewing HSTs as leaders/enders then store them in baggies by size. I decided to match up a few pairs from the baggies while I was in Broken Dishes mode. 

So now I have little collections of 4, 6 and 8 inch Broken Dishes blocks. 

So...now when I have leftovers and can make 4 HSTs then I can make Monkey Wrench blocks and if 2 matching HSTs (or 4) I can make Broken Dishes.   

While going through my HST baggies I noticed a lot of 3.5 inch HSTs with yellow AND four matching.  So I pulled all of those out and added some 2 inch squares and made Monkey Wrench blocks that finish at 7.5 inches. 

There are not enough for a big or little quilt so I'll just remember if I have leftovers and make 3.5 inch HSTs to match them up with yellow scraps for awhile. 

These HST parts were given to me. I matched them up and made the 6.5 inch HST for the Parts Department since I'm not sure what to do with them right now. I'll probably use them in orphan block quilts. 

And speaking of Parts...I made these Four Patches from pieces leftover from making a Hollow Nine Patch and Bricks and Stones quilt from 3 inch width pieces.  They finish at 5 inches. For now I am putting them in the Parts Department and these too will probably be used in orphan block quilts since they are kind of a weird size. 

Or someday I might use alternate 5.5 squares to make a quilt. For now they are Parts and off of my cutting mat. 

Someone gave me a baggie of Flying Geese bodies. I added some 2.5 inch neutral wings cut with the Easy Angle ruler. I think they, too, will go into the Parts Department for now. Someday I may use them as star points on Sawtooth Stars but then someday I may use them as Parts in an orphan block quilt.  For now they are out of the bits and pieces box (mostly HST parts) that I'm trying to empty and use as leader/enders. 

Flying Geese bodies in waiting.

And sew on...


 

11 comments:

Gretchen Weaver said...

You are always so inspiring with all your scrappy projects in progress, happy stitching!

cityquilter grace said...

oh my such a plethora of beautiful scrappy blocks...and fun is all it's about eh?

Julierose said...

Your lovely scrap miscellany blocks remind me of vintage quilt blocks--I love that scrappiness...such fun...I need to get back to using up my scraps--I did sew up 62 little 1.5" 4-patches last week--but don't know what to do with them--so they are in a small container awaiting a fantastic idea to hit me!! hahaha
hugs, Julierose

sue s said...

You have reminded me about the orphan HSTs I have in my recently organized parts drawer. Good ideas as to how to use them!

LIttle Penguin Quilts said...

I love your bear paws in all the fun scraps! I've been making 4 patches with whatever 2 inch squares I have left over on the cutting table, too. Someday they'll turn into something!

gayle said...

Wow!!!
(I'm literally speechless!)

Chantal said...

I like your system. Maybe I should start keeping parts too. I do have a bin quite full of every. single. size. of triangles for future HSTs. I could sew them together right now and store them by size. Humm, you got me thinking. Thanks for the inspiration. Love your blocks. You have such a wide range of prints. They are fun to look at. ;^)

Linda said...

I haven’t been feeling too well the last few days and looking at your beautiful collection of varied blocks and glorious colours has cheered me up no end. Thank you Cathy, I shall revisit this post over and over again.

Linda Swanekamp said...

All those parts! I love all the scrappy blocks. Before you know it, you will have a bunch more quilts.

Linda @ kokaquilts said...

An amazing selection of scrappy projects underway at yours this year! I love them all. And such a good way to put all those little bits to good use. Very inspiring.

Bonnie said...

You have a lot of great ideas to use up half square triangles. I've been cutting odd ball scraps into usable sizes but other than making 16 patches I have decided what to do with them. Maybe I'll borrow one of your great ideas.