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...