What's In The 4.5 Inch Width Scrap Box?

The box of 4.5 inch width scraps is very full. It's time to decide what I'm going to do with all those scraps. 

Maybe I should explain why there are so many 4.5 inch width scraps. Well, I'm the lucky recipient of scraps from others from time to time. When I receive a package I sit down and measure with my little ruler the width of each rectangular and square scrap that looks like it is under six inches. Then after all are sorted into piles by width off they go to be stored in boxes with friends of the same width. 

These scrap boxes are then usually made into blocks using scraps in the Rainbow Scrap Challenge (RSC) color of the month. I usually have several blocks going for each box of scraps sorted by width.  I start with the longest pieces and move down to the shorter pieces. 

And here's what I think I'm going to do with the scraps in my 4.5 inch width box. Since the last RSC color was dark neutrals I pulled out mostly dark neutrals to make my blocks which are all New Starts. 

With any 4.5 x Width of Fabric I'll be making Wonky Star blocks with light neutral centers.  They will finish at 12 inches. I have no specific goal for number of blocks at this time. I'll just see how many I end up with using scraps in the box. 

I think with any multicolor or novelty 4.5 x WOF I'll make a giant 16 Patch with a constant red. Blocks to finish at 16 inches and I only need 12 for a child's comfort quilt. 

With any 4.5 width x at least 22 inches I'll make Floating Shoofly Blocks that finish at 7.5 x 9.5. The Shoofly will be in all solids. 

Instructions and inspiration for blocks at Klein Meisje Quilts. 

With any 4.5 inch width x 10 inches I'll make 8 Patch blocks that finish at 8 inches. 

I will also use scraps from the 2.5 inch width scrap box to make these. 

I'm also thinking I will make blocks for two different quilts - one with only browns and creams. And the other with color complements.  (For instance if the RSC color of the month is a primary color I'll make blocks in that color plus a secondary color and vice versa).  At the end of the year I'll see how many blocks I have and how many comfort quilts I can make. 

With pastels from both the 4.5 (at least 9 inches/2 squares) and 2.5 inch width scrap boxes I'll be making Double Four Patch blocks that finish at 8 inches. And I see I have a correction to make on one of the blocks. 

If it's not pastel and there's enough for two squares I'll make Four Patches. 

And with four 4.5 inch squares of the same color I'll make what I thought would be Snowball Four Patch blocks. But they look more like Econo Block Four Patches. I think these might go into the orphanage and I'll try using 2 inch corners instead of 2.5 inch. 

Any 4.5 inch width scrap less than 9 inches (two squares) will be cut into squares...

...or 2.5 x 4.5 rectangles...

...because I inherited quite a few blocks from someone that use 3 -2.5 x 4.5 rectangles and finish a 4 x 6 inches.  I'll figure out how many blocks I need for a comfort quilt and then how many rectangles I need and keep cutting from the 4.5 inch width and 2.5 inch width scrap boxes until I reach my goal. 

Anything less than 4.5 x 2.5 and greater than 4.5 x 1 inch goes into a baggie to later be sewn into coin strips. 

Now all of the finished blocks using 4.5 inch width scraps are recorded and will be stored together. When a RSC color is called I sort through the box for the scraps in that color and go down the list and see how many blocks I can make. 

And sew on...

Finished Or NOT FINISHED Friday at Alycia Quilts

RSC ScrapHappy Saturday