Although I like working on planned quilts with a designed pattern, a few years ago I found Bonnie Hunter's Scrap User System and I started cutting scraps into 2 inch squares.Then I started cutting 2 and a half inch squares.
Then 2 inch and 2 and a half inch strips.
Then 3 and a half inch strips.
Then strings.
That ends up with a lot of baskets and bins with pre cut fabric but none of them going anywhere.
Oh I have made some quilts with my Scrap User System. A Pineapple Blossom quilt, a star quilt, a few baby quilts, a couple donation quilts, a few prayer quilts. I'm definitely happy to have a way to use my scraps. But the baskets and bins do start to overflow after a bit of time...
This week, just to keep the 2 and a half inch strip basket at bay I started one of Bonnie's Scrappy Trip Around the World quilts. Very nice! And while I'm at it I just keep putting together 2 inch squares and have a whole set of new blocks started too. Hmm. These look like I could use them together.No great plans but I AM sewing.
11 comments:
8:00 p.m., IN time, Wed...just heard about the 7.0 earthquake near Tokyo..prayers for your neighborhood and whole country...hugs, Pat in IN
It is nice to have a plan to use up all the extras. They will turn into a lovely quilt.
Bonnie has a new book coming in a few weeks... and your sewing is great.... it is enough alike you can use it. I tend to sew some of this and then go to a different "block" and just generally make more mess than useable blocks. It will all come together on day as long as you keep sewing.
I keep my squares in a tin and when the lid gets a bit hard to fit, I put them together. I have only a few strips or strings but I have a feeling they are more machine friendly. I saw a lovely half-square triangle pattern I might want to try in the future...re-adjusted squares?
Hope all is OK with you, news on our TV this a.m. about the earthquake. what a good idea to have squares and strips all ready for a new project. Cheers from Jean
That seems to work so well to use up the scraps.
With yarn I do something similar. I toss the orphan balls of yarn into boxes with similar colors, or weights, or color groups, then pull them out to make patchwork sweaters when I get enough. What is so neat is that those are the most fun to make and the biggest sellers in my Etsy shop. Now I go out and buy yarn to use for the patchwork sweaters, because I don't have enough orphan balls of yarn. Go figure! :)))
Bonnie's system intrigued me too, but I have not made much from my strips and squares. I continually dig into the bins but only for pieces and parts and never for a whole block! Glad you are using scraps the way she meant people to :)
Great idea! I wish I had started something like that back when I used to sew more. Are you careful to cut your squares perfectly with the grain or do you just cut them out where you have room for the size you are cutting? I'll bet you cut them out perfectly.
Yay Tanya! The reason why they sit -- is that people work with them backwards! instead of finding a pattern to intrigue me, and then findin the fabric to make it -- I take a quick inventory of what I have, and based on that find a pattern to sew them all up! Just today I used up a whole bunch of my blue 3.5" strips - and actually had to cut more!
Be on the lookout for patterns that will work with what you've already cut and you'll find them diminishing a bit faster!
Happy sewing!
Bonnie
I have made several of quilts from Bonnie Hunter's free patterns. I haven't started using her scrap user's system yet, but plan to in the future. Thanks for sharing.
cindy
I use this system too...great to have when you just want to sit down and sew. I was very glad to have my 2.5 bin when I was sewing my granny squares up.
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