Here are some pictures of scrap quilts I've made. This is by no means
all of them. LOL Several of these are still tops because I asked to do a program
for the Garland Quilt Guild (and after that the Mesquite Quilt Guild asked me to do
the same program) and I wanted to show them some of the "in progress" quilts I'm working on.
I work on approximately 12-15 scrap quilts at all times. Every time I have a piece
of fabric on the cutting table (and I'm through cutting into it for whatever quilt I pulled it out for) I then cut it into pieces for one or several of these scrap quilts in the drawers.
Then, over time, I pull them out and spend a few pieceful hours putting some of the blocks together. Then they go back in the drawer and I add to them as the next months go by. Sometimes it can take quite awhile to get one finished this way. But it's well worth it.
I have a box of 2-inch squares that sits next to my sewing machine. I use them as "leaders" and "enders" when I'm sewing. I call them my sour dough squares. I add to them, then I sew them up, then I add more to them, then I use them up. And on, and on.
This first quilt was made entirely using the "leaders and enders" method. (I say "leaders and enders" because that's what Bonnie Hunter calls it and so everyone now knows what I mean, but in truth I was using this method at least 20 years before I ever heard of Bonnie Hunter. I just didn't have a name for it.
This next quilt is what I call 4-patch in a square. It's made from 2-inch squares (those mentioned above) and then 4-inch squares cut on the diagonal. I love just putting them together in a straight set.
I conducted a block exchange of these in the Mesquite Guild a couple years ago and afterwards one of the ladies came up to me and said that her mother has Alzheimers and she was so happy to have a pattern that her mother could make because there are no points to match. The 4-patch squares are floating. After putting the triangles on the squares you cut it down to 5-1/2" so that it finishes to 5 inches. Nothing to match up. Easy-peasy. And so pretty with absolutely ANY fabric you want to use up.
Here is another example of the same 4-patch in a square but I put them into sets of 4 and then set them on point. I just love the way it turned out.
This is another 2-inch square quilt. This time it's 9-patches of ANY fabric--no regard to lights and darks, ever!--then they are put on point with two pieced blocks then a plain block. This one is not finished. I plan to put another small border of the light fabric, then another border of this wonderful hot pink. This hot pink fabric is a favorite of mine. I thought that I had bought all that Hancock's had on the RED TAG sale rack at $3/yd. Then my niece, Rachel, and I were at the Houston Quilt Show and found yards and yards of it, but it was $6/yd. Looked like they had bought out all the sale fabric at Hancock's and JoAnn's and they had a huge booth of fabric. So I had to buy some more! Of course!
This is another 2-inch square quilt, this time they are set in sets of 5x5 (25-patch).
The setting was in a very old quilt magazine from the 1980's and I had kept it for many years. Whoever had made the original it was done in yellow but I love this color green so I had to use that instead.
More 2-inch squares. These are set 5 across and as many down as you want to make it.
I used a gorgeous modern pink for the setting strips but I think that, because of the scrappiness, it would look great with almost any fabric in the setting strips. Notice that I also put 2-inch squares at the top and bottom of each row of the setting strips.
Three friends, and myself traded blocks for this Bonnie Hunter
tree quilt. Bev picked the pattern because she loved it; and we agreed to it, but we complained the entire time. We all had issues with the trunks of the trees. They are supposed to be paper-pieced but I hate paper-piecing so I was determined to make mine without paper-piecing. As you can maybe see, all the trunks are different sizes, depending on who made them. But, in the end, I think it's a gorgeous quilt and I'm so happy to own it. I plan to keep it for myself. Thank you, Bev!
My friend, Sharron, made this quilt for her church. I just love the pinwheel setting so much that I want to make it myself. She said she didn't have a pattern.
This quilt is a Mabeth Oxenreider pattern from an old quilt magazine from the early 1990's. It was a sour dough quilt--I added pieces to it for months, then pieced blocks, then added more pieces to months, and so on. Started in early 1990's and finally quilted in 2010. It has 325 blocks and fits my king-size bed. Very heavy because it has Warm & Natural in it--should have used Quilters Dream Cotton. It's definitely a winter quilt.
