I am working on my next project for my boys and I am always looking for little tips to help my projects go a little faster. After all who here is not busy and wouldn’t want a little more time? Well hopefully this will help you out.
When ever I make a Scrap Quilt one of my biggest problems is having that scrappy feeling making sure all of your fabrics are pretty evenly spaced without having the same fabric touch each other. We have all been there and you know how frustrating it is when you are all done and you notice the two identical fabrics are touching each other. “NOOOO” you yell, and everyone thinks you are crazy. Well I started using this tip and it really helped me out.
Years ago I made quilts for my boys out of a line called Reunion by Sweetwater. I was recently going through all of my fabric and realized I had a lot of 5″ squares left over. I took the 5″ left over squares and cut them into 4 of the same piles are realized I am going to have a hard time making my project look scrappy so I used this technique.
September 26, 2020 at 7:06 am
If the same is touching u say oh well im sure it will look ok
November 26, 2017 at 3:52 pm
I had to read this a second time -more slowly- before it made sense, but what a great way to scramble the fabrics! Thank you so much!
October 16, 2017 at 10:48 pm
Are all the layers the same print/color of fabric? Example: lay down four blue print,then lay down a new color on top of the blue ones.
August 24, 2017 at 9:51 pm
I recently finished a bow tie quilt and ended up with 4 corners touching which made a “circle”. I embroidered a heart with a monogram inside! It looks awesome!
May 26, 2017 at 2:58 am
I color co-ordinate them. And place them in a verticle baskit just the width of the cut sq. Diaginaly. And cut several diffrnt colors down a few pieces at a time. Such as 9bkks.out of 5″sq.s two colors at a time. Placing the 4cuts from the 5″sq. In front of the macine to the left. And think about my project before cutting and sewing more. I place each sewn block to the left for iorning latter. This way I see my project in my mind and am able to design it better a few blocks as ten at a time. Then after several diffrnt types of sewn blocks I set them type per type in star stack oarder. When I sew them together I design the setting two stacks left and right on each side if me. Placing them together. Im 11yrs. Old. I ve enjoyed sewing sence a yard stick was taller than myself by one and a half feet. Im now 5’3″ tall.
April 27, 2017 at 7:32 pm
Thank you for this wonderful tip.
PS If there turns out to be two of the same fabrics touching, Just don’t point it out. Only fussy quilters will examine it close enough to tell. Then just say “Oh well” or “That’s the way the cookie crumbles.”
April 20, 2017 at 12:53 am
Excellent! Finally a coordinated way to scramble blocks. Thank you
March 23, 2017 at 5:56 am
Sounds very confusing to me
April 3, 2017 at 4:47 pm
Wendy in step 3. When she says cut them…. she means like you “cut” a deck of cards.
That’s the only way it makes sense.
January 31, 2017 at 8:09 pm
Why are part of the words (instructions) left of the right side? I can’t read all of it!
April 27, 2017 at 7:30 pm
You can shrink your screen. My icon ins 3 dots in the upper right hand corner below the “X”. Or look for a bar at the bottom of your screen to slide the text L to R or vice versa.
This is for Windows; I don’t know how Apple does it, but I have used my daughter’s computer and everything just seems to be mirror imaged. For example; maybe the “shrink” icon is on the left.
January 28, 2017 at 7:07 am
I have 3 charm packs with 40 X 5 inches squares in each. I might cut them up into 2 1/2 inch squares and make that quilt. Looks great and easy too.
December 9, 2016 at 12:58 am
Some of the most beautiful quilts are made from mismatched leftovers!!! I have been quilting since I was a young girl and love it!! My husband threads all my needles and we work together to create quilts for our girls& grandchildren & great-grandchildren! Quilting is a wonderful way to pass time and have something to show for your time!! Your work is good!
November 19, 2016 at 7:47 pm
This is a geat way to deal with scraps. Thank you for sharing.
February 26, 2016 at 3:12 pm
I use a design wall (a plastic flannel back table cloth on the closet door) and I sew my scrappy quilts in vertical rows. As I complete each row I look for ‘matchups’ if there are none I keep going. Before the vertical rows are assembled I give it another once over and just switch out rows that have an issue or turn top to bottom. Since I usually have 18-20 fabrics represented (usually all scraps from other projects) the chance I’ll get a duplicate is limited. Again, no stress, just sewing happy!
February 19, 2016 at 2:58 pm
Do we get to see a picture of this scrappy quilt please?
February 22, 2016 at 3:56 pm
Just added a picture of the final product under step 5! 🙂
January 12, 2016 at 4:24 pm
LoL ..i just shuffle them all up and as long as they are not the same they get sewn together…im not going to waste time stressing over it…i dont like stress..just fun…passion before perfection~Libby Lehman
January 13, 2016 at 1:22 pm
That’s great Helen! 🙂 At Southern Fabric we don’t like stressing either; It’s all about the fun of quilting!
November 19, 2015 at 11:26 am
Surely you don’t make one pile again you just take from the top of each of the four piles. then you can see what you next three pieces of fabric will be… right?
November 19, 2015 at 5:27 pm
that sounds right! 🙂
February 9, 2015 at 2:02 pm
Great way to make a scrap quilt. Suppose you could use this with different sized shapes too.
January 26, 2015 at 3:29 pm
I have the same question as ittehgaps. This should really help me a lot! My husband thinks I obsess too much on this step, but I see that the rest of the quilting world feels the same! Yay validation!
January 23, 2015 at 11:45 am
I think it is not so difficult to make.I will try this.
January 15, 2015 at 4:39 am
Wow, that is sooooo helpful! Thanks.
January 14, 2015 at 8:39 pm
After step 5… please explain how you stack them all into one pile again… did you stack them top left onto bottom left then onto top right then bottom right? If you stacked them top left onto top right then the blue check on top of top right pile would be next to the same piece as you just flipped it to the bottom of the top left pile… Yes! we all are just a little neurotic about having the same fabrics touching. That is what makes this obsession with cutting fabric up just to sew it back together again such a fun thing for us quilters. LOL! Quilt Police 😉
January 14, 2015 at 3:05 pm
Sounds like a plan! Thanks 🌟
January 14, 2015 at 10:23 am
I get the idea. I want to see how it comes out.