scrappy diamond quilt: update

We've had a busy couple of weeks heading off out & about enjoying our summer ... the treetops loop walk was a cool spot, and there's always lots happening at motat nz (the make music hands-on space was incredible). We took a drive one day & lunched at the 'flat white' cafe at Waihi beach, had several sleepovers with the grandchildren and their baking++ experiments were fun, rock climbing (the grandkiddies not me!), and a pedi may have happened - it's the little things that count, yes!

Only teeny tiny bits of sewing happening here, it's almost getting too hot for summertime sewing. While it is slow going, I'm super happy with how this wildly scrappy diamond quilt is progressing. Here's a few pics from the design wall ...

- lots of fabric surprises to explore!

I have repeated fabrics and scattered them throughout for continuity, mixing everything up to achieve a scrappy, but balanced, result. I'm also placing the darker fabric top & bottom in each diamond unit.

I've still got a few more rows to complete but I'm running out of design wall space! I think I'll have to make a little start on joining things up over the weekend.

Love how it reminds me of those strings of beads in an old-fashioned curtain, so pretty.

until next time, Linda

vintage diamonds in scrappy brights

Like many, I enjoy making a quilt "look" like a scrappy quilt, and this latest WiP is the perfect example. I used one 10" layer cake Firefly by Sarah Watts RRS as my starting point, and then I'm adding contrasting & blending bits & bobs from my stash into the mix to add more variety & interest. 

I sourced the 'vintage diamonds' quilt pattern @theowlhutch, pattern link and quilt inspiration from Jolene @ blueelephantstitches (if you haven't stopped by her blog yet, it's so well worth a visit). My focus is to try and capture some of her ‘vintage vibe’ and yet still be reflective of my stash here.

I must admit, it's been a while since I cut 60° diamonds, so I faffed around a bit, checking out different rulers ... Mr D was quick to chip in here & commented "how can you make all these quilts and NOT remember how to make a 60° diamond?"  We-l-l-l- loved that feedback! I'm just putting it down to a wee senior moment😕 

Anyways, I quickly found my rhythm, 

here's a few progress pics ...

ta da! almost half a quilt ...

And a couple of excellent tips I learnt from Rachel @stitchedincolor - first up, to making a scrappy quilt like this fun, yet not visually overwhelming, is to create long strings of same (or nearly same) diamonds/flying geese/or whatever. She also suggests adding a couple high-contrast units too, such as the black with raspberry, which also cleverly helps emphasise the vertical directionality.

I will need to lay all my pieces out on the design wall first as the rows are joined together diagonally ...
I may be sometime ... but I'm loving how things are looking so far for my scrappy quilt #2. 

Linda

a little scrappy quilt top #1

Well, if you've popped by lately, you'll know that I've started out the year sewing scrappy. Inspired with the softly muted vintage vibe of Jolene's quilts @ blue elephant stitches, I sorted fabrics & began sewing. But somehow along the way, my (wonky) star hollow & 9patch blocks found a colour story of their own in the end ... in pinks, reds, and bright blues.

My little scrappy quilt top is full of favourite fabrics, starting with leftover colourful scraps that I added to the scrap basket, and then pulled extra fabric from my stash to make up the required amount.

My blocks are a combo of bright fabrics teamed up with a few more muted tones, it's great how a little contrast can add such a depth. 

If I had enough of any one fabric, I repeated it in a couple of blocks to help create some balance. If I ran out - as one does - then I used two similar fabrics to make up the 9 squares needed for the star backgrounds, why use one when two will work, yes?

lots of leftovers 

sorted into a nice combo and then jammed into my scrap basket ...

Today I reshuffled my blocks around and then set about joining everything up ...

scrappy looking quilts are what I love to make💖

Linda

cheery & colourful scrap basket treasures

I'm finding all sorts of treasures in my scrap basket,

colourful scraps all pulled from my stash.

All waiting patiently just for this moment ... for me to pick them & start sewing

- and a little 9-patch action

lots of leftovers 

sorted into a nice combo and jammed into my scrap basket ...

- loving the contrast of this itty-bitty Denyse Schmidt print with an early Laura Ashley floral

- and that's the last of this OOP pretty pink delicate Kaffe stripe :(

 

I've had this fabric for a few years now & it was screaming "pick me pick me"

and so I did!

- my pick of the bunch

- and here's how it's all looking so far down on the design floor

Hope you've enjoyed this little peek into the treasures I'm rediscovering in my scrap basket

It's a real mix, including early Laura Ashley florals, a delightful kokka blue & white, OOP Kaffe, Heather Ross, AMH, Liberty, & Denyse Schmidt 

... oh, and some recent RSS blenders.

Linda

scrap basket stars & 9-patches

I'm off to a super scrappy start with inspiration from Jolene’s @blueelephantstitches latest book, Scrap Quilt Diary! I finally decided to make a bunch of (wonky) star hollow & 9-patch blocks using fabrics all from the scrap basket! 

My plan is to use a mix of pinks, orange/tangerine, bright blues & teal, and brown - and the gold shades would be an accent only, to keep things interesting. I'll also add in a little black and gingham somewhere along the way. Sew, a bit of everything really (wink wink). 

While being totally inspired by Jolene, I'm not setting out to make exact matches of her delightful vintage looking quilts. My focus is more to try and capture some of that ‘vibe’ and yet still be reflective of my stash here.  My blocks will be a combo of bright fabrics teamed up with a few more muted tones, it's great how a little contrast can add such a depth.

I do seem to have accumulated lots of multi-coloured florals, old & new, and it's a super fun challenge trying to dial it back just a bit with my choices! 

lots of leftovers 

sorted into a nice combo and jammed into my scrap basket ...

and a few more ...

Until next time, Linda

taking time

and hello 2025 

Looking forward to another year of colour & creativity

- and a big thanks goes out to all of you who inspire me so much

Time, I think, to start something new, yes? We all know there is no way I will ever use up my scraps & stash, but I am definitely going to start out my year ‘shopping from home’ and make some pretty pieces with some of my re-discovered treasures. I'm thinking a series of scrappy, smallish, lap size quilts, but we shall see. 

The inspiration for all this, of course, came from Jolene @blueelephantstitches. I have both her quilting books now (thanks Santa!) and have been a long-time follower of her blog & insta, love all her little quilts and how she mixes her fabric. 

And so onto some behind the seams action here ...

I began this week with some fabric re-discovery & sorting. Everyone's stash is different, I tend to have a lot of multi-coloured florals, but last year I added in a few more basic blenders and doubled up on some personal favourites.

I pulled out everything in a similar 'Jolene' vintage vibe from my stash and scrap baskets, and had a wonderful couple of hours ... taking time to be inspired by my fabric. 

first up, a basketful of scraps ...

next, a lovely little combo,

it could be the start of something, maybe ...

Then, a fabric pull I thought could work for me & my stash too,

 similar to one of Jolene's last year, 

one I loved💕

...

This one, I'm on the fence about. 

It's got that muted vintage look✅, but it needs more consideration, I think.

We shall see if it changes over time ...

And finally, 

I used a few of my 10" squares of RSS 'firefly' as a starting point and added from my stash ...

All I need to do now is choose which quilt I want to make first.

Anyone else tend to waste time take time to create little fabric bundles, then leave them to percolate, 

waiting patiently until inspiration strikes? 

Linda