scrapbusting 2021

My scrappy 'many trips around the world' quilt top is all together. I've added 1/2 blocks on the top & bottom rows to keep things symmetrical. However, getting them all orientated the right way around was a tad tricky! Let's just say, the quick-un-pick was put to good use today!

Having made two other larger TAW quilts before, I'm happy with this nice throw size. I really just wanted an excuse to "shop my stash" and play sew! 

Hm-m-m-m- {wink wink} the scrap baskets are still very full though! 

Linking up with Cyndy for 'oh scrap' here.  

Off now to tidy up the sewing room, Linda

it's all about the fabric

This weeks post is all about fabric! 

My present project 'many trips around the world' is slowly all coming together however, it really is almost too hot to sew here in NZ at present. I've made up four more blocks, giving a total so far of 16 12 1/2" blocks.

Thank you for all the interest about my fabric choices for this project, loved reading your comments! I'm trying to use up the stash here, and am enjoying rediscovering what's actually in my baskets. I do seem to have an abundance of multicoloured fabrics, and making them all work together can either be a fun challenge or quite daunting! 

For me? I guess I love the challenge of trying to create some cohesion in a scrappy quilt, and it's super satisfying using fabric from the stash. And as I often remind myself, there really is no right or wrong, it's whatever is pleasing to my eye. 

In an effort to calm the fabric chaos in this pastel trippy WiP, I've used a combination of really bright blue/green fabrics for those stronger 'diamonds' along with a couple of softer ones, just enough to blur the edges somewhat.
And to get some contrast happening within the blocks, I'm mixing colour & prints either in simple light/medium combos, or combining floral & geometrics, or busy & not so busy prints.  

I'm using a real mix of fabrics, some old ones spiced up with a few newer designer treats. For example, in this next collage pic there are some real oldies - a Dear Stella in peach & white, a very useful pastel Kaffe plaid, a teal floral Denyse Schmidt {a real favourite of mine which I've almost run out of!}, a couple of early AMH fabrics, and Verna Mosquera's 'snapshot'.

I'm finding if I blend a little between the strips, the result is quite gentle & pleasing.

And I've also been faffing around making up a couple of fabric bundles . . . as I've mentioned, I seem to have an abundance of multicolour fabrics in my stash. So just for a change, I recently ordered a bundle of warp and weft fabrics {yarn dyed woven cotton}. 

I love these fabrics by @alexiamarcellabegg and decided to use them as my starting point. I also added in a few little touches of pretty florals - couldn't help it - from my stash to get something unique happening. Not sure where this will end up yet . . .

And another fabric pull, this time all from my stash . . . and it's a colour palette that really really appeals to me, {inspired by Rachel from stitchedincolor}. Once again though, I'm not too sure what to turn it into. I did make up a trial 'organised chaos' block some time ago, {see here}, so maybe something like this is in my future!

Oh and just for fun, I'm joining in with favouritefabricfriday over on IG

I'm crushing over this little print at the moment - Lewis & Irene - Peach- Tulip Fields

Until next time,

Linda

in the works

 

- mixing it all up

with Kaffe, Jennifer Paganelli, AMH, and a few other real oldies! 

Lots of things 'in the works' at present, however, this week I've been focused on making some headway with my pastel 'many trips around the world' project. The more blocks I make up, the more I love it!
While it is scrappy, I am reusing some fabrics for continuity. And, I'm finding that I have been unconsciously blending from strip to strip as I make up this latest batch of blocks, which I quite like {not that I'm unpicking any of my earlier blocks!}. 

I seem to have an abundance of multicolour fabrics in my stash! I’m thinking the darker blue/greens will help give a soothing orderly feeling despite all the fabric colour chaos. What I find super interesting though, is that you just never know how a fabric will play until it's right up next to another fabric, it's like magic! 

 

"A quilt made in rounds like this is such a different experience than either scrappy or planned.

You can have a feeling in mind, 

or you can follow where it leads, 

but you are still 'stitching blind' in a sense"

〰 Jodi from Tales of Cloth. 

and here's what 12 blocks look like up on the design wall . . .

Watch this space, Linda

scrappy tripping

 

I've not sewed much at all since the beginning of the year... time to change that and start another quilt or two! Always on the lookout for ways to use up my scrappy stash, I decided to make another 'scrappy trip around the world' quilt. I played for a few days, pulling fabric from my baskets, making little piles, and then narrowing things down a tad. 

I'm going with a selection of mainly pastels for my scrappy trips, with a slightly deeper medium/dark for the centre diagonal of each block, creating that diamond effect when four blocks are joined together.
I intend to use an assorted mix of fabric designers, including Kaffe and Jennifer Paganelli {inspired by Michelle's recent leader/ender project} And I'm using Bonnie Hunters tried & true free scrappy trips pattern, {which you can find here}. 

Four blocks up on the design wall today!

started last year, finished this year

 

- backing fabric

- binding prep

I've had Brigitte Giblin's book "Feathering the Nest 2" for ages now, the quilts are delightful. Her designs are inspired by vintage quilts, with a little more colour here & there.
'Quilt dos a dos' is Brigitte's back to back quilt. The front is a scrappy combo of hourglasses, HSTs and squares and the back is the vintage looking strippy quilt. They must be the easiest two projects in her book!

I started this quilt back in June 2020, you may remember the earlier progress photos. I used an eclectic mix of prints from my fabric baskets, including precious snippets of Liberty & Kaffe, plus a few designer treats, and anything else that I thought would create depth and interest. I'm sure you will note that a few of my 'lights' are more 'mediums' this time, all just adds to the mix, yes? 

And with those sashing pieces cut in long strips, I'm hoping it looks like some wild striped wallpaper, adding to the handmade vintage feel.

For my backing I chose 'Fern' by Amy Butler, a soft cotton sateen. I had it machine quilted by Leeanne from quiltmekiwi last year, in an edge to edge pattern called "ripples'.

Fast forward to this year, and I've just finished adding the binding today. It's an older Joel Dewberry print 'ornate floral' and seems to draw out the pinks & plums quite well. 

With a little clash of pattern and some strong colours to stand out amongst the others … this little quilt is done. The finished size is 126 x 162cm (49" x 63").

My vintage strippy quilt will live here for a while, and then when I feel okay about it, I’ll donate it. (Probably once I forget how long it took to make, and how many $ went into it!)

Feels so good to get another one finished #emptyingtheufocupboard

Linking up with Kelly for 'needleandthreadThursday' here

Until next time, Linda
 

where do all your quilts go?

Ah yes, it's a question I'm often asked...

Where do all your quilts go? 

Mine move around quite. a. lot… some are in a glory box… others are in a cupboard… some are being used on spare beds … and lots & lots of other quilts have been gifted to family & friends or donated over the years. 

And, I do have a few quilt 'stacks' here, love seeing them all together. These really "old" quilts are on a shelving unit in my sewing room, along with treasured old teddies & doll.

 

#sundayquiltstacks

Linda