Monday, April 11, 2011

living up to my blog name

I'm working on a small project using small scraps. These triangles finish at about 3", give or take. I took this project to my little neighborhood quilting group on Saturday morning. They all know I'm off my rocker now. Or at the very least, living up to my blog name. :) Oh, well. I'm having fun!
If you want to make some of these little babies yourself, here's how. You know, because I want to enable you to use your scraps, too. That way I won't look quite as crazy.
First, make a pattern of an equilateral triangle that measures 3.5" on each side. (Or any size you please.) 
I drew it on paper first, using my 60 degree markings on my cutting ruler as a guide. 
Make a cardboard template of the triangle. Use the cardboard template to trace the triangle onto scratch paper. Math homework sheets seem to work the best. (ha!) Once the triangles are traced, cut them out using a paper scissors.
Then, take your fabric scraps, the smaller the better. Pick two.
Make sure that the scraps will cover the paper completely when in place.
Sew them right sides together, right through the paper. Set your stitch length on something pretty short. On my machine, I use a 2 (out of 6). This allows you to rip the paper off easily.
Fold down the scrap on the right and press well.
Pick another scrap, sew, press.
Repeat until the triangle is covered.

Flip the piece upside down.
 Trim, using the paper as your guide.
There is a little waste...but not much. Yay!!!
Rip off the paper pieces and give the triangle a final press.
Repeat until your heart's content.

One disclaimer....sewing through the paper will dull your needle, so you will want to change it afterwards. I usually have a few needles set aside just for foundation paper piecing projects like this.

I'm sewing my little triangles into rows. And someday will make a pillow cover with it.
If you try this, I'd love to see what you come up with! Have fun playing with your scraps!

Happy Monday to you!

153 comments:

Anonymous said...

I am CRAZY about this!!! I just love your style!

The Mayo Family said...

Darling!
I love mini-quilting!
Years ago...ha not really all that many I used to do & teach mini-log cabin quilt wall hangings!
Enjoy...& now you know your not the only one who people think is "off their rocker"! Ha!
People used to tease me & call mine "postage stamps"! Huh?
Blessings~
~Lori

Kimberly said...

hol. ee. cow.

Can't WAIT to see this one finished!

Jill said...

I am slow ... and new at quilting but wouldn't be easier to sew long strips then cut triangles from them? Or is this just for tiny scraps?

Kristal said...

Ok this might be a little crazy but it is so dang cute. I can see these little triangles used in so many ways.

Kelly said...

SO CUTE!!!!!!!!!!!!
I've got to try this ;)

Gotta tell you how much I enjoy your blog - you've caused me to get out of the traditional quilting mindset that I didn't even know I was in!

I just put my new grandson's quilt on my frame. When it's done I'll be posting it and dedicating it to you, Tara and Penny! It's a fun & modern quilt :)

You guys have fun this weekend! Wish I could come.

Bonnie said...

I have never done any foundation paper piecing... it kind of scares me - this looks kind of crazy but not TOO scary! Maybe I will have to use this method for a doll quilt. Hmm.... now you've got me thinking!

Go-Go Kim said...

That is just crazy COOL! Good idea and another add to my list...

mypatchworkantahkarana said...

Hola... divino .. me ha encantado. Muchas gracias y besos.

Hello ... divine .. I have been charmed with it. Thank you very much and kisses

PunkiePie (Jen) said...

SO CRAZY but it looks to be a lot of fun! I will have to give it a try.

Anonymous said...

And for those of us crazies that also have a papercrafting obsession we could use our cricut to cut our triangles. LOL! Gotta love it!

paulette said...

I love this block!! Thanks for the tutorial....if they ever send you off to the Crazy House, can I go too?
P

Cathy said...

Great idea, thanks for sharing. You know we're all just a little crazy...lol. Hugs

eva said...

Lovely!!!!
as always..
xo
eva

Jackie H said...

I love this! I was in the Miss America Pageant ten years ago, and I have a bunch of little scraps from all of my wardrobe alterations. This project will be perfect for that!

eva said...

I have buckets of scraps....
I have telephone book pages waiting...
I have thread...
I have ideas...
hm...
now i just need time????
xo

teaginny said...

so, so great! thanks for the constant stream of inspiration!

Heleen Groot said...

That looks good enough to try, and I really do not like working on the machine.... It is however a really excellent way to make sure that I do not have to throw any scraps away. Thank you!

Anonymous said...

They are so cute! I've never paper pieced anything before...what a great idea!

Welcome to Lulu's life. said...

Oh my! I may have to try this one. I have a ton of strips left over from some quilt bags.

Andrea, the little collector said...

Oh those are cuties!

Karen said...

I LOVE THIS!!!! Thanks for sharing your darling idea. I have tons of scraps and they seem to multiply. Will dry this as soon as I possibly can.

And......I don't think you're nuts!

Karen

Cyndi said...

First, let me say how much I love your blog. I follow another quilting blog and they've had the same post up for 3 months! Hmph!

Anyway - you can do something similar using a square (any size!). Cut out your paper square (I used plain newsprint)Start in the middle with a strip of fabric that goes from corner to corner diagonally. From that point, follow the same basic technique you outlined in your instructions, but instead of sewing on one side only, alternate back and forth until you've covered the square entirely with scrap strips. I was taught it as a "newspaper" quilt. I guess years ago women used newspaper as the foundation for the squares.

If you don't want to spend all the time it takes to pull the paper away when the square is done, you could use some lightweight Pellon or washable interfacing.

carol said...

This looks like something Idiot me would do....glad you're doing it first. LOL I'm thinking it will look awesome when you're done. (If you don't go "mad" first.)

Catskill Quilter said...

Cute idea! I love your colors too.

Rachel said...

Oh cuuuute! What a great way to use up scraps!

File under: Must try :)

Heidi said...

Super cool idea to use up scraps! Think I may join you on this one...!

Janet said...

I love your idea!

karen @ badlandsquilts said...

I did triangular log cabins once, but this idea I like much better...

Lauren Phelps said...

Wow! That's cool! Can't wait to see the finished product.

Sewmancer said...

Oh thanks so much for sharing. This is great - and love your fabrics!

Canadian Kristin said...

Oooh, I love how it's coming together!!!! Those triangles are awesome all laid out together like that!

anna said...

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOhh !
Provo anche io !
Grazie per spiegazioni !
Ciao Anna

Karen said...

Other people would call us all crazy, but I soooo get this!! It makes me smile. This would make a good leader/ender project too!!Thanks for sharing.

Live a Colorful Life said...

When I have gathered all my scraps together for the Bottled Rainbows quilt-along, I'm sure there will be many left over. This is way cool. And NOT crazy!

Brenda said...

I love this. This will be an awesome pillow cover. I bookmarked this to come back to. I know I would forget about it. Thanks for sharing. Very very cool.

pratima said...

These triangle blocks are so cute and colorful. Great idea to use up tiny scraps.

tarabu said...

After I do a queen or a couple of lap quilts I retire those needles to the piecing pincushion, and paint them across their shoulders with purple nail polish (purple = paper) so that I don't comfuse them with my better needles.

heather said...

i can jump on the crazy train in a heart beat!!! very cute!!! i'm sure i'll be up to this sooner or later!! love it!!!!!

Di said...

so glad that you haven't changed & are still living up to your blog name! lol Love the triangles - very cute!

Clair said...

Looks like a great way to use up your scraps.

Anna R said...

It looks fabulous!
...my 6 yr old DD was looking over my shoulder and said, "Wow, that looks like a LOT of Work!"
I think she's right, too. : )

Leanne said...

Not crazy - way YUMMY!!!

Love Leanne

susiloci said...

Es una preciosidad, pero parece que lleva mucho trabajo.

happy zombie said...

That is CRAZY BEAUTIFUL! And AGAIN, you make me want to drop what I'm doing and do some quilting. You blog should be called Crazy Mom's Quilt Kool-aid. And thanks for the sip!

Andi said...

Beautiful!!
Your scraps are so pretty!!

Darlene's Quilts and Stuff said...

Hey I like it I really like it. The triangles laying together look wonderful.

Darlene's Quilts and Stuff said...

Hey I like it I really like it. The triangles laying out together is wonderful.

Terri said...

Oh, we are certain that you are crazy now! But there is no denying that you triangles are darling, and easy, too. Guess since you did it first I can do it too. I need something fun and easy right now.

KatieQ said...

Totally cool!

Thimbleanna said...

Ummm. Have you considered professional help??? Those little triangles are fantastic CrazyMom. As always!!!

Bethany said...

I love the little triangles!

Melinda said...

I don't understand throwing away perfectly good scraps, especially with fabric at $10 a yard now. Your use of scraps is fantastic and beautiful. Great job.

StuffandThings said...

You are seriously nuts. And we are all so lucky that you share. I have to try some foundation piecing.

Tara said...

love it! And love Kelly's comment too!

Sara said...

I am doing scrappy 10" blocks just like your triangle technique and I think THAT is tedious!

Anonymous said...

Is it possible to make these with just the template and not the foundation piecing? Could you sewing the strips together and use the template to cut out the final product?

Or is there a way to get the paper off easily? Even though I lower my stitch length, I have the hardest time!

MissesStitches said...

This looks like fun! Thanks for sharing...

Unknown said...

Wonderful idea!

Sara said...

I'll be crazy with you! I love love love this! Of course, I have thrown most of my littlest scraps away *gasp*, but now I have a reason to save them! Woo hoo!

tisme said...

Awesome use of those tiny pieces, I save everything, so NOW, I know what to do with them. And since mini`s are my favorite thing to do, gotta get started right away.
Thanks for being crazy!
Tammy

Victoria Findlay Wolfe said...

i knew you'd get around to your scrap sooner or later... ;-) welcome to the club!

Jeannette said...

Amanda -Crazy-Quilting Jean you know you are going to do something with all those little pieces that you are cutting off...

nettie said...

This is really cool, and unique.

Keep Stitchin' said...

Great idea, I love it! So colorful and what a great way to use small scraps!

Di~ said...

Cute! What will you make with the waste scraps you've cut off?????:)

SewSara said...

crazy?! totally!
awesome? absolutely!

Chris Daly said...

Awesome!! I love this project!

Sara said...

Really cool!!!

Quiltn Mama said...

I don't think the project is what makes you crazy...it's your incredibly tidy work surface. Are you sure you're a quilter? LOL!

RobynLouise said...

If you sew 6 of these together with all the points facing in you would have a really interesting 7" hexi!!

Marjorie said...

This is very clever. But I'm going to need an Ativan prescription before I can bring myself to do something this scrappy.

Christina said...

awesome! I love this idea, thanks for sharing and good luck, can't wait to see it finished.

leigh said...

great idea! and yes - crazy too.

Jo @ a life in lists said...

Ooh, this looks fun! My scrap bags are just beginning to get a bit out of control too....

Sylvia said...

This is so beautiful!! Thanks for sharing!

Mandalin said...

oh, that looks like a lot of fun!

Jessica Christensen said...

These are cute.

Lisa H. said...

I just learned paper piecing last month at the Atlanta original sewing and quilt expo. Thanks for the tutorial. I really love this, it looks so happy.

Maria said...

Great way to use up scraps BUT when do I get the time. LOL

Cristina said...

Amanda Jean, you rock!!!

Teresa Rawson said...

Thank you for posting this little tute! I'm going to give it a try with my copius scraps!!

In stitches,
Teresa :o)

Suzanne said...

Your creative brain never sleeps. I like that about you.

Deb said...

Looks like a lot of work, but it's really cute! I think it would make an amazing throw with all the variety!

susan said...

I LOVE IT! I'll be crazy with you!

Denice said...

I am not a mini quilter nor a mini scrap keeper, but this is so cute I might need to change my ways.

✾Jamie Lee Cooley✾ said...

I really like that. I've never tried paper foundation piecing before, but I will give this a try!

Lauren said...

Adorable! Although I have to say I think I would just sew all the scraps together and then cut out the triangles. The lines might not be as evenly spaced as yours though. Really cute.

JaneR said...

Why stop at a pillow cover...go for a king size quilt!!! A great blog post what has got me thinking - this idea could be used for many shapes and sizes. Thanks!

Terriaw said...

Adorable! I love this idea, especially as a way to use you snippets. I also love how easy it looks. Thanks for sharing. And thanks for being crazy enough to show us how to work with tiny pieces! You rock!

Jeanne said...

There's always another way to use up those scraps! Love your triangles.

momof3 said...

What a great way to use those little scraps. I can't wait to give it a try.

JHNickodemus said...

ENVY! I will be doing one of these for SURE! It's on my list!

girlyhurley said...

How fun! I've been looking for small projects to practice some techniques on! This would be perfect! I'm going to make a centerpiece for my table with this!

KateKwiltz said...

Love it! And you're not crazy -- you just challenge Reason on a regular basis!
Have fun with those!

Anonymous said...

Oh this is so awesome! Love, Love, Love your tutorials!
Brenda
Texas

Erika Mulvenna said...

I love this! Love, love, love it! Can't wait to see more of this project of yours.

Unknown said...

when i grow up.... i want to be like you! xoxo ;)

H

Mary-Anne said...

I love this idea! I haven't been game enough to try foundation piecing yet because it always looked so complicated but you made this look easy. Great tutorial!

knitting bean said...

This is going to be absolutely beautiful when you are finished with it!

A Plain Path said...

I love this! What a great, creative way to use scraps. Awesome!!

Kristin said...

OMG, that is brilliant. I started the post and was having nightmares about cutting the little strips and piecing the triangles and then I saw how you did it and it became easy and appealing. Wow!

hart44 said...

How beautiful :) A wonderful way to use up those scraps that build up so fast.
I must give this a go :)
Thank you for showing this :)
Sue x

Anonymous said...

Te felicito he ingresado a tu blog por otro enlace, pero he quedado admirada de tus trabajos soy Colombiana y amante como tu a las colchas y los retazos. gracias por compartir tan lindas ideas

Karen B said...

What a great idea!.. I have laot of darker scraps that I'm going to try this with. Thanks for sharing your idea.

Annalia said...

We love you, crazy girl! I never feel like my scraps are big enough for any fun projects, but they just might do for this one! ....and definitely not ANYTHING bigger than a pillow!

Country Girl in the City said...

Wow, this looks great too. So many wonderful ideas......

Patty said...

I cannot wait to try this!! I think you are crazy creative!!

Sew Magic said...

I absolutely love how you keep your scraps and turn them into something useful rather than throwing away!

Anyway I was searching for interesting blogs yesterday and I came upon yours! Hence my reason for this message. I want to pass on the Versatile Blogger Award to you! You can view it at my blog: http://sewmagic.blogspot.com
If you've got any questions or anything, email me at: arainboz@gmail.com
Have a Marvelous Day! :)

Gidget said...

I love this idea!
I will do this some day.....

Contrary Wife said...

Fun, fun, happy and fun. And just a wee bit crazy...

Tracy said...

I am in love with this... I have tons of left over christmasy scraps I need to figure out what to do with... maybe I will play with them!

Jessica said...

I LOVE the quilt the kids are sitting on in your post, "curtains, sheet or quilt back," on 7-19-09. Do you have the instructions on your blog? I made your ragged squares quilt a couple years agofor my daughter! I love it!

Connie Kresin Campbell said...

Your blocks are so neat! Can't wait to make some of these.

eva said...

oh so beautiful!!!

whats in the pink spray bottle?? spray starch?? do you make your own??

always love your blog..
xo
eva

Casey said...

this is going to be an awesome quilt!

Tracy said...

I keep coming back to this over and over again! it's incredible! I love it.. Also after looking at it several times I realized that you hardly have any repeating fabrics! amazing!

SuzyQSparkles said...

LOVE it! Thanks for sharing another fun (and easy) use of scraps. :D

Jelly Roll Fabrics said...

I ADORE your triangle quilt. I have just so many scraps that need to be made into something... I'm filing this piecing away for future use. Thanks!

Nini said...

I love it---thanks!

beth said...

A wonderful quilt with a GREAT step-by-step to go with it!!! We're so glad you're crazy!;)

sewtakeahike said...

yay!!! I'm so excited this little guy is living on my sofa! (my husband on the other hand..... just kidding. He thought it was such a sweet thing for you to do and really likes it lots!)
Thank-you so much, Amanda, for taking the time to make this for me! I've got something on my brain now for you, I just KNOW you're going to love!!

Deanna said...

I love projects like this that use small pieces of fabrics - I hate wasting anything! Beautiful! Deanna - Skinfizzical.com

Karee said...

It was paper piecing that brought me back into quilting and this is a great example.
Love it!

car54 said...

I started making a small quilt and spent the whole weekend making the little triangles--I have it about 30 x 30 inches and you're right..it is hard to stop!!!!

I am putting my rows together now-and I love how it looks.

Thanks for the great idea!!! This small quilt will go on the top of my coffee table in the living room. I may need a pillow too before I'm done!

Melissa the Barista said...

I love scrap quilts and this one uses those scraps I might have thrown out as too small. This quilt is definitely in my future. Thanks for the clear and easy directions! (not so sure about cutting a perfect equilateral triangle though!)

http://wideworldofquilting.blogspot.com/

Josefina said...

I like your work and I congratuale them
have a good day
Josefina
tijeras y cuchara wordpress.com

AlaskanAddison said...

If this is crazy it's crazy-genius! haha! I love it!! Thanks for sharing!!

Lise said...

Love this!!! Someday...

chookychick said...

having made about four proper quilts and a few other projects I am starting to accumulate quite a lot of scap and I love this idea. I can just do this when I have a bit of spare time and one day I'll sew them all together and make something wonderful! Thanks.

Michele T said...

This is a fantastic idea....do I really have to use paper though? Couldn't I just sew the triangles (eyeballing as best I can) and then cut the shape using a template?

Anna C. said...

LOVE,Love,Love This!! Have you done anything else with Triangles?
Like a Quilt..or something? I would Love to see pix!!

A

maybe said...

This is so very interesting. Thanks for sharing the idea and that too so clearly. We are lucky that you are crazy!

Anonymous said...

Did you tape or glue your scraps to the paper? How did you hold them down in order to make sure it would stay put ?

Susanne said...

I LOVE THIS! The scrappier, the better. I have tons of scraps, a whole big plastic tote of scraps and this would be a perfect project. The pillows make great gifts too. Some people throw those scraps away. They don't know what they are missing. Thanks for sharing.
(((HUGS))) Susanne :)

Unknown said...

I love this! Amazing! My first quilt was a thousand pyramids design using those triangles. Made the entire top without ever figuring out how to line them up! lol!

Valsy said...

You could make lovely bunting from these triangles...sew them all up on a ribbon...my next project I think :-)

Samantha DeMato said...

Thanks for the Tutorial! I save all my scraps, and this is perfect to make a quilt for the charity (Binky Patrol) that I work with! Awesome post!

Sharon M said...

I just found this. Thanks so much for posting this as I am overrun with scraps. I will try to remember to share this with you when I finish.

shurl said...

My dresser drawer (full of strip scraps) needs to be emptied. I love this idea. thanks for your post

Andaira said...

Buena idea. Me gusta!!!!!!

c said...

REALLY KEWL
I love Bonnie Hunter and your ways.
Thank you for sharing, made my day-I been in an nine month slump

Anthony and Sharon said...

I ended up doing what Mimi asked about...when I ripped off the first few pieces of paper, my seams came loose so I just laid a triangle under my scrap strips, then when all pieces were sewn, I pinned the fabric to the triangle and cut around...seems to be working great (but isn't quite as fast as sewing it to the paper in my opinion...I do the piecing "factory" style and do about 25 at a time so I'm not constantly getting up and down from the machine to the iron)...

Anyway...just wondering if this ever got finished? I've still got quite a few triangles to make, but other than assembling them like you have them in the photo, I'm not sure what to do with them. I've got a few ideas, but an example would be great!?

Maria Filomena said...

Loveling.....

hugs

Maria Filomena

Mary Pat Callihan said...

This year I am committed to using every scrap over one half inch. I have been having fun with my bits, but have been searching for an idea for my strips....and here it is! Thank you!

SDMomma said...

Love it! Great way to use up all my scraps!

good4life said...

Love this idea! You're not crazy, you're fun and creative!! Now I can't wait to bust out my scrap pile! Thanks so much for sharing! :)

TruckinQuilter said...

Love them ! But it is only crazy if you decide to make a king sized quilt out of them LOL.

Aunt Marti said...

I thought you sewed strips, then cut 60 degree triangles. But I see this method would be more efficient for short strips. I like to do my foundation piecing on lightweight (read: cheap) muslin; then I don't have to tear off all the paper!

Judy said...

Thanks for the idea, I am going to try this for charity doll quilts that I make each year at Christmas time. I like doing them at our annual retreat as I don't need to think about what I am doing and feel a sense of accomplishment at the end of the weekend.

Anonymous said...

I love your idea, however I do something like this and instead of paper I use muslin as the backing. It strengthens the fabric and adds a layer for warmth. and you don't have to worry about removing the paper. :)
enjoy from Laura-Jean

Unknown said...

This is so awesome! I can't wait to try with a bunch of scraps I have left over from a quilt I made my youngest daughter. Thanks for the quick tutorial!

Unknown said...

I used to use paper for paper piecing, then I discovered the lightweight interfacing fabric, that I used to use for tracing patterns when I used to make lingerie and bathing suits . . . most fabric shops will sell it, it's a tracing web . . . best part, you can leave it in and don't have to remove it afterwards, you can trace on it with a pen or pencil and it doesn't add any extra bulk. I love your idea of using up scraps - I won't say how many boxes of scrap quilting fabrics I have stashed around the house.