June quilt QAL-week 1

Welcome to week 1 of the June quilt Quilt-A-Long! This will be very informal...I will share instructions here on the blog each week and you can sew along with me at whatever pace you wish. Feel free to share your progress on social media. If you would like to post your progress on Instagram or Facebook, use the hashtag #JunequiltQAL (I realize that it is a little bit redundant, but I'm going with it anyway!)

Here's a quick rundown of what each week will entail:

Week 1: sort scraps // choose a color scheme // gather materials

Week 2: start sewing the string blocks

Week 3: cut the background fabrics // finish sewing the string blocks

Week 4: assemble the quilt top // quilting ideas

Scrap Sorting

The first step in the making of any scrap quilt is to sort your scraps and assess what you have to work with. My string box is FULL! I have to be honest, the string scrap category is my least favorite. It's a constant challenge to keep up with them, probably because they aren't very inspiring to me. (It's true!) All that to say, this QAL will be a good challenge for me. :)

I dumped out all the strings from the box and started sorting.

In this photo, the top pile is strings to give away. They are fabrics that I've used over and over again or ones that I just don't care for or I don't see myself using. I plan to pass them along to someone who will be excited to use them! The center pile of strings are ones I plan to cut into squares. (They are all wider than 2 1/2", so I will cut them into 2 1/2" squares.) The bottom pile is the multi-colored pile...fabrics that don't have a predominant color. I also took out any odd bits and any very short strings. (Scraps take a lot of maintenance. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise!)

The remaining strings are sorted in color order. Man, that is so satisfying!

Choose a color scheme

The next step in the QAL is to choose a color scheme. When I made my June quilt for the book, I started sewing the string sets together first, then I chose a background color. It worked out alright, but this time I am recommending that you choose your background color first. The main reason for doing this is so that you can avoid using the background color IN your string blocks. If you were to use a red background fabric, and you used a lot of red in the string squares, there will be a lack of distinction in colors and the pattern of the quilt would get lost. If you use a red background fabric, you can still use red fabrics in the strings, but I would recommend doing so sparingly. Or, at the very least, make sure that there is a value difference between the two.

Here are some ideas for background fabrics:

Small scale polka dots with a light background would be a fun option. Here's an example of a quilt with various red and white polka dot backgrounds. I used a black and white polka dot fabric in the quilt that I made for my craftsy class. It's hard to go wrong with dots!

Solids are a safe bet for a background fabric, but they don't have to be boring. If you use a linen or chambray, it will add a textural element to your quilt. The fabrics shown in this photo are Essex Linen (in natural, perhaps?) by Robert Kaufman, Chambray by Andover, Shadow (Kona cotton) and a lovely bright pink Essex Linen.

I'm a big fan of red and white polka dots, too! It's a bold choice, but it would make a super fun quilt.

Gather materials

I'll be giving instructions on how to make a baby quilt, which will measure 51" x 51" and a lap size quilt, which will measure 51" x 68". (I realize that is a little large for a baby quilt, but it is the best size option I could get with an on point setting.) If you want to make an 85" square quilt, as shown in the book, by all means, please do! :)

For the background fabric you will need:

1.3333 yards for a baby size quilt (there will be about 2"-3" extra)

2 yards for a the lap size quilt (there will be about 5" extra)

I recommend buying a little bit extra yardage than listed above, but I'll leave just how much extra up to you. That is why I specified how much wiggle room there is in the yardage listed above. (I hope that isn't too confusing!)

For the cornerstone fabric you will need:

1/3 yard for a baby quilt (there will be only 1/2" extra)

1/2 yard for the lap quilt (there will be 2" extra)

Again, buy the additional amount of fabric that you feel comfortable with. I'll leave how much up to you.

For the quilt in the book, I used two different fabrics for the cornerstones, but for the lap and baby sizes, I am assuming that you only will use one fabric for the cornerstones. Feel free to substitute in a second fabric if you wish.

Of course you will need plenty of string scraps, too! Select scraps that are at least 1" wide and 2" wide or less. Scraps should be at least 4 1/2" long. If you don't have a lot of variety of string scraps, you could chop up a bunch of charm squares into 1 1/2" or 2" widths. That would give you a lot variety without spending a lot of money.

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I'm undecided about what kind of quilt to make myself, but I have two options that I came up with...

I have an awful lot of low volume scraps and I know that they would be lovely paired with this red and white polka dot. I have more than enough fabric to make a lap size quilt.

This is the second color option that I came up with: all the colors of scraps except reds and black & whites, paired with Essex linen. (Ironically, I have the most red scraps! Ha!) I have just enough background fabric to make a baby size quilt.

Unless I come up with another brilliant option, probably will make both options listed above. Because if it isn't ridiculous, it isn't worth doing, right? Ha!

If you have any questions, please let me know in the comments and I will do my best to answer them. I'm excited to see what you come up with for your quilt! 

scrap vortex QAL, week 5

Welcome to the final week of the scrap vortex QAL! I'm thankful that so many of you have joined in and quilted along with me. It's been delightful to look through the #scrapvortexqal hashtag on Instagram. So many scraps are being put to good use! Hurray!

Before we get on with today's post, I wanted to share a few quilt tops made by others!

This one was made by Amanda of Material Girl Quilts. It measures about 46" x 63".

This one was made by Linda of Flourishing Palms. It measures a whopping 89" x 91"!

And this one was made by debpotteringabout. She used all of her scraps...ALL of them!!! How is that for a success story?

Didn't they all do a great job on their quilts??? Many thanks to Amanda, Linda and Deb for letting me share their work here!

Over the past few weeks, I've shown how to fit the pieces together based on the random sizes of your block. I would recommend using that method, if you are up for it. However, I would imagine that some of you may want to rely on a block format for construction. I've done a few quilt block mock ups to show a few options if the random layout isn't working for you.

For this first mock up, you could use all 12" blocks. This isn't a bad option at all, just a bit more structured than the typical randomness of a scrap vortex quilt. When you start the assembly, at least you are guaranteed that your blocks will fit together!

This second layout uses just 3 different block sizes: 12" squares, 12" x 18" rectangles and 6" x 12" rectangles. In this layout, you will lose the grid of the patchwork (which is a good thing) and it becomes more random, but it's still orderly and predictable. This isn't a bad option, either! These are just a few examples to illustrate my point. Of course, they can be sized up or down as desired. Completely random is good, too!

As far as quilting goes, I would recommend doing spiral quilt (tutorial here) to keep with the vortex theme.

A pieced back....

and scrappy binding are options that I would recommend as well!

It just makes sense, right? :)

Well, that's all I have for today! As always, if you any questions, I'll try to answer them in the comments!
Thank you ALL for quilting along with me!!!

scrap vortex QAL week 4

Welcome to week 4 of the scrap vortex quilt along! I didn't touch this project all week, sadly. I got my blocks out this morning to take some photos for today's post. I had fun playing around with what I have done so far and I think I might put the "to-do" list aside for an hour or two today to PLAY! The vortex quilt has a way of sucking you in! (Hahahaha!)

This week is more of the same...take two pieces of the same size and sew them together. The top piece is about 11 3/4" x 16 3/4" and the bottom piece is about 14 1/2" x 16 3/4". (The only reason I mention the size is so you can visualize the scale. Your block sizes will be different that mine, no doubt. Don't get hung up on measurements at this point!) Since the patchwork pieces are the same width, and since they look good together, I will sew them up. Once again, notice the staggered seams. This is important so you lose the grid of the patchwork in the larger piece.

I like these two blocks together, but the one on the left is too short, so I will add a pieced strip to the top of the left block. I could add a single string to the top, but it would be too big compared to the rest of the pieces. A pieced string will look better. Whenever you are pairing two blocks together, you have to option of adding to the shorter block or trimming the taller block. I prefer to add pieces as much as possible, trimming only when there is 1/2" difference or less. (That's a general rule, not a hard and fast rule.)

Here I have several larger pieces completed. They range from 21" to 12" on each side. I would encourage you to spend some time playing with the pieces as if you were putting a puzzle together. Arrange and re-arrange until you get a few pieces that you like together, then sew them up. Fill in the gaps with patchwork as needed. This is such a fun and freeing way to work....at least I think so! I hope you have discovered it to be, as well!

If you would like to look back, I've linked to the previous posts below for easy reference:
scrap vortex QAL week 1
scrap vortex QAL week 2
scrap vortex QAL week 3

If you have any questions, please let me know. I'd love to hear how your quilt is progressing! Thank you for quilting along with me!

scrap vortex QAL week 3

We are on week 3 of the quilt along already! I hope you are having fun with it! I know I am!

This week is more of the same...sewing two pieces of patchwork that are about the same size together. See how the blocks are getting larger and larger? That's what you want. Don't worry about a specific block size at this point. I know that goes against the grain of what you may be used to, but it will all work out in the end! Trust me!

I'll give a specific example of block construction again this week, because I think seeing it step by step is helpful. At least I hope so!

Select two pieces of patchwork that look good together. See the piece on the left? It is shorter than the one on the right, so I decided to add an orange string to the bottom of the left hand side.

After adding and pressing the orange strip, the left side is still a little shorter. I could add another strip to the bottom to the same side, but the additional strip would be pretty skinny.

Instead, I sew the pieces together, but rather than aligning the top edges, I align the bottom edges. Why? Because the patchwork pieces on the top right hand side are taller and better for trimming in this case. If I trimmed off the bottom of the right hand piece, that cute little teal crosshatch fabric (on the bottom right) would have been just a sliver after trimming. Can't have that!!! :) Also, if you look along the center seam, you will notice that the seams are nicely staggered with this alignment. That's what you are after!

Trim up the block so it's a square or rectangle. I'm not super fussy about the sides being at a PRECISE 90 degree angle, but close is good! Isn't it amazing how much better the block looks after it's trimmed up? That never gets old!

There was a question last week about trimming. At this point in the block construction, I do trim the block after each addition with my rotary cutter and ruler. I try to keep the pieces relatively square or rectangular, because it makes the fitting the larger pieces together so much easier.

This week I felt like I was lacking variety (or getting sick of my scraps), so I scrounged (hahaha!) in my craft room to find some new things to add to the scrap basket. I had a bunch of bags of scraps that I had separated out for "someday" projects, (Heather Ross, Echino, Kaffe Fasset, some Anna Maria Horner and even a few of my own new fabrics) but liberating the scraps and adding them to my others will breath new life into the quilt. Plus, I have 3-5 fewer bags floating around the craft room. So, it's a win-WIN!

You may find that you have to go back to square one and start making new pairs for your quilt. I know I will need to!

That's all I have for today. I hope you have FUN sewing! Let me know if you have any questions!

scrap vortex QAL, week 2

Welcome to week 2 of the scrap vortex QAL! I'm very happy that so many of you are quilting along with me! Today I will be showing the directions for this week, and at the bottom of the post, I have a Q & A to address a few comments from last week. There is a lot of info in this post! (Please take the time to read it! :) )

This week's assignment is very similar to last week, except this time you just sew pairs of pairs together. Sew some pairs side by side, sew some pairs end to end. You can sew 3 little pieces in a row, then add a string to one side....any way works. Make some of each!

Let me walk you through a few examples. I chose to pair these two pieces together because they are about the same length. I could sew them together as is, but the red is right next to the dark blue and green. That would work, but....

flipping the piece on the right places the yellow next to the dark blue green. It looks much better the second way, so I sew it up! Now, don't overthink each step. If you do, this quilt will drive you crazy, because there are about a million decisions in a scrap vortex quilt. BUT, auditioning your options is a good thing! It's a fine line some days. Ha!

At this point, I will trim the top and bottom edges just a sliver, because the piece is getting a little bit unruly. That's it! Make several pairs of pairs. Or make sections of 5, 6, 7 or 8. (You will need hundreds of blocks!)

Here are just a few photos to show different scrap configurations...

 

Here is an example of building with slightly larger blocks. When I was pairing smaller blocks up, I noticed that these two blocks were sitting next to each other. They were in progress from a previous sewing session. They are roughly the same length and the colors work well together, so I sewed them together.

Notice how the seams don't line up in the middle? That is actually preferred, believe it or not. The offset/staggered seams add visual interest to the block and it helps blur the lines in each individual block that you are building. That's what you want! Random is good! :)

The edges of this block are pretty tidy, so I won't trim this block at this point. I'll just add it to the temporarily done pile.

Here is what I accomplished this week. Not a ton, but it is progress! It is kind of slow going at the beginning, but once you start adding blocks together, you will gain momentum! I like to place my blocks on the design wall as I complete them. It's encouraging to see progress!

Now, to answer some questions...

Q: My scraps don't all "go together", so how much should I edit?

A: My advice to you would be to edit based on the tone of the fabric more than anything else. If you have a lot of scraps that are in more traditional colors vs. the candy colors (what I tend to use) I would separate them into two different categories. Also, don't take out all the darks out of the equation (that would be my tendency), because the quilt needs the variety of values. The darks add interest to the quilt. At the end of the day, YOU need to decide what your comfort level is in editing your scraps...after all, it's your quilt!

Q: Will there be a linky party for the quilt along?

A: I don't think so, but if you want to share your progress, you can use the hashtag #scrapvortexqal, if you are on Instagram.

Q: How big is the largest scrap in your quilt?

A: I had to go check, but I found one (the green strip shown above) that is about 2 1/8" x 7 1/4 long. That's pretty big for me, but you can use any sized scraps you want!

Q: How do I sign up for the QAL?

A: This quilt along is very informal. In order to join, all you need to do is leave a comment (or not) and sew right along with me following the directions that I post. Easy and fun! If you have a blog, post about your progress! Or use the #scrapvortexqal hashtag on Instagram.

Q: How long will this QAL run?

A: Probably through the month of June, maybe into early July. We will see how things go!


Ok, that's all I have for this week. If you are quilting along, please let me know how your quilt is progressing! If you have any questions, I'll try to answer them in the comments (or in the next post).

scrap vortex QAL--week one

Today I'd like to kick off the scrap vortex quilt along! It's going to be very informal and hopefully a lot of fun. If you are looking to make a dent in some of your scrap bins, this quilt along is for YOU!

The quilt along will be based on my scrap vortex quilt. You can read all about and see lots (!) more photos here. If you would like to join in the quilt along, collect your scraps--the more the better--and get ready to sew!

My favorite thing about this method of scrap sewing is that you don't need to cut out a bunch of stuff before you begin....you get to start sewing right away! And that's a good thing!

A few tools that I find helpful are: a pair of sharp fabric scissors, a pair of thread snips, a hot iron, a bottle of spray starch and a spray bottle of water. (A steam iron could work in lieu of the spray starch and water bottle.) You will also need a cutting mat, ruler, rotary cutter and a sewing machine.

I find it easiest to set up my work station in an L shape, with my ironing board close to my sewing machine on one side and my cutting station close on the other side. A lot of times I stand and sew.
As you can see, I have a lot of scrap piles to choose from...some on my ironing board, some on the floor, some on the desk. LOTS of options! It's not necessarily a tidy process.

This week's assignment is SUPER easy! Take two scraps that are approximately same length*, press them and sew them together. Chain piecing is a great idea. Make a bunch of pairs and press the seams to the side, preferably toward the darker fabric. Be sure to use a short stitch length (I use a 2) on your sewing machine, so the pieces won't start to come apart when you handle them.

*When you pick two scraps that are about the same length, you are able to use the entire piece of scrap fabric, rather than cutting, trimming and making even more scraps. This method produces very few scrap by-products, except for the few threads when you trim up the piece. (I MAY be obsessive in my scrap usage. :) Aren't you surprised???)

Here is a sampling of the pairs that I sewed together. Notice how the size and shapes of the scraps vary. Some scraps are long and skinny. Some are more chunky. Some are sewn end to end. Some are sewn side to side. Make a bunch of pairs. Variety in shape, color, size and configuration is good.

I would recommend that you find a basket to hold the sewn pairs after you press them. Otherwise, the unsewn scraps can overtake the whole lot!

One other thing...as I sew, I have a "donate" bag to collect the scraps that I simply don't want to use. Don't feel like you HAVE to use every scrap that comes through your hands. You can pass the ones that you don't care for along to someone else. I don't know about you, but sometimes I think that it's nice to have permission to do that.

Most importantly, have FUN with it!

If you have any questions, I'll try to answer them in the comments. If you are planning on sewing along with me, I'd love to know!



final quilt along update

Once again, I want to say a HUGE thank you for all of you who joined me for the scrap basket quilt along and who contributed quilts to Margaret's Hope Chest! What a difference you've made! We are so grateful!!!

 

Quilts have been received from the following people:

Donna B.

Carrie W.

Rebecca H.

Christine P.

Lois C.

Julia S.

Mina K.

Selina K.

Shaunna B.

Jessica W.

Melanie D.

Jasmine S.
Lisa H. 
Libby B.

The winner for the final round is Libby B.

Again, thank you, thank you, THANK YOU!!!

Here is a note from Carol, one of the directors at MHC:

 

"From July 1 to August 1, 112 quilts were collected from our volunteer quilters around the country. Some participated in the quilt along through Crazy Mom Quilts--others just donated as they have in the past when their time and resources allowed.  All the quilts will be used for the mother-baby program at Pine Rest, at the 2 prison giveaways this fall, or for the mission trip to Guatemala in November.  Many quilters sent a thank-you note to us for allowing them to be a part of our mission. We say THANK YOU to all the friends across the country who were so generous to Margaret's Hope Chest this month.  We could not do what we set out to do without your help!"

If you missed the August 1st deadline, please know that MHC accepts donations at ANY time. They will use the quilts to continue to spread HOPE to those who are hurting and in need. Just last month, they donated their 2000th quilt!!! What an exciting milestone with a touching backstory.

quilt along update

 

Just a little reminder...

If you have joined in the scrap basket quilt along, it's time to send your quilts to Margaret's Hope Chest, if you haven't yet. (I know I still need to ship mine!) Again, the address is:

 

Margaret's Hope Chest

630 Griswold Street SE

Grand Rapids, MI 49507

 

The deadline for entries is August 1, 2014 if you want your name thrown into the hat for prizes.

 

 

Also, the first 20 quilts have arrived! If your name is on the list below, MHC has received your quilts.

 

Donna S.

Anita S.

Roberta M.

Sharon V.

Andrea T.

Dona A.

Katie K.

Jamie C.

Wanda D.

Becky M.

Beth S.

Nancy C.

Erin S.

 

THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU! We so appreciate your time, effort and your help! Thank you for sharing HOPE with others!

 

The prize winner for the first round is Katie K. I will continue to post updates as I receive them.

 

Once again, thanks to all of you who have quilted along with me!!!

 



scrap basket quilt along link up

Welcome to the final week of the scrap basket quilt along! A HUGE thank you to all of you who are quilting along with me. If you haven't started yet, no worries. It's not too late to join in! :)

I finished my rail fence quilt last Tuesday when I had a few uninterrupted hours of sewing time. (It was such a treat!) I'm very happy with how my quilt turned out, but more importantly my boys gave it their seal of approval. Not that it's a tough sell or anything, but still, good to know!

When you are finished with your quilt, please send it to the following address:

Margaret's Hope Chest
630 Griswold SE
Grand Rapids, MI 49507

Just a few reminders....

The "deadline" is August 1, 2014 if you'd like your name thrown into the hat for prizes. One prize per every 20 quilts donated. If you are donating a boys' quilt, your name will be thrown into the hat twice. It can be any type of quilt, it doesn't need to be a rail fence quilt as shown here. If you are looking for other ideas, there are bunch on this page. Aim for a finished size of 50" x 60".

Now, it's your turn! If you are quilting along with me, I'd love to see your progress! Please link up so all of us can see your progress/finished quilt. I will leave the linky open until August 1, so even if you don't have progress to share at this time, you can still link up when you are ready.

Happy Monday to you!