Scrap Busting

It is amazing how scraps build up when you are a quilter.  Some, rare quilters, are able to throw them away. I am not that type of quilter. Some quilters have bags of scraps hidden away for the "someday" when they will use them to make a scrap quilt. 
Of course they keep buying fabric and collecting yet more scraps. I have been that type of quilter lately.  Early in my quilting I used scraps. People gave me scraps.  Now I have bags of scraps. 


Don't get me wrong, scraps are good.Keep your scraps, but don't SAVE them, bust them!  When I realized that I had to cut extra pieces for the quilt along blocks that I made too short, I made a decision.  I decided to cut some scraps while I had my AccuQuilt GO! set up and the value die was working anyway. 


So, I ironed a couple of scraps and cut some 2.5" squares while I was cutting the half square triangles.  Then, while sewing the pieces for the quilt along block, I used the square to sew on, sew off.  I normally have been using little scraps as "Thread Rats" to keep the points from clogging up when I start a triangle.  


I finished the extra parts of the quilt along block. The iron was still set up, ready to go. The bag of scraps was right beside it.  I decided to iron the entire bag of scraps then cut them up. 


I was surprised at some of the sizes of the "scrap" pieces as I was ironing.  I got my GO! cutter and some dies and put them out. I set up a scrap busting shop.


I started cutting. I cut 2.5" squares and half square triangles.  I cut more half square triangles in 3.5", 4.5" and 6.5".   I cut some quarter square triangles that will make a 4" finished block.  I even cut a few 4.5" squares. 


Here are the finished stacks:

I sat watching a movie and sorted them by lights and darks. There are a LOT of pieces there.  I still have more bags of scraps that need busting.  I will sew the half and quarter square triangles into square blocks.  I will sew the squares into four patches or nine patches.  Eventually I will have a truly scrappy quilt made as "extras" that were sewed in between pieces of other projects.  I won't have to cut the thread, or use a thread rat when I need to take pieces to be ironed, I will just sew a couple of these together and leave it under the presser foot while I go iron.  Then when each one comes out it goes into a stack for that scrappy quilt.  

As an added bonus, those scrap bags will start to diminish. 

How fun is that?

Half Square Triangle Tutorial

I am going to be ambitious this morning and see if I can write my first tutorial. Here is a method to make half square triangles (HSTs) quick and easy. You use two squares of fabric, sew four seams, cut and press for EIGHT finished HSTs. I confess that I don't know the math to make the exact sizes. I used 10 inch squares and my squares are four and three-quarters inches. (If you make the larger you can trim them down. First cut your fabric squares. Mine are 10 inches. (layer cake - but check them, I had to trim a couple!) Layer two of the face to face. Mark diagonal lines - corner to corner with a pencil or pen, it won't show. Next mark lines across the middles. All of the lines should MEET AND CROSS in the middle. At this point I suggest pinning thru the edges at the side to side and top to bottom lines. ( you do NOT sew on those lines. So the pins will not be in the way.) Sew quarter inch seams using the diagonal lines as your guide. On each side of the line you should have a seam. That will be FOUR seams

Remove pins and iron it flat. Go to the cutting board. Using your ruler for a nice straight cut and following the lines cut your piece into squares first using those side to side and top to bottom lines. Each piece will have two diagonal seam lines.

Now cut each square on the diagonal lines. Chop of the corners. (or if you are hesitant, uncertain etc. you can cut the dog ears off AFTER pressing.) I am brave and chop away. Then just iron them open and you have EIGHT HSTs quick and easy.

When doing small HSTs I prefer to use Thangles (or triangles on a roll) but for larger ones, this is so simple. Let me know if you use this tutorial. And feel free to link to it on your blog if you want.

My latest project

So, my Nonna (adopted grandmother) is moving to be near her son. She will be moving into an apartment above the wine bar that he and his wife own. For several years she has admired a quilted wall hanging in her minister's home. She did her best to describe it to me, however, we are wingng it. She did tell me that it is cross made up of half square triangles. I decided to draw up some "patterns" and let her choose the one she likes best. The really good news is that she chose the one I like best also. I have started quick-piecing some HSTs using a method I found online. http://www.qorsite.com/technique/hst.htm It works well but they are not coming out exact in size so I am having to trim them. C'est la vie! I will post pictures of the HSTs and the pattern later. And when I do, you are more than welcome to play along and make one for yourself or a loved one. The background for the cross will be white and the backing and binding will be navy blue. In my pattern the darks are represented by blue and the lights by white. HOWEVER, the darks will be various colors (even though I started with blue as you will see) and the lights will be batiks and light fabrics with small patterns. There are 70 HST units in my pattern. (just in case you want to start making them in advance of seeing the pattern.
More later
Gene