Scrap happy

... or happy scraps.  What it boils down to is, sometimes you just wanna dig in there and cut!

Can it be Saturday already?  Can it be June already??!

Yesterday I had a medical appointment out in Maryland that was set for 9 am but got changed at practically the last minute to 3 pm.  As a result, I got stuck in rush hour grid lock with "Auntie Em" circling overhead - what an annoyance!  I'm retired, I shouldn't have to be grid locked in rush hour traffic listening to the radio go "eeeennnk!  eeeennnnk!  This is a severe weather warning... there's a tornado practically over your head... if you're in your car, get your bad self under cover NOW!"  Or words to that effect.

So, back to the subject -- scraps can make you happy, no matter how you look at em!

Sometimes you just want to dig in and manipulate some fabric, so I grabbed my scrap bin and pulled some of the larger pieces out.  I wanted to make something uncomplicated and sorta quick, so I started out by cutting some 6-1/2 inch squares for a scrappy design. 

Next I pulled out a large piece of white yardage and cut a lot of  2-1/2 x 6-1/2" strips to use as sashing.  I have a lot of 2-1/2" strips I cut recently but nothing in plain white, and I wanted the sashing to be all the same, rather than random lights fabrics.

Wow, I feel like a designer!

I started by sewing a white 2-1/2 x 6-1/2" strip to one side of a 6-1/2" square - the top, as it turns out!  Then I cut some squares from my stashed 2-1/2" strips and sewed them to one end of a white strip.  They look nice, don't they?


sashing with cornerstone squares



squares with sashing at the top

  I took these photos before I pressed out the blocks and strips, but I like the colorful array, don't you? 

All the squares haven't been cut yet, I've been sewing after I get a few cut, to try and keep the scraps under control... they have a tendency to spread if you leave them out of their bin while you work!  Right now I'm thinking I'll make a full size quilt, each sashed block will finish at 8", so that means something like a 9 x 10 arrangement... we'll see.  I might decide to stretch it with multiple borders if I get bored before I finish!

Here's the arrangement of the blocks, they're very colorful if I say so myself!

Basically they're squares with white sashing and scrappy cornerstones.  They'll be pieced into horizontal rows with a sashing at both of the outer edges, with a border (or three) added on.  I don't want to start sewing them together just yet, I need to get a lot more cut, maybe about half the amount I need.  Then I can be sure of a good color placement since I have a few fabrics in there 3-4 times.   If I don't have enough large pieces in my scrap bin(s) I'll just cut from my regular stash - I ain't scared!

So that's what I'm up to now, as well as quilting my entry for the Friend and Family day this month for my Bee.  I'm also getting ready for vacation - more about that tomorrow!

Sew forth and sew on