Wednesday, October 2, 2013

Getting Scrappy Again

 I have been working nights again so I haven't finished any more quilts but I did manage to find time to cut and sort more scraps into containers. I have sorted them into squares, strips and half square triangles in various sizes.
 As you can see the waste basket was filling with bits and pieces too small to use.
 I had a small container of half square triangle pieces about 2.5" along one end so I started chain piecing them into half square triangles, ignoring the colours and just focusing on tone, matching dark and light triangles. Some of them were large enough to trim to 2.5" squares and some I trimmed back to 2" squares.
 I keep them sorted into small containers that have contained food bought from the supermarket. They are a good size to corral the squares and they are also handy to use when trimming threads. If they start to get worn out of shape then I can easily replace them. When they fill I start stitching them into blocks. I keep making them until I have enough variety in the fabrics.
I've always wanted to make an Ocean Waves quilt and think I may use the 2" half square triangles for this pattern when I have enough to start making blocks. I will probably use them as leader/enders and work my way through the scrap bins.
Linda commented on how many quilts I get finished but a lot of the tops I'm currently quilting have been donated tops and I'm just quilting a meandering pattern across the top. I find that working on small pieces at a time, like the half square triangles, gives me a head start when making blocks.
  Hopefully I'll have caught up on sleep and have more to share tomorrow.
Hugs, Jan Mac

3 comments:

Linda said...

Me again! I have been sewing pairs of small triangles together (already paired into a light and dark pair by the lady who donatedd them to me) as leaders/ enders during my last quilt project. I have now finished them and am trimming them into 1.75" squares. My intention is to create pinwheel blocks with them and then use them in a quilt I have sketched out on a scrap of paper. Nothing gets wasted here!

jacaranda said...

How do you do it Jan, you get so much done. Great idea using the containers, never thought about that. I have fabric that would be great for a scrap quilt, that might be my project for 2014.

Jan Mac said...

Hi Linda and Jenni, It's good to hear that you will be scrapping along with me. I've spent the morning cutting and pressing more scraps.