The Summer Scrap Elimination Blog: Week 4

Happy Thursday my Scrappy Friends! This week we are going to be looking at a simple couple of blocks that will pair nicely to make a beautiful scrappy project quilt that is easily expanded to be as large as you like. Once again, we'll be doing all simple piecing and all simple cutting.

As you clean out a collection of scraps one of the best things you can do to be organized is go ahead and make simple pre-cuts. When going through my scrap drawers, I press my scraps and cut them into 2 1/2" strips and 1 1/2" strips, then stack them in like groupings. It doesn't matter how long they are, I can always sub-cut them later while I am working. This week I will be using scraps that were pre-cut in this manner.

To make the blocks you will need:

2 1/2" squares

1 1/2" strips that are longer than 6 1/2"

1 1/2" strips that are longer than 5"

How many scraps you have will determine how many blocks you make. Now I have a ridiculous number of scraps, so I could have made this project much larger or just made 10 of these! However, there are more projects to come this summer so I limited myself to this size and just one. It would make a great cuddle quilt!

To make the quilt:

1. Begin by pairing 1 1/2" strips that are longer than 5" and stitching them together lengthwise.

Press in either direction

Sub-cut these units into 2 1/2" lengths.

2. Set up the center of the block by pairing the units you have created in step one with

2 1/2" squares.

Stitch the 2 1/2" squares to the units from step 1.

Press toward the 2 1/2" squares.

Stitch the resulting two sections together. Press either directions.

3. Add a 1 1/2" x 4 1/2" strip to either side of the center unit from step 2.

In this picture, you'll see you can stitch two strips that are a bit too long and trim both to size after stitching and pressing.

I tend to choose the same fabric for both sides.

Press toward the two sides.

4. Add a 1 1/2" x 6 1/2" to the top and bottom of the block as it has developed from step 3.

Again I am choosing the same fabric for both the top and the bottom of the block.

Stitch on both the top and bottom pieces and press toward the top and bottom.

If you are using strips that are slightly too long as I am, you will press and then trim each side even with the sides of the block.

You're resulting block will now measure

6 1/2" x 6 1/2".

5. Make the intermediate blocks by combining stitching together three strips

1 1/2" x 6 1/2" .

In this picture you can see I am using strips that are longer than 6 1/2" and once they are stitched and pressed, I trim them down to

6 1/2".

I also like to press these units all in one direction to make them a little flatter.

Make an equal number of these intermediate blocks as you have made of the first block.

6. To lay out your quilt use a design wall or a large table. Alternate the two blocks in each row.

This version has made no attempt to position color choices and just presents the very essence of scrappiness.

I made 9 rows with 5 of each version of the blocks in each row.

Stitch the rows together first pressing the odd rows to the right and the even rows to the left to help your seams come together more easily in the end.

7. Finally stitch all the rows together and press each new row toward the bottom.