More scraps!…

Robyn R

 

Sometimes it just doesn’t feel quite right to cut up a piece of fabric into the rectangles, (see Scrap Sorting), particularly as the size of the fabric is a tad bit bigger, or has a pattern that’s better kept larger. So when there’s enough the scrap cutting becomes 5-inch squares - otherwise known as ‘charm squares’.

How many? At least 4 or more squares. Why? There are many ways to use them, either as-is or further cuts - such as half-square and quarter-square triangles. For me, I prefer as-is, triangles and I don’t play nicely together!

Scrap squares do well in a nine-patch block, ranging from totally scrappy; scrappy plus background; by the numbers; random toss; split (see, Spots and Stripes), and more! Sewn together as leaders and enders they quickly make up big blocks. So that’s where the basic number of cutting 4 or more comes into play.

Storing in colour:-

So, this is an example of ‘by the numbers’ 4, 2, 2, 1

Pull out sets of 4 squares:-

Take one set of four, add 2 sets of 2 - which can be done by splitting apart sets or from leftover cuts, plus an odd square.

Here’s the layout of where the patches go, sewn into a nine-patch and then cut down the middle both horizontally and vertically.

After cutting, turn the single patch outwards to form 4 corners and resew back into a nine-patch. Voila! A 13.5-inch block.

Which when combined with as many others as you like, makes a semi-structured scrappy quilt that comes entirely from the stash of leftover fabrics. This one has lots to look at (might need to put the sunglasses on), reminders of past quilts - and using up those ‘what was I thinking?’ or ‘ugly’ fabrics. The little four-patch corners give somewhere for the eye to rest as it moves around the quilt, another option would be to sash the blocks, as long as there’s enough fabric in the leftover stash - no buying or raiding the ‘big stash’. Otherwise, it’s not scrappy! Can you spot the block? Have you got any of these fabrics in your stash (some go way back)?

Now to add it to the pile of ‘to be quilted’, which I’m supposed to be reducing, but looks like for each one that gets quilted another seems to sneak its way into the pile!

What do you do with your 5-inch scrap squares?

Cheers

Robyn