ScrapHappy Day, January 2020
I have not participated in the monthly ScrapHappy Day since August of 2019! I would like to say that instead of using scraps, I have been making lots of things with brand new fabrics, but that has not happened either. But I am very glad to be back.
Here are two lap quilts that I started last year. It is too cloudy out to photograph them outside today, so I pinned them to a Double Irish Chain that I have hanging on the wall. So they don’t have a lovely intricate red and white border; that is the quilt behind them.
Most of these scraps came from the bottomless shoe boxes of scraps I bought when my friend Marilyn downsized. The composition of the piecing isn’t anything special, but on the autumn-colored one, I did mark some patterns with stencils and practice quilting some interesting shapes.
Autumn fabrics lap quilt.
Back of the lap quilt, showing the facings and triangle corners.
Daisies lap quilt. On this one, I turned the facings to the front side.
Back of the Daisies lap quilt.
On both of them, I finished them with facings instead of binding. I use Robbi Joy Eklow’s technique. I really love it, because you sew down the corners first, and then do the facings one side at a time. I like it so much better than preparing enough binding to go around the whole quilt. And I can decide which side needs a little more spark, and turn the facing to that side.
Since these are going to long-term patients in the Veterans’ Administration hospital, the extra fabric in the corners should help them last a little longer too.
Daisies lap quilt facing corner. I will hand stitch the edge of the corner down.
Autumn lap quilt facing corner.
You may notice that on the Autumn lap quilt, the facings are different widths. Since this was made with scraps, there was about an inch of uncovered batting on the top of the back, so I just made that facing wider. Not show quality, but still useful. And now that they are done, I can pull out more scraps and start stitching them together!
ScrapHappy Day is the 15th of each month. It is hosted by Kate and Gun. All of the participants are linked up here, and if you have scraps, these blogs are a great place for inspiration in using them up!
Kate , Gun, Titti, Heléne, Eva, Sue, Nanette, Lynn, Lynda,
Birthe, Turid, Susan, Cathy, Debbierose, Tracy, Jill, Claire, Jan,
Moira, Sandra, Linda, Chris, Nancy, Alys, Kerry, Claire, Jean,
Joanne, Jon, Hayley, Dawn, Gwen (me!), Connie, Bekki, Pauline, Sunny, and Sue L.
Awesome work!
Use it up, move it out. Git along little doggies, er, quilts.
You are so right. I just want to power through all these scraps and send them to their quilt destiny.
Welcome back! And with plenty to show, too… Lovely quilts, for a great cause.
Both little quilts will be much appreciated. Well done for using up someone else’s scraps!
I will definitely remember your solution to a backing that isn’t quite big enough!
One lady I watch on YouTube always finishes up the scraps from the front of the quilt, by making a few rows for the back. I think it is Just Get It Done Quilts, but I just looked through all her videos and didn’t find the one I was looking for, so I can’t link to it. But I really like that idea!
I love that you have taken someone else’s scraps and transformed them into beautiful, useful quilts — and for a good cause! Beautiful!
Thank you. I hope they at least bring back some good memories for the patients! 🙂
I love the controlled haphazardness of these.
Thank you, that is a great phrase that captures what I am always trying to do with scrappy quilts! 🙂