Saturday 12 November 2011

November is scrappy and brown

There is an old saying that runs: "Better late than never!"

At the beginning of 2011 I had a blog but wasn't blogging.

I discovered quilting blogs soon after my return to the blogisphere in March. Along the way, I found Kate's Arty Bits Blog. Kate had been participating in the Rainbow Scrap Challenge since the beginning of the year. Curious, I followed the links and found SoScrappy. Angela encouraged quilters to use up their scraps by setting a different colour challenge each month.

But I was still a new quilter back in March. I had no scraps to speak of.

In August, I joined the Caring Hearts Community Quilting Group. At my first meeting, I was given a shopping bag full of scraps "to do something with".

Also in August, we began to make string blocks for Oz Comfort Quilts. I began to organise my scraps as follows:
- strings of three different lengths -- less than 6" inches, between 6" and 15", and more than 15"
- crumbs
- triangles
- larger pieces (less than fat eighths)
These are not separated by colour, only size and shape. Because I still have comparatively few scraps, these categories suit me at the moment.

In October, I participated in the Rainbow Scrap Challenge by making one scrappy appliqued heart (seen here). I was going to put an orange frame around the white background - but I had no orange scraps that I thought would work!

This week, I determined that I was going to participate in the challenge more fully so I went through that shopping bag and all my scrap containers. This is what I came up with (most of it came from the shopping bag):And this is what I made (while I was practising accurate piecing):

four patch blocks (6 1/2 inch unfinished) - one block is missing from this photo
nine patch blocks (6 1/2 inch unfinished) string blocks (6 1/2 inch unfinished)
Yes, that is a green in there; it looked brownish next to my other greens so it slipped in!

improv blocks (6 1/2 inch unfinished)
wonky window blocks (variations on the log cabin or square on square block - 6 inch unfinished)
The dark brown fabric around the centre of both blocks was cut into bias 1" strips when I got it so I found it impossible to keep it straight! Hence the title "Wonky Windows".

Nineteen blocks in all.

As I said, better late than never (And I haven't even cut my brown hearts yet!)

Do you have any brown in your stash/scraps?

11 comments:

  1. Actually, I can't say I have much brown in my stash, though I would have thought that it would be something I would grab first. Maybe it's not my colour. By the way, I love your string blocks

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  2. I have tons of brown in my stash and it is wonderful to see you have fun with fabrics and quilting!

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  3. I don't have a lot of browns in my stash. I love what you have done while you were playing. You are very creative!

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  4. Love those taupe blocks. You have been busy. I do have some brown in my stash, not much. Pretty browns are hard to find.

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  5. Wow, that is a lot of brown. What a great variety of blocks you came up with! 19 blocks is quite an accomplishment.

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  6. This look really effective! I especially like the string blocks and the wonky windows.

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  7. Yes better late than never. What a great way to practice your straight stitching.

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  8. I have lots of browns in my stash. I seem to use browns and pinks a lot.

    Your blocks are looking great! The corners meet nicely in the four patch blocks.

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  9. Your squares all look lovely. Do you want more brown? I'm sure I've got a few different bits in the stash....

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  10. Great use of scraps! I don't have many brown scraps right now.

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  11. not a LOT of brown in the stash - most of it has either been used or given away to make charity quilts.
    Boy have you cone a long way in a short time with your quilting!!
    well done !

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