Bits, Pieces, Strips and Squares

I’ve mentioned before about not wanting to waste any pieces of fabric.

When I started quilting, I took all the little left over pieces (and some not so little) and put them into a big bag.  Later I sorted them by color, but I really didn’t do much with them. 

One time, while shopping at a discount Mill End fabric store, I found some muslin “templates” for blocks (this was VERY early in my quilting career) and I made this quilt:

It’s a simple New York Beauty pattern.  I didn’t know the name, but it was pretty easy putting the pieces onto a flexible muslin background.

Then, a couple of years ago, a friend signed me up for a “Scrap Tamers” monthly program at a local quilt shop.  I learned one very important thing: everything goes in quilting.  You can put different blocks, different colors, different sized pieces and everything else into a quilt!  I also learned that blocks do NOT have to be very complicated.

In a previous post, I mentioned my favorite block – the tossed nine patch (aka disappearing nine patch).  Well, now I want to talk about my most favored block.  People really, really like quilts that I make with this block.  When I’ve given representatives from a charity their choice of one of my quilts for a donation, more than half of them have chosen quilts with this block.  I’m not sure of it’s name. 

Block Construction

1.       Cut a square of fabric.  Any size.  Yes, really, any size

2.       Now, cut strips of any width.  You will need enough to surround the square.

a.       The length of strips 1 and 2 need to measure the size of the square

b.      The length of strips 3 and 4 need to be that, plus two times the width of the strips.

Yes, that’s clear as mud.  For example:

Size of square	Width of strips	Strips 1 and 2	Strips 3 and 4	Block size (with seam allowances
2 inches	1 ½ inches	1 ½ inches x 2 inches	1 ½ inches x 4 inches	4 inches square
4 inches	2 inches	2 inches x 4 inches	2 inches x 7 inches	7 inches square
4 inches	2 ½ inches	2 ½ inches x 4 inches	2 ½ inches x 8 inches	8 inches square
5 inches	2 inches	2 inches x 5 inches	2 inches x 8 inches	8 inches square
5 inches	2 ½ inches	2 ½ inches x 5 inches	2 ½ inches x 9 inches	9 inches square
6 inches	2 inches	2 inches x 6 inches	2 inches x 9 inches	9 inches square
6 inches	2 ½ inches	2 ½ inches x 6 inches	2 ½ inches x 10 inches	10 inches square
8 inches	1 ½ inches	1 ½ inches x 8 inches	1 ½ inches x 10 inches	10 inches square

And so forth…..

3.       Sew strips 1 and 2 to each side of the center square

4.       Press the seams outwards.

5.       Sew strips 3 and 4 to the ends

6.       Press the seams outwards again.

What Fabric to Use

I don’t select fabric for these blocks; I don’t use stash, I don’t buy new.  These blocks “select” their own fabric.  When I am done with piecing a quilt, I cut all the smaller pieces left over into squares.  If there is yardage left over, but I don’t think it’s enough to fold and put back into stash, I cut it into strips.  I start with 2 ½ inches wide, but I also cut 2 inch, 1 ½ inch, and sometimes even 1 inch if it’s nice fabric.  I then make as many blocks like these as I can from the squares and strips.  The remaining squares and/or strips get stored for further use.

·         I have storage boxes where I keep cut squares organized according to size and color family.

·         I roll strips into mini jelly rolls according to size and color family.

When I finish quilting a quilt, I trim all the sides and also cut those scraps into strips and squares.  I do make other types of blocks with these leftovers, but this block is an immensely popular block and I try to make several blocks of this sort each time I finish piecing or quilting a quilt.  I then store the blocks according to size and color family.  When the stack of one color family gets large enough, I put together a quilt from the blocks. 

You do NOT need to use all the same sized blocks in a quilt.  Nothing in the quilting rules states this necessity.  I make quilts solely of one size of this block, and others with 3, 4 or more different sizes of block.  I also recently made a quilt where I used rectangular blocks of this same design.  When I completed a block, I put additional strips on the long sides to square it off.  I did not take a picture, so here is my drawn rendition of it.  The lime green is the blocks and the dark green is the half sashing pieces.

Gallery

Now for a couple of pictures of quilts with this block:

1.       This quilt was donated to the MN Diaper Drive.  It is rectangular, and a twin/single size. It combines two block styles – the block I’ve been writing about and sashing of half square triangles (also from scraps). 

2.       This quilt has the block, but they have been set on point, rather than squared off.  This particular quilt was donated to a local private religious school for their “diamond” anniversary – fitting based on the diamond shaped blocks.  The blocks are all 4 inch purple centers, surrounded by 2 inch strips of green. 

3.       The last quilt also had a fraternal twin.  I had a large pile of purple into 4 inch squares and a large stack of green into strips.  When I was done making blocks, I had more than enough for a quilt – in fact, it was enough for two very large quilts – both are about Queen, almost King, sized.  With this one, I added a bit of organization to the block; same backgrounds are grouped together, etc.  Thor and Snowball (the black cat), showed their appreciation for it.