"Scrap the Stash" Quilting 365

Scrap Buster 365:
Blocks 1 - 8

Good intentions are seldom a problem for most people, however, carrying them out takes commitment first, then time and focus. I find that time can become available with some re-direction of focus and prioritizing. Simplifying and being realistic are crucial to this exercise.

With that in mind, I have set 3 major quilt related goals for myself in 2016.

1. A new quilt/bedspread for our queen size bed.
2. Focus on boutis
3. Reduce the stash and clean up partially finished projects. The recommended daily dose for this is 30 minutes.

This last goal of "stash quilting" can accomplish several objectives. The obvious, of course, is that the "collection" will be reduced and scraps will be re-purposed. It will also allow me to experiment with improv quilting and with colour play. And 30 minutes should not interfere too much with the rest of my day.

Much of my fabric is stored in these IKEA acrylic boxes. There are 13 of these units full of fabrics. To the brim! A few are filled with scraps and rejects. This is the first box of scraps to be dealt with.

Several sorts and resorts resulted in these scraps being categorized by colour, similar shapes (strips, triangles, squares) and similar weights (not all are quilting fabrics), and by pre-cuts, pre-pieced and pre-prepped (trims, bindings, etc.).

Left over bindings and trims.

These golds, greens and beiges made the final sort for the first scrap buster project.

In this mix are a number of pieced blocks left over from previous quilts.

These pre-pieced units came together quite quickly and easily as a simple 8 1/2 inch block (8 1/2 ish; I'm not going to worry too much about the exact size for now). Starting with this simple block allowed me to set some general parameters as to the size and shape that would work with the scraps I have. Evolution of the blocks will likely be an on-going process.

I left a few pieces of eggplant coloured fabrics in the palette. The verdict's not in on that yet but I'm inclined to think "no".

Below are the first 4 blocks completed by the trial and error method. And yes, it was a trial and there is certainly error. Top right hand corner is a serious "no-go". What was I thinking?!? The other 3 could possibly be worked into something.

After the first block, bottom left, I played around with the log cabin setting. Other then the upper right hand corner, I think that this pattern could work.

But since I am still experimenting with the type of block that will suit my purposes best, I decided to switch it up and move into a long setting for blocks 5 - 8. I quite preferred making these. There was less waste and they came together much faster.

Below I'm playing around with a layout possibility using both square and rectangular units.

So, after the first 8 days, I am finding that I quite like playing in the improv playground. There is much I need to learn about this type of "less defined" quilting and it's exciting to experiment with it. The 30 minute a day time limit is a bit more of a problem. I find that once I get going on the blocks, I can't stop myself. The freedom of this exploration is too much fun! Who knew?

Boutis: Traditional French Needlework

" Piqûre de Marseilles" or "Boutis" is a traditional French hand stitched and corded needlework technique, which uses embroidery stitches to create intricate channels that will later be stuffed with yarn, thereby creating a raised design with three layers. It's origins, and it's name, can be traced to the port of Marseilles in southern France to the 15th century. Traditional boutis was a technique invented to embellish otherwise plain white cotton with intricately patterned channels that would later be stuffed with a plump white yarn to give it relief. The resulting corded whitework created an elegant, embossed textile that was much sought after. Not only was it aesthetically appealing, but it also provided warmth and absorbency, so could be used for bed coverings, toilette linens (like towels), clothing items, home decor, etc. The first two photos below are from the collection of Mme. Monique Alphand, a well known French expert and collector of antique t

Amish Hand Quilting in France with Esther Miller

Esther Miller, was born into an Amish family in the U.S., and now lives in Germany where she has for many years taught the techniques and methods of Amish hand quilting to anyone interested in learning these skills. As a child, she would closely watch as the women of her community worked together on a quilt, and eventually she was rewarded with a needle of her own and encouraged to join the group. Through the years, she has mastered these skills and techniques and now generously shares them with anyone who has a genuine desire to learn. Esther Miller in Ste. Marie-aux-Mines in Alsace France. An example of her own work, Esther brings this intricately and perfectly hand stitched wall quilt to class as inspiration for her students. Last week, at the "European Meeting of Patchwork" in Ste. Marie-aux-Mines, in Alsace France, www.patchwork-europe.com , I had the privilege of taking a 2 day workshop with Esther. The Amish quilting method requires a free-standing simple

Blocking and Squaring Boutis

The door of her cage has been opened. She is free to fly off and find her destiny. After many months of hand stitching and then many more months of cording, my little "colibri" is ready to set off on her own. As this was my first attempt at designing so large a boutis piece, it was a learning curve. All of the tight swirls, curls and circles are a great deal more difficult and time consuming to cord then are the longer more gentle channels. Maintaining an even tension is absolutely necessary throughout the process, so patience comes in very handy when doing the cording. The process of stitching and cording a work of boutis subjects the fabric to a lot of handling and manipulation that can distort the design. For this reason, once all of the stitching and cording is complete, the boutis must be washed, blocked and squared. The first step of washing is to remove all traces of the marking pencil as well as any soil that may have collected over the many months of working w

GritJanuary 11, 2016 at 9:53 AM
Looking forward to see more from your scraps. Looks wonderful so far.
Cynthia GilbrethJanuary 11, 2016 at 12:32 PM
Great idea of grouping the scraps by color and making a quilt. Were the second group of blocks done by paper piecing? That seems to be fairly efficient. Instead of 30 min/day, why don't you try two 2 hour blocks of time? That gives you enough time to actually focus on a task. I can seldom get much done in only 30 minutes.
AnonymousJanuary 11, 2016 at 7:50 PM
Wow I am impressed with your experimental blocks. Super results! Love the colors. 30 minutes wouldn't work for me. I need to slot more 3 hours. (Unless it's cleaning��)
MonicaJanuary 12, 2016 at 8:52 PM
Your time issue is easily fixed by saying "at least" 30 minutes.

You're off to an excellent start! They are all lovely fabrics, and working so well together. Can you slice your WWIT block in half to match the other rectangles? Or, there's always the back!

Looks like some good, wintertime fun!

Seams French

Search This Blog