Scrap Happy Quilt Tutorial

Scrap Happy Hexagon Quilt

I had a pile of 1-1/2" scrap strips and needed a quilt to use up some (so that I could close the box😂). I guess I could have found a bigger box as someone suggested...

Well, this is the quilt I came up with. It uses the strips, a solid background and one template. (This picture, above, is sideways)

Today is NATIONAL QUILTING DAY so in honor of that, I'm posting a FREE tutorial here to make this quilt.

 

This is a Fons and Porter template that measures 6-1/2' high. All sides are equal (60° angles). Any 6-1/2" equilateral triangle template will do. 

I DO sort my scraps a bit. I make my scrap quilts using LIKE scraps...either all brights or all muted or vintage...I rarely mix civil war, for example, with brights. I just dont feel they belong together. If a scrap doesn't FEEL right to you, dont use it. And if you really don't like a scrap, get rid of it...you probably won't like it in your quilt. 

So to start I dig through my scraps and sew the strips together until i have a tall enough piece...i lay the template on it once in a while to make sure everything is long enough. 

Another option if you have LONG strip pieces, is to sew them together lengthwise into one long scrappy strip (at least 6-1/2" tall and 8" wide).

After sewing enough strips, press them all one way.

Now cut your triangle pieces out.

The hexagons are made up of 6 of these triangles. Three are stitched together then a background spacer then another three.

 The next row will complete a hexagon WITHOUT you doing any Y seams.  But pay attention to the direction the triangles are placed. 

NOTE: Row 1 & 2 are identical, just flipped. Row 3 & 4 are also identical.

For the background, cut 6-1/2" wide x W.O.F. strips. Cut out triangles using the same acrylic template.

For the edge pieces (beginning and end pieces of each row), you need to cut 1/2 triangles BUT make sure you use the line 1/4" from center so that you have a triangle with a seam allowance. See below.

It takes two rows to complete the hexagons. Each row makes either the top half or the bottom half.

 I staggered the third and fourth row by starting with a single triangle...this will create a diamond at the beginning and end of row 3-4. You can do it the same as I did or just repeat row 1 and 2. If you repeat 1 & 2, your hexies will be all in a row stacked on top of each other. Just depends on the look you want. 

I'm making 5 large hexies across... So my quilt should be about 70" wide. The hexagons are about 14" wide when finished. I may add an extra 2 rows to get a bit more length ...this will depend on how many scrappy strips I have. 

I'll add some extra pictues tomorrow showing piecing of triangles. Right now it's just a bunch of pieces on my "design" floor.
Update:

I'm sewing together row 1. I have five 1/2 hexagons made, a bunch of blue background triangles and 2 background 1/2 triangles (to start and end this row).

If you've sewn triangles together before, you know the points need to stick out and that the stitching is done "ditch to ditch". It's very important to line up the edges correctly. 

If you HAVEN'T, go to Google...key in "sewing triangles together". You'll find some helpful videos.

 If any part of this process is unclear, just let me know. I'll be happy to add details.

Working on the Star Upon Star Quilt

We are back from our SHORT Florida vacation and are SO happy to be home. Usually we're gone for a month and a half but last year we only signed up for 2 weeks because of the virus. And I'm so glad!

So when we arrived back to freezing Michigan, I got started on finishing up my Star Upon Star Quilt.

I put on the final border and am now pin basting it.

This quilt started with some vintage friendship stars I purchased at a resale.They were poorly constructed but the fabrics were adorable. I took them apart, recut the pieces square and put them back together. They went from 6" blocks to a 4-1/2". I had to use some of my vintage stash to make a few more to create the center. The stars were not all facing the same direction so I kept that cute, wonky detail. I like how random they look together. 

I then bordered the center and was going to call it good. After thinking about it, I decided to border it again with a scrappy star.... Loved how it looked. But I figured if I repeated the border one more time, it would bring the quilt up to a more "usable" size. I had used up almost all of my gray solid so I dug in my stash and found the stone color. They worked well together. The final border has some of the gray worked into the points to bring the two border colors together....to make it look intentional. And it kind of looks like a sawtooth...love those!. So that's when I called it good...finished! 

This used up a good amount of darker stash and scrap. I found a backing piece in my stash also. It was just a few inches short of working, so I added a few leftover half square triangles to increase the size. That worked! 

Today I should be done with the pin basting so that I can get free motion quilting it this week. I'd love to have a finish by the end of March!

Warming up in Florida

 Al and I are in Florida, warming up from the below zero temps in Michigan. I brought my favorite beach quilt... It's called SUMMER BREEZE and is one of my patterns from 2013. This quilt pattern is SUPER easy, uses 12 FQs and a bit of yardage...15 fabrics in all. I bet it would look cute in cut-up shirts. You know what? I think I'll try that. I need two fast and easy quilts for my grandsons bunk beds. This will be a perfect pattern!

So here's the weather we left behind...looks pretty but SO cold!

I'm so grateful that we were able to make our yearly trip down here. It won't be as long as usual but it's better than nothing. I hope you are all keeping warm and dry. I've been reading about the cold going down to southern TX! And the ice! Stay safe everyone!

Stitched up "Sewing to go" bag

I found this cute sewing supplies tin at Home Goods last week. It's perfect to hold my epp papers, thread, scissors, etc for trips and car rides.

I loaded it up with everything I need for English paper piecing.

I have a bag of scraps and strips that need to become hexagon flowers but there wasn't enough room in the tin for this pile...so, I decided to make a tote to hold the tin and the fabric.

It turned out perfect. I needed something to sew at the end of the zipper I had inserted. The L.L. Bean label is from a shirt I cut up for fabric...it works perfectly. 

 

The purple quilt is finished!

This purple scrap jar stars quilt is now in the completed pile! 

It's going to my niece who saw it and absolutely LOVED it. She's moving into a new home soon and her favorite color is purple...seems it was desitined for her!

This is my first finish of 2021 and of the first quarter so I'm tagging it as a #finishalong quarter 1 finish. I started this quilt about three years ago to use up my purple scrap box. I don't have much in that color...most of my scraps are blue. Maybe a blue scrappy quilt next?

 

The sewing room is finished!

 The flooring (carpet) finally came and now the basement is done including my sewing room! I'm so excited to start working in here.

I've spent days pulling things out of boxes and arranging cabinets and drawers. The closet is stuffed (not everything fits) so I started filling the guest room closet...that's where I'm hanging my quilt tops that need to be finished. I'll be moving a dresser and chest into the guest room so there's going to be plenty more drawers to stash fabric in (and I'll need it!).

I bought a brand new cutting mat...my old one had gotten a little warp to it plus I was starting to wear grooves into it. The best price I found for an Olfa mat (24x36") was at JoAnn Fabrics. They have some for $79 and with my 50% off coupon it was about 40...not bad. 

I'm still quilting the purple quilt. I do a bit at a time because if I work at it consistently, I end up with a back ache. It's almost done...maybe another hour.

Hopefully the TV will get put together soon...I'll be able to sew at my machine and see it straight ahead. I love to do that but I also like to have company downstairs. Al can watch TV and I can sew. Today he was hanging blinds and pictures while I quilted. 

Below is the TV room looking into my sewing room. I dont have a door closing it off...I wanted to be open to whatever is going on. 

Those sidelights, surrounding the opening, are doors that were marked down at our local lumber yard. Someone ordered them then didn't want them. They were in the clearance room for REALLY CHEAP. So, I decided to put them on display this way. They're really beautiful wood doors with beveled glass. They're fixed...just a pretty architectural accent.

We still have plenty of small projects to finish up down here but we're 85% done. Done enough to enjoy it!

Pin basting a purple quilt

 

I decided to start quilting one of my finished tops that were piling up, ready to topple over. So I chose this purple Scrap Jar Stars quilt. It's a fun pattern that I've used a few times...once with rainbow colors, once with red, white and blue and this one, all purple scraps with a low volume background.

Purple isn't a color I work with much although I do like it. So making this quilt pretty much used up my supply of purple scraps.

I think I may do one more to use up some aqua scraps. That pile is HUGE!

So this is on the floor upstairs in the dining area...sewing room still needs flooring.😣

The carpet guys told us they would install last Thursday but then someone measured wrong and the carpet they received isn't enough to do our three rooms downstairs. Soooo......now they say maybe in a few days if they can figure how to make it work OR a few weeks to get in more carpet. Let's hope they can make it work. 

I REALLY, REALLY want to start using my sewing room!

So before I started pinning this quilt, I dragged a bunch of tops out. I couldn't decide which to quilt next. I posted this picture on Instagram when I was trying to decide. Then I remembered my niece is moving into her new house very soon...AND she loves purple! 

So that settled it...I'll finish up this one and give it to her as a surprise housewarming gift.

Well, as it was posted on IG, she spotted it and said "LOVE that purple one!" Perfect! 

It has a new home to go to. 

Now to get it done.....

January birthdays

 

Dad turned 90 this past week! It would have been nice to have a big party and lots of family around but you know, COVID😣.

So we celebrated quietly with just a few of us and all being very careful...keeping our distance. Dad should be able to get the vaccine but who knows when there will be enough so that his turn comes. Dad probably prefers a quiet celebration...he never likes us to make a fuss. Soooo..

Congratulations and Happy Birthday, Dad! 

The other birthday is one of my younger brothers, who turns 55!! You're officially a senior citizen, Karl! Now you can get discounts🙈😂😂 if you're willing to admit how old you are! 

Happy birthday 🎂!

I've been working with Al on painting the lower level (cant call it a basement anymore! He's done such a nice job).

I just started cutting in the walls. Maybe he'll get those rolled today. And he cut shelves for my closet and hung the door. Getting close to the end! 

Happy 2021!!!!!!

 It's not just ANY new year...it's 2021! This is what we've all been waiting for, right? A fresh start! 

So I started off my new year by finishing my 2020 "Pandemic" quilt top... (Yes, the thimble quilt). 

At the end of 2020 it had 36 rows but then I thought about it, with so many leftover thimble pieces, why not add a few more rows. 

So I did. I ended up with 39 rows. At 2" tall that's 78"H by 72"W. 

There are still over 600 leftover thimble pieces in my box....not sure what I'll do with those.

So my other 2021 project is to finish the sewing room. Al has the bookcases in and we've decided on carpet for the floor (for warmth, it's in the basement). We're going to "build" our countertop... Hopefully our idea works. I need to get painting...I do the cutting in. Ceiling is painted so trim next and cutting in wall color. 

Al has also been building a bookcase around the "hidden" door to the grandkids hideout. We'll be creating an art piece to cover the opening (it'll be hinged) and that will be the "door". Inside the hideout is a rockwall, a Lego build station and two more little rooms. I really think they'll love this place.

So that's what's going on here. I hope everyone has a really good 2021! Happy New Year!🎉🎉

Christmas 2020

 Here we are...almost to the end of the year! Can you believe it? 

Al and I enjoyed a relaxing Christmas with just our girls (and families). Michigan is under restrictions ...no restaurants or bars are open. We didn't visit with any other family. My brothers we at their house in the U.P., my dad was alone at his place downstate, my sister was with her family downstate and all of Al's siblings were at their homes. Just a very quiet holiday. 

We were lucky enough to have a nice dumping of snow just before the holidays started...a good 8". I just love having a white Christmas. Al doesn't agree with me but he hates shoveling and snowblowing. 

When Lisa came up she brought her annual gingerbread "house". Every year she improves upon the year before.  This year she made two AT-ATs (from Star Wars) for her nephews. They were adorable.... Well, as adorable as is possible for attack vehicles! 

She tied ropes (licorice) around their legs, which is how the good guys toppled them in the movie.

Isn't she talented?!! 

Henry was so happy to see that the gingerbread structure for this year was this. 

Our tradition is to break the structure open, starting with the youngest. Charlie gave one a good smack with a wooden hammer, crushing in the side and then Henry delivered a fatal blow to the other.  Lisa had lots of surprises and candies hidden inside. 

This was a new gingerbread cookie recipe that Lisa tried out and it was really tasty. The boys gobbled it up, and a bunch of candy too, until Jenn put a stop to that!😂 

They weren't the only ones with too many treats. I made a bunch of cookies and a coffee cake (which Lisa decorated for me). 

I KNOW I put on a few pounds with this holiday😣 

So now it's just Al and I here in the house. 

He's back to working on finishing the basement off (including my sewing room!) 

And I'm working on my thimble quilt. I haven't touched it in a week or so. I'd REALLY love to get it done by the end of the year but that's not happening. So I'll work on it and finish it in the beginning of the new year. 

I didnt accomplish anywhere near what I hoped to this year but still, I had finishes. And that's a good thing in this horrible, crazy year. 

And...I'm back to sewing

Maybe it's a cold weather thing but my sewjo is back. And so is winter! We just had 6" dumped on us! It's beautiful and cold and it makes me want to curl up in a nice warm quilt by the fire...but also to sew!

I added a few more rows so my Thimble Quilt about 31 rows long now.

All the scrap fabrics were cut into thimble shapes so I just need to sew...just keep sewing...just keep sewing (reminds me of Dory in the Finding Nemo movie)

When I finally have the last row on, I know there will be leftover thimble pieces. Do I make a second quilt like this? Or do I give them away? I considered that but it's such a specific template... Maybe I'll do a few mug rugs. Those are always fun to have and to give. 

Here's the entrance to my backyard...a bit of snow, you say? 😂 Yes! It is! But that's why I love living in northern Michigan. It's alway so beautiful and the weather is always changing.