Plan-Ahead Scrap Quilt Progress
*Photo above: I love the scrappiness of this family treasure made by my great grandmother.
The road to creativity is paved with false starts and fabric scraps.
My idea of a great day in my studio is to have a fresh pile of fat quarters, a sharp rotary blade, and a few hours ahead of me with a fun quilt pattern just waiting to be made. Unfortunately, starting a new project is so much more fun than finishing what I’ve already begun! A very quick sort through my UFO pile revealed 4 quilt tops waiting to be basted and quilted; an embroidered sampler crying out for framing; and 3 scrap quilts in various stages of piecing.
My unofficial goals for 2021 are all about finishing what I’ve started and using my stash, so I’m “resolving” to complete at least one project before starting another. Doing that is going to take some planning, organizing, and lots of self-control!
Here’s my game plan for getting it done.
- Make a list and check it twice Easy! I actually made two lists. The first is for projects I’ve already started, and the second is new quilts I want to make. Writing down these lists made me realize that I don’t really want to finish two of those completed quilt tops as bed quilts… and it gave me permission to start something fresh. I think I’ll take those quilt tops and transform them into either a quilted coat or jacket – all the rage these days on Instagram.
- Prioritize Projects Again, an easy task because I love assigning “due” dates and the lovely feeling of crossing something off my list when I’ve finished it.
- Inventory my Scraps This one is fun, and the easiest to accomplish on a snowy Saturday afternoon with a good audio book playing in the background. Lo and behold, it’s already done! A few weeks ago, I sorted, folded, and stacked all of my small fat quarter and less fabric chunks by color. Those are ready to go. I then separated the smaller scraps into similar color and size piles, bagged them, and stored the bags in a single bin.
- Make a Plan After choosing a pattern from the awesome resources we have on Quilting Daily (Have you checked out the Scrap Lookbook? What about the scrap pattern archive from Bonnie Hunter’s longtime series? Both are awesome!) I decided to go with this pretty Wyoming Whirligig quilt and use up the scraps that read to me as vintage. I can’t wait to get started (after, of course, I finish the first quilted jacket on my UFO list!)
- Pick and Choose Because the Whirligig pattern is paper pieced (and could be adapted in a very scrappy way for strips) I’ll mining the scrap bin and pulling my favorite colors to get started. Since I’m committed to making this quilt entirely from scraps, it won’t be as unified as the one in the magazine, but in my mind, it will be just as fun.
If you’re itching to get started using up those scraps, take a few minutes to take stock of your projects, inventory your scraps, and make a plan. I’m hoping this approach will lead to lots more finished quilts, fewer shelved projects, and making a dent in my ever-growing pile of fabric pieces!
Best,
Vivika Hansen DeNegre
Editor
If you love scrap quilts, there are so many resources available on the Quilting Daily Website.
- Check out the Addicted to Scraps Index for free quilt blocks, updated regularly.
- Patterns featuring scraps are collected on this handy resource page and also featured in the Best of Scrap Quilts Lookbook.
- Bonnie Hunter’s Scrap Quilts Workshop also starts soon! Register now and receive a $30 off with this code: SCRAPS30 (expires 3/12/21).
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