# Scrappy in the making



## CJ (May 10, 2002)

On Sunday I decided to go through my 3 inch half square triangle scraps and start a quilt out of them.









I try to cut all the fabric leftovers from quilts right away and sort them by sizes into drawers.

Yesterday I pieced 400 blocks out of them, and pressed them all this morning.









Today I'll lay them all out (25 blocks) to make sure I don't get a cluster of the wrong colors together.










And then I'll start sewing them together! I haven't decided on a layout yet, might be on point, might not... may have borders, haven't made up my mind


----------



## RedHeadedTricia (Jun 20, 2006)

CJ

Oh my will be that is beautiful once you finish it!!! I'm waiting for the calendar year to change as I'm kicking off my own challenge of "Starting the New Year Scrappy" and that will be the theme of the year. 

I'm going to be doing my 1st Bonnie Hunter pattern. I'm going to make the "Bricks & Stepping Stones" pattern (http://quiltville.blogspot.com/2005/06/bricks-stepping-stones.html). I'm understand that she is a scrappy quilt queen with a variety of levels in her patterns. So I'm looking to her site to learn some new patterns and tame some of my scraps. But her site is if you like to see what she has in her freebies file @ http://quiltville.blogspot.com/p/free-patterns.html .

I would like to see how this one comes out CJ. It has peeked my interest. And I so need to organize my pieces ... what is the best bins to do that with? 

RHT


----------



## CJ (May 10, 2002)

Tricia, thank you. I love Bonnie Hunter, I have all of her books. She's what got me started on cutting my leftovers into usable pieces right away... only I don't follow her guidelines for them as I tend to use a lot of 3 inch finished half square triangles, 3 inch squares, and likewise for 2 inch.. so that's what all my scraps are cut into.

As for storing them, I buy the Sterilite drawer bins from Walmart and keep my scraps in those, sorted by size. I have various sizes of those as well.


----------



## Debbie in Wa (Dec 28, 2007)

cj, that is just awesome getting that many blocks done. I save a lot of strips but not half square triangles. I am now starting to save up more squares to make those half square triangles and think this is going to be a good thing for all my scrappy quilts.


----------



## CJ (May 10, 2002)

Debbie, since I die cut, half square triangles are what I use to make mine, versus a square sewn 1/4 inch down either side of a center line and then cut in half. They're really fast to make this way, and a favorite of mine to use.


----------



## Billie in MO (Jun 9, 2002)

RedHeadedTricia said:


> CJ
> 
> Oh my will be that is beautiful once you finish it!!! I'm waiting for the calendar year to change as I'm kicking off my own challenge of "Starting the New Year Scrappy" and that will be the theme of the year.
> 
> ...




Thanks for the link, Tricia. Not that need another project to do but I like that one. Looks like CJ and I use the same the bins for storage. Mine came from Target, from years ago, when we still lived in CO. They have 3 drawers and are on rollers. (except since we moved I can't find the rollers) Right now, mine sit on the floor underneath my table, which is countertop height, so they just fit without the rollers. I have 6 of them, 3 on each side, under the table.

CJ, as always, you are amazing with your quilts.


----------



## HorseMom (Jul 31, 2005)

So beautiful! I am planning on making a scrappy something next year with me scraps. I do not foresee mine looking this good. It really doesn't even look scrappy to me!
Hwidi


----------



## CJ (May 10, 2002)

I think you might be surprised at how good your combination of scraps will looks. Half of these clash when put together, but as a whole it just works.

Here's the layout I've put together for my blocks.









And since the computer generated image colors are so off, here's the actual fabrics. The setting triangles are a "mustardy" green, and the 4 corners and the border are a medium blue.


----------



## Debbie in Wa (Dec 28, 2007)

Wow, that is going to be beautiful. I just love scrappy quilts. To me they are the best. O.k. you said CJ that you use a die cut machine to cut your triangles out. What machine are you using? Hubby would love to get me one but I don't know if I would use it enough. I am so used to just cutting with my rotary blade. I use every bit of scrap that I can. I have made two of these for my grandsons. http://quiltville.blogspot.com/2005/06/string-spider-web.html


----------



## CJ (May 10, 2002)

That's a very cool quilt Debbie, string quilts are fun to make!

I use the AccuQuilt Studio die cutter. I really, really love it. If a person were to buy each size of the strips cutters, and all the half square triangle sizes, your options are just about endless.


----------



## RedHeadedTricia (Jun 20, 2006)

Wow CJ your layout is stunning!! I love the use of the red corner stones with the mustard green & cadet blue on the setting triangles ... they really bring the colors together nicely. I don't have a die cutter so I'm doing the time consuming way...lol. Thanks for the info on the roller storage carts. I'm thinking after the new year they may be a tad cheaper.

Huh...there are quite a few of us who like the quiltville.com site that maybe we should start a B.H. Scrappy Club here, starting the beginning of the new year. We each can make any scrappy quilt from her site and do a show & tell. HUmmmm I think I will go start a thread now.... want to come & play?

RHT


----------



## CJ (May 10, 2002)

Thanks Tricia!
Progress as of today.

I'd love to join in on the scrappy quilt along, but I've committed to volunteering to teach a gifted group of school kids how to quilt for a 6 week program starting in January, not sure I'll have time.


----------



## Gretchen Ann (Aug 30, 2010)

Do you have this top sewn together? Love to see it completed.


----------



## CJ (May 10, 2002)

Yes it's all done, but I don't have anyplace big enough to lay out to photograph it. Normally I just take them outside, but it's been wet for weeks. I really can't wait to quilt this one!

If I decide to do an edge to edge on it, then I may load it up as soon as I finish the Christmas quilt, since I can knock it out in a few days. If I change my mind and decide to custom quilt it, it will have to wait, likely for some time.


----------



## Gretchen Ann (Aug 30, 2010)

I really like this block. I've got a LOT of half square/triangles made. That is the most time consuming part.

However you quilt it, it will be beautiful. Does it have a pattern name?


----------



## CJ (May 10, 2002)

Thanks Gretchen Ann, no pattern name, I just played around with the triangles until I got a block I liked, then I drew the rest of it up in Electric Quilt... which is pretty much how I make all my quilts .


----------



## FarmChix (Mar 3, 2013)

The color of those setting triangles just makes it glow. Going to be one awesome quilt!


----------



## CJ (May 10, 2002)

I've got this quilt on the long arm finally. It's probably going to take me a few months to finish it. I posted a couple of pictures of the quilting on my website if anyone wants to see, along with my EQ7 project file for those of you who use EQ.


----------

