Sunday, July 4, 2010

got 15 minutes?



Along with all my other projects, I always take 15 minutes to work on something
I just need to work out.. a new idea, or an old idea, or new technique, or just make fabric....

I'd like to continue this blog and add this element, now that most of us have done our portraits...
if you haven't done a portrait, you still can join along!
either way, send me an email and I can add you name to the list and this is a
work as you want sew-a-long...
no pressure... add your work as you like. just take 15 minutes...

Here's my little tutorial...

scrap therapy!


MAKING FABRIC


I like to start like you would a crazy quilt. with a 5 sided scrap piece.
This will help give you many different angles to your scrap fabric.

I start by adding pieces around, rather like a scrappy log cabin...
But I like to take various size pieces not just strips...
Sometimes I trim as I go to keep various straight edges so I can easily keep adding pieces...

It's an "add and trim" process...

Add in some varied size pieces... and I always finger press...
Getting up to iron every bit is to much...
sew, finger press, sew, finger press...

It's OK if things start to get wonky...

Keep the bits you trim off, as they may be perfect somewhere else...

Like this...

I stop when I reach and approximate goal of my block that I want...

Then trim my block down, in this case I made a 6" block... in 15 minutes...
And have some nice scrap pieces To use when I start my next block...

Be mindful of you squares, if you pull on them you'll pull the seam loose.
I love the randomness of the seams,
and prefer that to perfect horizontal and vertical seams...

They are rather like putting a puzzle together... and even though you
think you are using up your scraps, you will make much much more!
just smaller bits! ;-)


Might you like to do a 15 minute a day
"make-fabric-sew-a-long" with me?

by the end of summer you'll have enough blocks for a very happy scrappy quilt!
finish them off as you like...
show us your work, and your quilts!


Send me an email if your interested...
PLEASE INCLUDE YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS...
some of you have been no comment reply, and no profiles...


Happy sewing!



Once you begin your fabric making, please 

84 comments:

9patchnurse said...

I'm in! I have scraps, boy do I have scraps!

Terri Stegmiller said...

Love these star blocks. I've sort of been doing something to use up some scraps. I've been saving my dryer sheets and using them as a base to stitch fabric to. I had been doing well with keeping up once a week, but I have fallen a bit behind. Summer can be a bit hectic sometimes....sigh!

Victoria Findlay Wolfe said...

dryer sheets!! brilliant! Thanks Terri!

beth said...

I'd like to join you!! I do like sewing odd bits together...this is right up my alley. ;)

Nifty Quilts said...

Count me in!

Rene' said...

I'd like to play too ;-)

WoolenSails said...

I do that with scraps and make large blocks, then I make templates and cut the shape from the scrap block. Great for stuffed animals.

Debbie

LabMom said...

I'm in!

Twisted Quilts said...

Add me to the list.

Helen said...

Me too....

Helen said...

BTW I use a wooden "iron" or creaser to press as I go. Dritz sells them for about $2+ and it pays for itself in electricity....SO GREEN!!!

Kim Brackett said...

These blocks look amazing. I want to come play in your scraps! I may ditch the idea of the portrait and play along with these instead. So much more my kind of thing.

paulette said...

I would also like to play...these blocks look like sew much fun to make!! Now to find some cute 'scraps'...may have to go to a Quilt Shop!! But then they wouldn't be scraps!!
Take care!
Paulette

Finnie said...

I wanna play too!!!!!

Knit Purl Gurl said...

I'm moving - so all of my craft/sewing supplies are in limbo, or I'd be in! The dryer sheets are brilliant! Will there be a fall edition of the "15 Minute Sew Along?"

Becky said...

Oh this does look like fun! I'll give it a go.
Thanks for the inspiration!

liniecat said...

Well blow me, I have a bag with some done this way, from afew years ago..........must find them and may I tag along too with them please?
(Might have to be an hour every 4th day at the mo for a while though!

Mary Burn said...

I would like to join in -- sounds like something I can do with 15 minutes a day. Thanks a lot.
Mary

mburn@comporium.net

Just Ramblin' said...

Sounds fun! I have baskets and baskets of scraps so count me in! Nola

Carol E. said...

I can never say no to a suggestion like this. I will join in! I have a ton of scraps, and my sister is going to give me more. I just have never referred to it as "making fabric" which I love. What do you mean by doing portraits, and is there a place where people are posting pictures?

Janette said...

What a wonderful idea. I have a binfull of fabric scraps that would be perfect. I'm in.

Sujata Shah said...

Hey victoria,
I am in.. Love playing with scraps and with good company!

jillredding said...

This is my favorite kind of sewing count me in!

Jennifer said...

Love your quilt! Not only am I in, I've made 3 squares so far!

MamaT said...

Ok, I'd like to join. My email address is:
ttmarler@yahoo.com
I'm already making some blocks similar (see my blog), but I'd like to commit to 15 minutes a day. It's good for my sanity.

Barb in MI said...

Please add me to your list. I make 'crumb blocks,' similar to your tutorial.

sewwhat41@yahoo.com
Barb in MI/FL

VickyB said...

Please add me to your list. I am bound and determined to empty my scrap bins and this is just a perfect way. I can then donate the quilts and will have depleted some of my scrap fabric.
vickyis@shaw.ca

Janette said...

I got carried away today and did 10 lots of 15 minutes. I am looking forward to joining. Janette ird@sky.com

23rdspiral said...

brilliant! what a fantastic idea! i'd love to join in... perhaps i'll try for one a month at my rate though! i dont blog but i post pics on flickr, including my ongoing hexie charm quilt: http://www.flickr.com/photos/23rdspiral/

*karendianne. said...

Love the happy idea and the way people are springboarding from it. Extremely cool. I'm not sure about me... So rigid the quilter I am. :)

Liz Autry said...

Definitly count me in. I have a TON of scraps just waiting to be used. And i really do need to make a quilt for myself. I am usually making quilts for everyone else... and this is a great way to make one for myself.

mbagwt2000@yahoo.com
www.bethsquiltingspot.blogspot.com

Magpie Sue said...

Okay, I already do this but I think it takes me more than 15 minutes to assemble a 6" block! You should check out my Souvenirs quilt (currently the top post on my blog) to see what can happen when you make these blocks ;- ) Or I can sign up officially and post it here if you like.

Esther said...

Please add me to your list...

vi_perezb@yahoo.com.ar

oknonnie said...

Is it too late to join? I don't have a blog but I have scraps and I'd love to get the habit of 15 minutes a day!! My e-mail address is oknonnie@hotmail.com. MamaT is my bff and my cheerleader when it comes to quilting...and life too!

Quiltdivajulie said...

Please add me to the list - I'll be posting about this in a few days on my blog. Have a perfect project and a little along will be wonderful!

Thanks for the encouragement!

p.s.phyllis sews said...

I love this idea and definitely want to be in! My worst time for sewing is after dec. 1 through march 15 so this scrappy sewing for 15 minutes will be great!
phyllis.smith1983@gmail.com

Unknown said...

count me in...i think i can handle 15 minutes a day....right now i have family here so i can;t even get in 5 minutes but when they leave next monday i will start..i won;t live long enough to use up my scraps but it will fun trying..mary

merryquilter2010@yahoo.com

Mary in NYC said...

I'd like to join in. I make blocks like an article I saw in AQS several yrs ago called Mile a Minute, but it's sort of the same thing. I'm in NYC and saw you at Empire Quilters. I have a blog too. Mary in NYC

Em said...

Best thing I could do on a Friday night is join your play, I'm in Victoria!

alysowl said...

I would like to join. I have lots of scraps and have wanted to do something like this for a long time.

Unknown said...

Great blog. Sign me up please. I need an incentive to spend time playing for me. Got so many scraps. This seems like fun!@!
kayjay957@yahoo.com

Cindy F said...

I know I'm really late to the game but I'd like to join along. I used your method yesterday and absolutely enjoyed it! Thanks so much for starting this!

Laurie said...

I'm not sure when you started this but I just finished 2 quilts that would fit in here perfectly. They have already been donated but I have a few pictures.

katie said...

I tryed this once and I got lost in the process. Maybe if I pay attention I could get it to work. I have lots of fabric to make lots of blocks, garage sale junky!! I will be watching to learn the right way so as to not get lost. Thanks for letting me try again and play with you.
Katie

Teesha said...

I'm in sounds like fun!

Barbara Arcement said...

Hi
I love your site and I wanna play too.
How do I get started. My blog is
Beebee's Quilts and More and I am not selling anything. I am just trying to connect with other quilters here in the USA and around the world. Your quilting bee looks like fun too. Maybe I can get in on that too! I live just south west of New Orleans here in Louisiana.
beebee

Eileen said...

Love this site...I have 4 (9 1/2 inch) squares made. Take a look at my site - just blogged about you and this wonderful blog of yours... off to play a little bit more!

Kathleen C said...

I'd like to join too. I'm in Lib-Quilters Yahoo Group and am comfortable with specific liberated blocks like stars and shoofly. But I'm one of those controlled liberated quilters :), because I do some planning before I start. I'd like to become more liberated and 15 minutes a day with liberated crazy patches will be just right.
Only one thing--my blocks will be old and boring! My drawers are full of tonals, usually muted shades-that's what I always bought in past years for hand applique traditional quilts, and I don't buy much fabric now. The challenge for me will be to combine my tonals in color combos that I normally wouldn't use together. Thanks very much Victoria.
And also thank you for your call to donate quilts to Basics-I needed a push to begin donating quilts. It's a way in which I can contribute without spending much money and doing something that I love. Kathleen C. in CT ps excuse the long comment. :)

Honoré said...

Count me in...looks like a jump-start I could use and a fun idea. I'm about to teach my 9-yr old grand niece how to make a quilt block. She has to learn how to stitch 1/4" seams; this might be a good exercise for her not to mention a no-holds on her creativity...

Unknown said...

Hi I am new to quilting but would love it if you could tell me how you do your more free form stars. I really like your more unconventional type of quilting. Thanks Joyce from UK

mtnquiltr said...

Hi, I'd like to make these too. I just started reading blogs and am amazed at the creativity and interest out there. Great!.
Thanks
Sue

Charlene said...

Just found your blog, and enjoyed looking at all the entries so far. I also have a ton of scraps, all separated by color and stored in gallon zip lock bags (looks like there are others out there who have resorted to trying to organized the same way!)

I am wondering if you're planning on doing a tute on the wonky stars, or if I should just experiment....I'm thinking you make flying geese, and vary the size of the square or triangle on the corner, for varied wonkiness. Anyway, guess I can spend one of my 15 minute time frames playing!

Barbara Arcement said...

I would love to see a tute on the wonky stars too! I am learning how to use my scraps!

Cyndi said...

I guess it's time for me to ask to join - I've been lurking and trying some of the ideas. Today I poured out a plastic bag of small scraps (if I can't cut it into 1.5" squares it goes into the bag) and sorted by color. I then made lots of little monochromatic 3" squares, and then copied the idea in the refresher course to make a bunch of HST's that were solid color on the other half. Now I need to work on doing angles - mine are more like log cabins with straight edges. Oh well. I'll get "better!" My email is cholmaneee at uia dot net.

www.welovequilting.com said...

I want to play.

Chris

SadieMaesAttic@aol.com

www.welovequilting.com/blog

Kathie said...

I want to play. My e mail is Para722@gmail.com.

Anonymous said...

Please count me in. I Don't know what I am doing but LOVE the idea of scrappy quilts so will make one block a day of scraps. But...... Can I use just one color through out each block that is the same in each block??? Like start with a hexagon of say Blue??
kayadams48@msn.com

Carla said...

Without realizing it, I started playing a few days ago.....so let's make it official! This will be fun!

sophie said...

I've been reading along for a while and I'd really love to officially join, too. I started "making fabric" from my scraps last year with a project in mind (when I've made enough). 15 minutes of play would definitely help me get to "done" quicker.

Dreamgirl said...

Sounds like a lot of fun. Maybe if I commit to 15 min. a day I'll get a quilt made.

Kelley said...

Please, can I play, too? I am also a "10 minute rug hooker", and I've been amazed at how such a small block of time can add up to something big. I'd like to try this with all the fabric I've been collecting over the years.

creativedwy@yahoo.ca

Susan Martin said...

I would like to play along also. I save all scraps and this sounds fun>

alibobbles said...

I have been very inspired by the "plays" and would love to join

alison x

aj_boast@hotmail.com

Susan @ Blackberry Creek said...

Oh my yes! I'm in.
suscleve@aol.com

nono said...

I would love to join in. Thanks!

Ellen said...

I would love to join.

Email is: ellen.firestone@gmail.com

How about we do a scrap exchange???

Jackie said...

Is it too late to join in?? I've been making my own "scrappy" fabric for a while but haven't really done anything with it.
I love doing it. Kind of cleans out the cobwebs in my mind.
This does look like fun!
jackie
quilterintexas@gmail.com

Carli The Quilter said...

I really love what you are doing. I'm so intrigued by this therapeutic aspect of quilting for 15 min. of making fabric. I've got lots of scraps. I've been keeping most of it since starting to really quilt back in the 1980's.

Theodora quilts said...

I would love to play along with you all ,since Í'm always playing around .

Mariette said...

Really sounds like fun! No rules-anything goes. Count me in!

Unknown said...

I'd love to play along - count me in please

Vicki said...

I'd love to play! I love my scraps!

Deb said...

Is it too late for me to play? I have lots of scraps that want to be used!

Deb @ clutteredquilter.blogspot.com

Terry said...

A wonderful way to grow a quilt. I definately want to play!

nancgard said...

I love your blog and would like to learn more as you post your clever quilt ideas. Can I sign up?

Sue said...

I've just read the tutorial....awesome! Could you please sign me up? I've been doing hundred mile and hour piecing. I've been looking for something just like you have here.

PILAR said...

Me gusto mucho tu tutorial, me encantaria inscribirme, llevo un año en el patchwork y me gustaria aprender mas
pilararias65@hotmail.com

Mrs. JP said...

Scrapy therapy,,,sounds like fun--I'm all in.

Brenda said...

Love Love Love your process!!! It's so much fun, when I get started, I don't want to quit. God Bless You for sharing!

Brenda said...

BTW, you mentioned having to get up to press. I press small pieces at a 25" x 18" Lifetime folding table (adjustable 3 heighths) that sits to the right of my sewing machine; great for pressing; small travel iron, with a June Tailor Cut n Press; however, you could make your own. I love this table, carry it to retreats, etc. and stays up next to my machine all the time. I believe I bought it at Lowe's. I know some women that have covered a wooden TV folding tray. Just an idea. Keep having fun!

kwkaiser2 said...

I am sure I am in great need of scrap therapy. I have been having trouble locating my sewing room buried under tons of fabric & misc. other things.

AnnetteJNS said...

It is so nice to see so many quilters making use of scraps. I learned to do this about 20 years
ago, and have been scrapping ever since. I usually end up with 9 - 10" blocks and have made
many quilts from these blocks - table covers to bed size to picnic quilts to lap quilts. They are
warm, cheerful, and often memory quilts. So Keep on scrapping.

Unknown said...

I've been making "crumb" blocks for a few years and will be teaching it to a group later this month. I usually make 5" blocks and often stitch 4 of them together. Other times I alternate the crumb block with plain blocks. These are usually given as charity quilts.

jean said...

I would love to try this!

rpoulton@rhnet.org