Scrap Exchange

Last year we did a scrap exchange. I finally finished the quilt using scraps from the box i received and some from my stash. I have a fascination with half-square-triangles. This is the first I have made and I think there is a lot of room for improvement. I don't think there is enough contrast between the made fabric and the background.  More to come, because the possibilities are endless.

15 minutes in a Friday morning

Okay.  Planned to post this Friday morning at some point.  Oh well better late than never...

Here was my post bootcamp, pre-trek I work 15 minutes of play.. Times 2.  Smiles... Courtesy of the lovely scrap swap that Victoria arranged earlier this year...my partner was Jane B.

Boot camp at 5:30 am in Central Park...

And at 6:50 Friday morning I set aside time to play. 

See my scrap swap goodies in the back. Sweet...

And yes I am actually ironing each part. Lol

 A fabulous 15 minutes of play...

Scrap Swap

I could have simply put 4 corners

on this Triangles Galore Block

and

called it a finish ...

but I'm having too much fun

with Miki's scraps to stop just yet!

Barbara's Scraps have Arrived!

Four working days and the sraps have crossed the Atlantic - thats good going!

What a lovely mixture of colours and prints - my first idea is to do some flower type blocks and some writing..but we'll see where the play takes us.

some of Barbara wonderful prints and hand dyed cottons

My absolute favourite...tea and coffee pots

some of my scraps...Barbara's have many more plains and variety

Thanks Barbara, for such a wonderful array of colour and pattern -  I'm  gonna have great fun playing with these. And big THANK YOU to Victoria for arranging another great challenge and pairing us up so well.

Scrap Swap

Even before Miki's scraps arrived by Priority Mail 

I knew what I was going to make with them:  

V's Triangles Galore Block.

Ever since contributing a cameo block to her quilt

using this design, it has been a favorite. 

My next step will be to

play with these remaining

beauties and finish out

the block.

New Scrap Play!

 

I got to swap scraps with Margaret C and I am so excited with what I got!  This is only a small pile I decided to play with today.  Notice the New York City scrap in the lower left?

 

 

Here it is again.  Don't you just love it!  I decided I had to use it as my inspiration piece for the first block with these scraps.

 

 

Sorry about the poor color.  I was using my husband's camera and don't quite understand the settings.  I hope you get a sense of great color and fun fabrics Margaret sent me.  I pulled all the ones I thought went with the NYC scrap and built this 24" x 24" piece.  I like it so much, I may try and find something in my stash and help this grow into a lap quilt.  I can see some flying geese to represent the fact that I would have to fly a long way to get to NYC and some friendship stars to represent all the great quilty friends I have made through this site.  This might turn into quite the sentimental quilt. 

Thanks, Margaret, for all the fun scraps.  I can't wait to see what the rest of the box creates!

 

 

Scrap Swap Done - No, Just Started

I could not help myself. I had to get started with my scrap swap project. First is a collage of some of the  the fabrics I received- Thank you Karen A.  I think overall most of what I received are in the warm category. I think I am in the cool color category so I had to do some thinking about how to use these new scraps. 

 First, I sorted some to be added to my Color Challenge box (lower left corner). Then I guess I just can not really do "Random" so I pulled out a collection of pinks and turquoise. (lower right corner). These were selected to go with a large

piece of pale pink/turquoise that I wanted to use .

Then the fun part Making Fabric!!  Compare this to a piece that I had make earlier from my own stash. I think I need some brighter/lighter colors in my scrap basket. 

My Fabric Collection





New made fabric from Swap Collection



 And here is where I am going with this. 1/2 square triangles.  A pretty rough layout, but you can get the idea of how the made fabric works with my background.  This should make a cheerful charity quilt.

Now off to the Internet to search for 1/2 square triangle layout ideas. I hope to back soon with more of this done, but I do have a very long to do list so unfortunately it may take a while. I hope everyone else enjoys this as I have.

My Scrap Box has Arrived

Karen and I went all out. We packed medium sized US Post Office pre-paid boxes. Boy can you get a lot of fabric in one of them! Unfortunately it did not seem to make much of a difference in my scrap bins. I wish I had weighed the box before I dumped it out.


Here is the box I just received (Sorry for bad picture. This is indoors on a dull Michigan day. I broke the camera with the flash on our recent vacation.) Amazing that there is nothing in the box that I already have, and I have a lot of fabric! There are many in the box that will go into my, yet to be completed, Color Challenge quilt.  I wonder what Karen will think when she gets mine?

 I think I will make 1/2 square triangles with one side one of my stash light fabrics and the other with made fabric. Something like this, just using made fabric for the red.

Thank you Karen!!

Scrap Exchange

I am participating in the scrap exchange organized by Victoria. I am progressing quite well. The center blocks were done over paper. I used half square triangles and turned them so the base was the longest edge. I wish I could say I invented this but I saw a similiar design in a book called Scraps Can Be Beautiful by Jan Halgrimson which is no longer in print. I have done more than 15 minutes of play but can't play everyday, so I get to add up those 15 min. My goal is to use all the fabrics sent to me, but some may have to be on the back.

My Scraps Came In

I was recently on vacation but got to come home to a package of scraps from Teesha! (Note to self- always do a swap or something before going on vacation- coming home to fabric mail makes the end of the trip much better!) She sent me loads of different squares. I thought these were so pretty I whipped up a little doll quilt from them...


And I have lots more to play with. Life is a little crazy right now, so it's nice to have scraps to dig into and be able to let my creative juices flow without planning or rules.... I'll deal with the mess... later :-)

Happy sewing!