Saturday, December 5, 2015

Scrap Bag Quilts

I am a sucker for Temecula Quilt Company's mini-quilts--they do one in December each year as well as at least one other earlier in  the year.  This year it's called We Wish You a Mini Christmas.


These tiny blocks are just so cute! They finish at 2.25" so are very fast to make. I'm making 3 of each block since they go so quickly.  I decided to make all 36 blocks from my favorite Scrap Bag:


It's full of old fabrics I've accumulated from my favorite projects as well as a great bunch of fabrics I got in a class years ago--the teacher offered me anything I wanted from her stash bag and I was like a kid in a candy shop--there are a few treasures in there.  It is my go-to bag for bits and pieces.

And I've found a NEW project I HAVE to make:





Today I saw this on the Facebook group Quilts: Vintage and Antique.  A very lucky woman in Pennsylvania (Trina Marie) just found this quilt at a shop for $95.  It's 80" x 82", the half-square triangles are 1.25" finished and it's in pristine condition.  She is so tickled to own this treasure and generously posted lots of photos.  Many people and quite a few experts have commented on what a find she has.  The fabrics may date from as early as 1850 to the late 1800's.  This woman had a DEEP stash bag--a quilter after my very own heart.  I just know I would have really liked her.

One of the classes I'm teaching this winter is "Leaders and Enders", learning to create a second quilt while working on primary projects.  I have 5 quilts I planned to teach--now there is a 6th--this is a great "lifetime" project.  I'll cut pairs of 2 inch squares, draw a pencil line on the back of the lighter fabric and sew a less-than-quarter inch seam allowance.  I use a small stitch so that will work just fine.  Precise measurements would have you cut 2.125" squares and use a quarter inch seam allowance.  You could always use 2.5" squares, and trim the finished HSTs to 1.75" after sewing.  Whatever floats your boat.

Let's Quilt!

Barbara

3 comments:

  1. I have been so strong at resisting this Temecula SAL, though it is right up my alley. And there you are with three going. I love your blocks--they make it harder to be strong. : )
    Wow, what an amazing quilt!

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  2. Your proposed project definitely is a lifetime one I think!! It's a beauty of a quilt.

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  3. Those lifetime projects are can seem overwhelming when you look at the whole quilt, but this one would be perfect with the leaders and enders approach. It's a sampling of every fabric you own plus more.

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