Friday, June 10, 2016

It's a String Thang

I love string quilts!  I don't know what it is about them but they sure make my heart sing.  I love to sew them, I love to touch them and I really like to see how many different configurations I can make with them.  
So today is all about String Quilts!

If you have been following along, you know I have been going back and revisiting some of my past Scrap-A-Palooza quilts.  In August of 2014, I shared how I make my string quilts. Now, today I want to share both some more string quilts I have recently finished along with some made by some of my readers.  
Let's get on with the show!




First up, I have been stepping over a tub filled with brown, taupe and cream strings for about a year.  These are not colors I use very often anymore so I thought they would look great all together in a neutral string quilt.




And here it is all finished up.  I decided to break it up a bit with the narrow brown sashing.  I used the same fabric for the binding so each big square is framed up nicely.




For the quilting, I did a simple square that spiraled in to the center of four blocks.  No marking, I just judged the distance apart by eye.




I knew that I would eventually be making a brown scrap quilt so I picked up this great wood block print backing off a sale rack.  I really like the dark backing with the lighter quilt front.


But I didn't stop at just cleaning out the brown scraps from my sewing room.  I also found a box of leftover red, white and blue fabrics....




...which quickly became another string quilt.
I have actually made an identical quilt about three years ago and have always wanted to make another.




Rather than cut square foundations, I used a 8.5" x 10.5" rectangular foundation.  I really love the elongated diamond it creates.  (Just remember, with rectangles, you do have to make mirror image blocks!)



There was even enough fabric in the box for a backing and striped binding.  I love it when a quilt is made entirely from scraps and stash!

But I am not the only one making Scrap-A-Palooza string quilts.   




 Here is one a client of mine made.  Each string block is 20".  
I loved her choice of colors and use of negative space.





 And Diann at Little Penguin Quilts had almost the same idea except she made smaller blocks and played with an offset layout.  You can read more about her lovely quilt here.


 If you still want to see a few more string quilts I made a few years ago, you can check out this post.  I have probably made enough string quilts to cover my entire house!  And I am sure there will be many more in my future!

 You can find all of my Scrap-A-Palooza quilts along with links to how they were made in the Quilt Gallery.  If you have scraps, I can help you get them sewn up into quilts!

And remember to share them on Oh Scrap! here every Sunday.
Scraps are my favorite!


Linking Up:

Crazy Mom Quilts (Finish it up Friday)




18 comments:

tisha @ quiltytherapy said...

The elongated diamond pattern...never thought of that. However, love the way it looks. Great use of your scraps and stash. I'm working on a string quilt from just solids.

LIttle Penguin Quilts said...

Your brown and neutral string quilt is just gorgeous! And the red, white, and blue one, too! Then to see my green quilt included in your post was really special! Thanks for including me! Makes me want to go make another string quilt. :)

Jen said...

Beautiful quilt.
I haven't made a string quilt yet, but have always thought about doing it.
I wonder if I have enough scraps?
That neutral one is just stunning.

Kat said...

Your string quilts look awesome! I love those color combinations.

The Joyful Quilter said...

LOVE that Patriotic one!! With its circle-y backing and stripe-y binding... What could be better?!?!

Robby said...

Every one of these is a winner.

Bernie Kringel said...

Gosh, each of these quilts are just lovely - simple string blocks make for a great design! It's all about their use of color.

Ivani said...

I ♥ String Quilts!! Beautiful quilts it is difficult for me if I must choose just one.

Mary Marcotte said...

Love 'em all! But I have to admit that neutral with the dark backing makes me want to pull out some strings.

Charlotta said...

They are all so great! I'm not sure why I've never made any quilts like that, but I will some day for sure!

Linda @ kokaquilts said...

I love your neutrals with brown quilt! I think 'brown' is having a bit of a revival moment with some of us!

Alycia~Quiltygirl said...

I love them too - and I love the way it makes me feel I have used every great piece of fabric! Gorgeous quilts!!!

Jayne said...

SO many ideas, so little time! String quilts are so fun to make and a great way to use a lot of scrappy scraps! But then...you know this....!

Lara B. said...

Love the whole idea of string blocks and how they use up stash. Yours and Diann's and your clients are so fun to see. They each are lovely quilts! The diamond blocks you made create a beautiful effect Cyndy!

Kristi said...

Fabulous! I have a couple string quilts in the works! What pattern did you use for quilting? Since all those strings are on the diagonal, I've been thinking an overall swirl type thing.

Sew Surprising said...

Steady my beating heart :) love all of them, they are stunning, do like the 20inch blocks, great for a few left over jelly roll bits and pieces :)

Jasmine said...

String blocks have been on my mind lately. I think they would make great hot pads. Love your quilts.

Sarah Goer Quilts said...

I've never made a quilt of string blocks. As always when I visit your blog, I'm inspired to give it a try... someday. ;-) I really love that red white and blue one! Thank you for linking up with me for TGIFF.

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