Tuesday, August 20, 2019

Leftover Strip Sets

In a previous post, I shared that my orphan block suitcase was so full, it would no longer close.  I took some time to pull out about 5 or 6 stacks of blocks that I might be able to turn into a quilt. 

I thought I would share where I am starting.



I save pretty much anything that has a seam in it as an orphan block.  As I was sorting through my suitcase, I kept coming across these leftover strip sets from a number of projects.  I usually save these to turn into blocks like four patches but I decided since they all had the same angle to them, that I would do something a little different.



I decided to simply sew them together!  I just had to press a few of the seams in the correct direction so the pieces would lock together.

Pretty simple right?!?




I ended up with a bunch of blocks that look like this.  I didn't worry about where the slant was located or the colors.  My plan is to trim them down to a universal 5" length (they are 4.5" wide).  There might be a few that will be shorter - I will have to come up with a plan for those after I figure out what I have.

So that is the progress I have made on these bits.  
I hope to have a little quilt to share soon!


Do you save these leftover strips sets?  I always hate to toss them!






20 comments:

Debra Campbell said...

I save every thing... well, except the salvage. Fabric is too expensive to waste.

LIttle Penguin Quilts said...

Those went together perfectly! A slanted four patch with a bit of Halloween "feel" to it, I think!

Linda said...

That was a great idea. You will have some lovely blocks. I save every scrap, odd shaped bits are used to make 4” or 4.5” Crumb blocks. Other scraps are cut into squares of various sizes, smallest being 1.5”. These are stored in tins and plastic boxes (labeled so I know what size the squares are) and are used in various scrap quilts.

Kat said...

Yes, I save pretty much everything. I have a suggestion for the blocks that might come out a bit short. Why not sew a little strip between the two blocks to increase the width and add a little something unexpected, too!

Jayne said...

It is so much fun figuring out what to do with scraps like these! I think you are on to something!

Karen - Quilts...etc. said...

I like those blocks!

Quiltdivajulie said...

I save things big enough to use (like the strip set ends you showed today). They get used in all sorts of ways.

Julierose said...

Yessir, I save them, hoard them, I cannot seem to through anything away--and now am also saving selvages for a friend who uses them to make up the cutest mugrugs and small items...
I love scrappy. So, am interested to see how you put these together...
hugs, Julierose

Anja @ Anja Quilts said...

Well, well, well...isn't that a great idea. I just throw those out. Who knew they'd turn into something so cute.

grammajudyb said...

I save most everything also! Some of my friends think I am crazy 😜, I will watch to see how these evolve, my scraps are getting out of control!

Yvonne said...

I save everything except selvages. To be perfectly honest I don't even cut the selvages off when I cut my fabric for quilt blocks. Everything is cut into squares (5.5" all the way down to 2" squares) anything smaller I use in crumb quilts, which I absolutely adore making. I even keep the dog ears that I snip off of corners - use them for stuffing. Thanks for asking and I like to see that I am not the only one. My sisters think I am insane. meh.

Chantal said...

Oh yes, I do! Selvage and all. I throw out anything that would disappear if I give it a quarter inch seams on both end, lol. I love crumb blocks. ;^)

June N said...

Can't wait to see what comes of these. These usually go into my scrap box for "mile a minute" squares. I might start separating them out.

Louise said...

Oh, these will be great little building blocks! That angle makes them zippy and fun. Yes, I save pieces like this, too. I sort them by dominant color and put them in my crumb stash. If there's no dominant color, like the ones you've shown, they go into my "rainbow" crumb stash :)

QuiltGranma said...

I have a lap "quilt" that I tied and the top has worn to pieces! What an excellent suggestion you have there, I now hope to piece together some random scraps and blocks into a new top for it doing something similar and totally random! Thanks for the ideas!

Ginger said...

I have some strip sets with 60 degree cuts leftover from asking a merry go round quilt. It will be interesting to see what you can come up with.
Thanks, Ginger

Mystic Quilter said...

Excellent idea!! I have to confess that I have probably consigned lots of pieces to the trash basket which, after seeing how you make use of these leftover pieces, I should have saved!

KaHolly said...

Pretty clever idea! I’m so looking forward to what you come up with!

The Joyful Quilter said...

I typically save those pieces to trim down at a later date. This looks like it will make a super cute quilt!

Sandy Panagos said...

I do the same with my orphan blocks. My drawer is just about full, so it's nearly time to see if I can fit them together into something. I like what you're doing.

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