Happy Sunday Everyone!
I really didn't do much with scraps this week. But I did work a lot on some tasks that I have found to be time savers so I thought I would share them.
A lot of Compassion quilts are finished every week either by myself or one of the elves. Once a week, I go through all of the trimmings from the backings and decide which ones would make nice bindings. The rejected ones are dumped in its appropriate scrap bin and the good ones I cut into strips and start sewing them together and rolling them up for later use.
I have found that having a nice stock of these ready-made bindings allows me to get them sewn onto the quilt almost the same day they are quilted!
Many of you ask how I get so many quilts done each week. Usually one evening a week, I spend time laying out quilt blocks on my living room floor. I match up enough backing fabric to work with the size of quilt I want to make. (Above are just some flannel squares I have been turning into simple patchwork designs.)
Once I have a layout I like, I pick up all the blocks in a specific order - rotating the stack 45 degrees for each row. I stack them on the backing piece and then I put them all next to my sewing machine. When I have a few minutes to sew, I grab a stack and start chain-piecing. Usually in a very short period of time, I have a completed quilt top. I try to have about 5 quilts awaiting assembly.
A good practice is to take a photo of the layout before you pick up the blocks but I admit, I skip that step. Lately I have been sewing together so many tops this way, I rarely get mixed up when I sew.
*********************************************
It is now your turn to share what you are making with scraps. Here are the details for linking up:
- This linky party is for any scrappy project - It can be in-process or a finished piece.
- You can link up your blog post (not your homepage please) or Instagram photo from the past week that features your use of scraps.
- If you are linking to a blog post, I ask that you link back to my blog somewhere in your post. So if you are writing about scraps, just get into the habit of including a link as there will be a linky party available every week!
- If you are using Instagram, please use the hashtag #ohscrap.
- This is a party so remember to socialize and comment on the posts of others.
- Following my blog is not necessary but it sure would be great if you do!
10 comments:
Having a collection of ready made bindings is a great idea! I know I've got cut off backings from previous quilts stashed away somewhere - I should look and see what could be repurposed that way. Enjoy your day, Cyndy!
Very useful tips. You do get a lot done each week.
Thanks for the time saving tips! I'm always interested in how other people process scraps into quilts, especially when they're as prolific as you are. Cutting and organizing is almost as much fun as sewing!
i've set aside the week after christmas as scrap sewing week...hoping to get some flimsies done and thin the herd a bit...
Thanks for the insight into your procedures, Cynthia. If I had to kneel on the floor to lay out a quilt I'd have a hard time getting up again!
That's a great tip. I tend to have an ender by machine at all time. And yes, that little bit of sewing can make a quilt pretty fast. I often use backing fabric for my bindings. But I haven't actually thought about making binding before I am going to sew it on. Maybe I'll give that a try. Thanks for the tip.
I like the way you think. I love it when I have "the next step" all ready to sew up. Preparation pays off. Thanks for the tips.
I enjoyed reading your tips. I especially liked your approach after you have determined your layout!
Thanks for sharing your tips. I do pretty much the same thing you do as far as organizing projects so that they can be chain pieced quickly. It helps to have a process, like always picking what's to be sewed together from left to right and off-setting rows when you stack them up. It makes it easier to keep track of projects as you're sewing, especially if you should get interrupted.
I like having a lot of projects started and at different stages of completion, that way there's usually something that fits what I am in the mood to work on.
Cynthia, you are so organized. I wish I had even half of your skills at prepping and getting things in order. It's very impressive!! I've been making you some log cabin blocks. I have to say that it's been the perfect task for me right now. At first, I cut the white strips 2.5" wide and then realized my mistake. I took the cut off pieces and have been doing some crumb sewing with them. In addition to the correctly-made log cabin blocks, I have some fun, free sewing going on too. It's been a two for one. I hope to turn the crumbs into a tote bag for someone special. I love log cabins so much and have never done one like yours' before. The uneven sized strips really is interesting. There is just no end to the variations you can make with this design. I adore it. Thanks for a great project where I can feel purposeful and learn all at the same time!!!
Post a Comment