Hip to Be Square. That is the name of the challenge that I am working on. The basic rules are: cut scrap fabric into 2.5" squares and sew them into blocks (size of block is my choice), and then piece the blocks into a top that is crib size or larger. Sashing or no sashing, my choice. On point if I want. Color coordinated, or scrappy. Again, my choice. Have the top together by February 6. That's it.
I opted for scrappy, and I chose to go eight squares by eight squares. I already had lots of 2.5" squares cut out, from my previous efforts to "tame my scraps", so putting the first few blocks together was a breeze. It was totally scrappy and random, until (gasp!)
I saw two of the same pieces of fabric close together in one of the blocks... (breathe, don't fix it, it'll be ok...) Change of strategy. Pick out all the pieces needed before sewing them into the block.
At this point, I was finding it difficult to locate enough
different fabrics out of what I had cut up (8x8=64 per block), so I raided my charm pack
stash and started cutting up some more.
I found that the more blocks I added to the layout, the more pleasing it was to my eye. Maybe because the camera is farther away, so the individual pieces are less distinct, or maybe because I've added more fabrics that are less "novelty" or "juvenile" or "I spy".
I'm especially enjoying the process of putting together these blocks now.
- sort out 64 squares
- randomly pick up two squares to sew together, and then chain piece all 32 pairs
- chain piece pairs of pairs
- put pairs of fours together
- take it to the iron, and press them all one direction
- take back to sewing machine, and join rows, making the seams nest together
Random (mostly).
It looks old fashioned to me now, something someone's grandmother would have made, back in the day. But it's not big enough yet, so I have some more work to do (she says while tapping her watch).
A year and a half after it began, the I Spy quilt is finished. No room for a decent photo shoot, and the weather was too blustery to go outside, so a simple picture was taken.
Then, it was packaged up and shipped out, due to arrive tomorrow to the recipient (squeal!). I think I am more excited to be sending it than she will be in getting it.
I think this quilt is one of my top five finishes, and I especially enjoyed all the evenings doing the hand quilting. I like to be busy doing something with my hands when I'm sitting on the couch watching TV, and this gave me a project to do.
I also managed to finish up this scrappy quilt top today, made completely from scraps for the blocks, and yardage from my stash for the setting triangles.
There are eighteen of these twelve inch blocks, pieced with half square triangles, cut with my Accuquilt Go. Some of the fabrics shown are leftovers from other quilts, and some were cut from fat quarters. This was a "use whatever I have" project.
I set the blocks on point and used this fun Mardi Gras fabric for the setting triangles. This fabric has been in my stash for many years, as I bought it to do a stack n whack quilt, then lost interest in making it after doing four other stack n whacks in a row. After that, it was just too pretty to cut up, until now. The colors suit this scrappy quilt.
