Pink Scraps

Its been a wonderful time here in the valley to work on my gardens and even wash a few of the Western windows. Yet, it was also time to clean up in the studio again.

After trimming off the excess from Ava's Bird Quilt, there were enough scraps to cut some strips, some squares and even have some leftover pieces. Funny how there is always more! Enough. More. I was able to cut 2.5" strips in 14" and 7" for one of the quilt back projects too. And I have to say, I got a little excited to add pink fabric to some of the other squares collection. Its not a color I reach for and these two are great fabrics. I have learned over time that it is wise to cut them down before putting them into the stash bins because they take up less room AND they are easier to find when there is a new project started.

Her quilt is folded and will go into the finished bin where I have a sprinkling of Lavender to keep them all smelling fresh.

I don't feel pressured by time this year and as a result, almost feel set a-drift between projects. I do have one quilt basted and ready for the machine and am waiting for the clubhouse to free up so I can baste more of them. There are a couple of bins loaded with projects waiting for the next step or some to be started, but I am in no hurry for them. This feels good.

All these scraps mean that I can make quilt backs too. I found one suggestion called Granny Squares that is a take-off on the crocheted scrap pattern. It calls for a background fabric that reads solid. I have a large piece of a strange dark purple tone-on-tone rather than the white of this sample. Blocks are made using 2.5" squares with one fabric in the center, surrounded by four pieces of fabric #2, and another round of eight pieces of fabric #3, and finished with twelve 2.5" squares of the background. 

So, after cutting the scraps from Ava's Bird Quilt, I began sorting the sets of three different fabrics. This quilt pattern calls for 20 blocks. Its actually not easy to get eight pieces of the same fabric! What I like about this project is that the scrappier it becomes, the more easily it will fit as a back on just about any front. Adjustment to match the dimensions to the front will come by adjusting the outside border.

I think the one issue I had with Ava's Bird Quilt was that one of the back sides was more narrow than the other. I thought it was centered, and by the time I saw it, it was too late to change it. Again, a learning experience. I had gotten too used to making backs out of one fabric so that part didn't matter. Each quilt is practice.