Scrap Quilt Challenge, Tutorial

A new project has me diving into my scrap bins.

While it's fun, it's also very messy! 

But using scraps is the what many of us quilters are looking to do.

Our Central Florida MQG challenge chairperson, Beth, came up with a fun 2021 Scrap Challenge. It makes complete sense during these you-should-be-staying-at-home days.

Challenge criteria include using scraps that are no larger than 6½"; creating a quilt with negative space; and making a quilt any size desired As well, we are to choose from one of three personal challenge options. If you're interested - Maybe you'd like to take the challenge too? - a complete list of our challenge rules is here. 

For my personal challenge, I picked "rainbow." And, I'll be going big, to make a useable quilt. I've learned that making wall quilts, unless I plan to hang them in my own home, are difficult to give away. Charities can't use them, nor do others want them. So "useable" is my quiltmaking default. 

I experimented with a block idea that I shared in a recent post. 

Now, after going through scrap bins to make piles of colors, I've got it worked out. I'm making blocks in a variety of sizes, and each one is a color.

Basically, the process is to piece scraps into a square block, and cut into a convex circle. Then, piece background fabrics into a block, and cut a concave circle. Join the two sections with a set-in seam. 

If you'd like to try this yourself, here's how.

Tutorial

Collect scraps in a variety of shades and values. Cut into bits about 1¾" X 1½" to 3". Use a shortened stitch length (2.0 on my Bernina 770QE) to join bits into strips. These strips are about 10" long.

Press seam allowances one direction. Trim strips to measure 1½" X desired length (9" to 16", depending on the size of the circle). Sew to join strips. Press seam allowances open. 

Trim to square. This scrappy block is 9½" X 9½" to make into an 8" finished circle. 

I followed Cassandra Beaver's instructions in this "Sew a Full Set-in Circle Quilt Block" YouTube video to cut circles. 

Fold and press the block in half; then fold and press into quarters. With folds on the bottom and left side, position the convex lines along the folds of a Classic Curves Ruler that's been marked with tape ¼" from the manufacturer's marked lines. Cut a circle along the 5" mark. 

This is the 8½" unfinished circle.

Use fabric scraps to piece a background that's 6" larger than the finished circle. My background is 14" X 14". Again, press the block in half, then press in quarters.  

With the folds on the bottom and left side, position the concave lines on the folds. As before, cut along the 5" mark.

I want circles to be at an angle (rather than vertical/horizontal), so I re-pressed the circle to make different quarter fold marks. Match the circle folds to the background folds. 

With both pieces facing up, lift and turn the right side of the background fabric onto the right side of the circle. Match the fold lines. Pin at each fold.

Pin each quarter section until the entire background fabric is evenly pinned to the circle.

On my Bernina 770QE, I use the quarter-inch foot (#37D) and a shortened stitch length (2.0) to sew around the circle, ¼" from the edge.

Press the seam toward the circle. Though this is a little bulky, I did this intentionally because I plan to big stitch hand quilt about ¼" from the edge of each circle. I don't want to stitch through seams. 

Voilá! Please let me know if you need clarification. 

I'm still working in a mess, as scraps tend to be, but it's a happy mess.

Last Saturday was our final Central Florida MQG meeting for 2020. Though we've been meeting on Zoom, Saturday's get together was in-person, at a city park. This is the picture I posted to our Instagram feed (I'm media coordinator for our chapter). 

What a difference a year makes, right? Nineteen of us met, kept six feet apart and wore masks. It wasn't easy to take our annual group picture, no one's distinguishable... but there you go. Most of our members participated in the annual Chinese gift swap - a $12-$15 quilting-related item is wrapped, presents are chosen, and opened presents may be "stolen" up to two more times. One of our members received two pieces of fabric along with a roll of toilet paper and hand sanitizer packets. Perfect, right?

Book Recommendation

White Ivy by Susie Yang is about Ivy Lin, a Chinese girl who relocates to the US at a young age. Ivy and her brother faces challenges growing up in a household with a domineering/strict mother and grandmother who try to impose their Chinese values on a girl who only wants to be American. Ivy finds ways to be subversive - lying and becoming a shop-lifter. Starting at the age of 14 with Rue, she uses men. Years later, when she captures the attention of a childhood friend, Gideon, she thinks she's found her dream man. When her old friend, Rue, reappears, Ivy's bed-hopping, drinking, and general amoral behavior continues, seemingly without value or consequence. She gets away with... 

Call me prudish, but I don't find it enjoyable to read about people who behave like this. Consequences don't measure up to what she deserves. This is a dark read.

Linda's score: 2.6/5.0

Linda