Summer Scrap Elimination 2019 Week 1!

Good morning Summer Scrappers and welcome to round 2 of the Summer Scrap Elimination Project! It's time to get things cooking in the studio and I am very excited about the things we have to share with you this summer. We'll have 6 weeks of fun scrappy projects for you again this summer and we'll be starting with one I really enjoyed quilting up for you. I hope you'll have a ball sewing with me!

If there's on thing we quilters don't tend to lack, it's scraps. Even when we do our best to buy only what we need, it's next to impossible to finish a project without left overs. The problem is there are often small pieces left or odd amounts of yardage and those pieces rarely add up to the right amount for another quilt pattern. Still we quilters also don't lack in determination (hoarding tendencies) and those scraps tend to end up in boxes, totes, bags, drawers, cabinets, piles... you get the picture.

When I finish a quilt, my extras go into a basket and every once in a while I get my daughter to sort them into my scrap drawers. I have three scrap drawers and they are divided into 9 compartments and color coded. This drawer is for browns, neutrals, and black/grey. Can you tell I can't really close it anymore? Last year the Elimination Project focused on my green, blue, purple drawer and this drawer got none of my attention. So this year, we're going to use a lot of black, white, grey, and brown with a few colors thrown in from the warm drawer (because it's more fun that way).

This week we are going to be making a 9" finished block. The cut list is as follows:

Cutting for 1 block starting from the top left.

1 rectangle 1 1/2" x 3 1/2" - color

1 rectangle 2 1/2" x 3 1/2" - light

1 square 3 1/2" x 3 1/2" - dark

1 rectangle 1 1/2" x 6 1/2" - light

1 rectangle 2 1/2" x 6 1/2" - dark

1 square 3 1/2" x 3 1/2" - light

1 rectangle 1 1/2" x 3 1/2" - dark

1 rectangle 1 1/2" x 3 1/2" - color

1 rectangle 1 1/2" x 3 1/2" -light

1 rectangle 1 1/2" x 9 1/2" - color

1 rectangle 2 1/2" x 9 1/2" - light

I had a ton of red, but not very much bright red, so I chose to cut enough material to make 20 blocks. My plan was to look for either a baby quilt or a long bed runner from the finished project.

Step 1:

Stitch the 1 1/2" x 6 1/2" light rectangle to the

2 1/2" x 6 1/2" dark rectangle and press toward the dark.

Step 2:

Create the second unit by stitching together the three shades of 1 1/2" x 3 1/2" rectangles like a small rail fence block. Press toward the color and toward the dark.

Step 3:

Add the 3 1/2" x 3 1/2" square of light to the left side of the unit from Step 2. Press toward the unit from Step 2.

Step 4:

Stitch together the two 9 1/2" rectangles. Press towards the color.

Stitch the top rectangles and square together in a row and press towards the color and the dark.

Step 5:

Stitch together the three units you have created on the left side. The left side should now measure 6 1/2" x 9 1/2". Complete the block by stitching the right side to the left side.

The final block will measure 9 1/2" x 9 1/2"

When my blocks were complete I looked at various configurations, rotating the blocks in different ways on my design wall until I found one I liked. I also decided that this was a great opportunity to make a bed runner for my guest room to keep my guest's feet a little extra warm. I enjoy how modern this arrangement feels. I can't wait to pair it with a red project on a queen bed.

Once I decided to think of this project with a modern eye, I wanted to quilt the runner with a little drama, so I played around with some quilting ideas and came up with this drawing based on a variation of McTavishing. I decided to change colors three times. In this case, I started by putting in all of the long wiggly McTavish shapes with a variegated pale grey. Then I switched out to a red thread for the circles. Finally, I finished with a medium grey thread to do the final curved fills in the remaining space. I plan to bind in red!

I hope Week 1 gets you started on the Summer Scrap Elimination with a good boost towards busting those scraps! Of course, it wouldn't be as much fun if we didn't offer you a prize opportunity too!

To be entered in the prize drawing for a free scrappy piecing pattern from me, visit us on Facebook at Swan Amity Studios and do two things. 1. Comment on the blog post. 2. Share the blog post with your friends so they can join the fun too!

We'll be choosing 3 winners on Thursday right before we put up Week 2!

Until then my quilty friends, keep cool and keep quilting!