The Summer Scrap Elimination 2021: Week 1

It's hot my quilty friends! HOT! Here in Tucson that means we quilters are hunkered down in our studios with fans, iced drinks and PROJECTS! To facilitate your quilting fun, I'm happy to welcome you to the 4th Annual Summer Scrap Elimination Project. Let's get scrapping!

As we start off, I'm giving myself the illusion of icy cool weather with a blue project out of my overflowing drawer of blues. This is a fun and versatile block, I think you'll enjoy. The cutting is easy and the block is big enough to make a throw or go big and make a bed size project.

Cut List for One Block (Finishing 10" x 10"):

Light - 2 rectangles 4 1/2" x 6 1/2"

Medium Light - 2 squares 2 1/2" x 2 1/2"

Medium - 2 squares 4 1/2" x 4 1/2"

- 1 square 4 7/8" x 4 7/8"

Dark - 1 rectangle 2 1/2" x 10 1/2"

- 1 square 4 7/8" x 4 7/8"

Step 1: Use the 4 7/8" squares of Dark and Medium to make two Half Square Triangle Units (HSTs). If you are making multiple blocks, press half the HSTs toward the Dark fabric and half the HSTs toward the Medium fabric.

With right sides together, draw a 45 degree angled line from the top left corner to the bottom right corner. Stitch a 1/4" seam on either side of the drawn line. Cut on the drawn line.

If you are making 20 blocks, press 20 of the HSTs toward the Dark and 20 toward the Medium.

These units will measure 4 1/2" x 4 1/2".

Step 2: Position the 4 1/2" x 4 1/2" squares of Medium as shown on the 4 1/2" x 6 1/2" rectangles of Light. Draw a diagonal line from the upper left hand corner to the lower right hand corner of the wrong side of the Medium square. Stitch on the line and trim 1/4" from the stitched line. If making multiple blocks, Press half of the units toward the Medium and half of the units toward the Light. These units will measure 4 1/2" x 6 1/2".

The cut away portion is significant. Go ahead and make an HST from each cutaway portion and check out a fun HST project at the end of this bog.

Step 3: Using the units created in Step 2 and the 2 1/2" x 2 1/2" squares of Medium Light, repeat the process from Step 2. Position the Medium Light squares in the upper right hand corner. Draw a diagonal line from the upper left hand corner to the lower right hand corner of the wrong side of the Medium Light square. Stitch on the line and trim 1/4" from the stitched line. As shown in the adjacent image, half your pressing will be toward the Medium and Medium Light and half your pressing will be toward the Light and the Medium when making multiple blocks. If you like tiny HST projects, you may also wish to save the cut away portion of this step and create additional HST units.

Step 4: Assemble half your blocks with all of the pressing toward the center of the block and your units organized as shown.

Stitch both sides of the block, pressing toward the light.

Attach to the center 2 1/2" x 10 1/2" Dark rectangle and press toward the center on both sides.

Step 5: Repeat Step 4 using the units that have been pressed toward the outside corners of the units.

As I worked on this project I started with a large pile of blue scraps, some left over from borders, backgrounds, and backings as well as various smaller pieces that were left over from a number of projects from the last several years. I then organized those scraps according to the shades I needed, giving attention to what sizes I needed to get from the different shades.

Then I began cutting, keeping my pieces organized in stacks of 10, so I would know how many I needed of each shade.

I tried a variety of ways to turn the blocks and this became my favorite arrangement.

In this example I created 42 blocks. I alternated the blocks that were pressed as shown in Step 4 with the blocks that were pressed as shown in Step 5. Using this alternating plan will allow all of the seams you have created to nest neatly as you stitch the rows together.

The various sub-patterns created are all fun to me. I look forward to creating a border for this project and plan to use it on my new guest room bed.

I squared the HSTs left over from Step 2 to measure 3 3/4" x 3 3/4" and created this layout which makes a beautiful table topper.

When working with units that are multiples of 4 as you see here (8 columns and 8 rows) you have the opportunity to improve the flatness of your project by using the Four Patch Pressing Method. I have illustrated this concept for you in this video.

I plan to use this lovely little piece on the reading table in my guest room.

I squared the HSTs left over from Step 3 to measure 1 3/4" x 1 3/4" and created this small project which I plan to use as the center of a throw pillow for the guest room.

This layout also takes advantage of a 8 column and 8 row design and benefits from using the pressing method in the above video.

I hope you have enjoyed Week 1 of the Summer Scrap Elimination as much as I have. This project was so much fun to put together and I look forward to quilting it. This year I am delighted to announce that 9 guest designers are joining me to offer you a project this summer! Next week we will have another project from me and one from the fabulous Tammy Silvers at Tamarinis.