Rainbow Baby Quilt

 

What is it about a rainbow that is so soothing and energizing and happy all at once? Practically speaking, this quilt was born of my overflowing scrap bin of strips. Therapeutically, it is the product of a few happy hours of simple sewing.

This baby quilt is 42 x 49, and quilters will not be surprised to know that my scrap bin somehow looks just a full now as it did before I started. That proves scraps and scrap quilts are magic, right? I love revisiting so many favorite fabrics in my scrap bins.

 

I used white, Aurifil 2021 thread to free motion quilt swirls, paisleys and pebbles. I find this combination of designs compliment each other well, fit into each other's curves, and flow easily under my hands.

I've had the backing fabric for several years, and it makes me happy to find the perfect quilt in which to use it. Raindrops for a rainbow quilt. I think saturated backing prints really balance a super colorful top.

You can find this Rainbow Baby Quilt in my etsy shop.

Improv Scrappy Table Runner

Ah, what can scrappy, improv strip sets not accomplish?  Many things, I'm sure, but at the moment they are just what I want for making this rainbow table runner.

I was able to use some of my smallest scraps to create monochromatic strip sets. I added neutral strips sets to each end, trimming and sewing at a 45 degree angle. I staggered the strip sets to make a serpentine like arrangement.

Within each strip set, I tried to work from darkest to lightest value. I really like how this complicates the design slightly, by softening the points at the lightest end of each strip set. I flipped the strips sets around at random, so the values flow erratically across the runner. I think this kind of subtlety adds so much interest to a design.  If the strip sets were made of fabrics, all equal in value, the pointy design would be too stark in my opinion.

I had so much fun making this. I seem to make a lot of rainbow things from my scraps, but that is really part of the joy for me: getting to play with every color and all my favorite bits of fabrics from projects past.

While I love to sew rainbows, I don't actually decorate with them often. So this 16" x 47" table runner is available in my etsy shop.

Table Runner Times Two

These improv, striped table runners were inspired by Laura's hand knit sweater (which she tells me was inspired by the pattern sample for Tanis Fiber Arts' Lifesavers sweater pattern).  I love the random color changes against the constant background of black Essex linen. I chose a variety of shot cottons from my stash, cut them into strips of random lengths and pieced them end to end.  Next, I sew the length of shot cottons into width of fabric strips of the black linen.  Then I chopped the strip sets into 14 1/2" widths.  It was all very casual and fun.  It turns out, I had enough strips to make two runners.

It's always fun to see what quilting does to differentiate two nearly identical items, as I've noted before.  So, I quilted one with straight lines and one with free motion figure eights.  I think the texture of each is so different but equally lovely. 

I chose to finish the edges with a facing, rather than binding, because I like the look of the stripes running right to the edge, with no border.  I referred to several facing tutorials.  I wanted to use a mitered corners, and I mostly followed this tutorial by Susan Brubaker, although there is a great one by Victoria Gertenbach that is even easier and does not require mitering.  It's a little more trouble than a regular double fold binging, but I'm glad I learned something new. I especially love the backing fabric I chose: four different voile prints from Anna Maria Horner's Folks line.  It was so nice to stitch.

 

 

These two 14" x 56" table runners are listed in my etsy shop. Sold out.

Scrappy Improv Strip Quilt

If you've been reading my blog for a while, or know me at all as a quilter, you know I love scraps.  I also love improv quilting.  Put them together, and I am in my favorite sewing place.  This scrappy, improv strip quilt was sewn up just for fun.  I had the idea to play with value and strips again, but in a different way from Partly Cloudy.  Instead of short strips used in strip sets, I sewed the strips end to end to create long, narrow columns.  And instead of concentrating the darkest values in the center, I put them at the top and the bottom of the quilt.  The lighter strips in the middle become the focus of the quilt. The varying lengths of the lighter strips makes the design dynamic.

I like how the quilt moves from pink to orange to yellow as well.  These bright, warm colors just scream summer to me. 

 

While I was playing with my scrappy strips, I sewed up a few improv log cabin blocks.  They never get old!  I used three of my favorite on the back of the quilt.

 

The quilt finishes at 58" x 71" and it just the right size for napping or picnicking or napping at a picnic.  I think it would be sweet in a girl's room at the end of a bed too.  The quilt is listed in my etsy shop. SOLD

Scotland Calling, an Improv Baby Quilt

The colors in this improv, strip set quilt remind me very much of Scotland: its gray skies, stone building, streets, and fog, set against the lush green of manicured gardens, sweeping fields, and mountains.  The gray contrasts so nicely with the green, making it seem even more saturated.  It makes me think of the way the color of the grass looks through the rain.

 I made the quilt using the same improv technique as The Therapist and Partly Cloudy.

I quilted it using the same, simple figure eight free motion design.

The binding is such a versatile print: Heath in gray.  The backing is a DS Quilts polka dot.

 

This 40 x 45 baby quilt is available in my etsy shop.

 

 

Improv Strip Sets Revisited

Wow, it is cold outside.  I'm distracting myself from the subzero temps forecast for us overnight and a third snow day in a row tomorrow by playing with my scrap strips.  I was inspired by the colors in this photo.  It made me remember why green is my favorite color and wonder why I don't sew with it more!

I'm creating simple 5 x 10 finished blocks from improv strip sets, just like the ones I made for The Therapist.  They couldn't be easier to sew, and they use up all those skinny leftover strips.

I plan on making 40 blocks for a 40 x 50 baby quilt, very similar to Partly Cloudy.  I have just a few more blocks to make, and then I will play with the layout.

 

Rugby Stripe Quilt

I finished up my Rugby Stripe Quilt this past week and have been waiting for a pause in the rain to snap a few pictures.    The color scheme and blocks were inspired by Samantha's blocks which she has now transformed into this unique sewing machine cover.  I enjoyed working with the rather unexpected combination of chartreuse, navy, plum, aqua and black, and I was able to use up quite a few of my 2 1/2" scrap strips.

I made 40 Rugby Stripe blocks (you can find a tutorial for the block here).  In this 8 x 5 setting, the quilt finishes at 56" x 70" which is a nice throw size.

I love the bird print from Violet Craft's Waterfront Park line on the back.  It's just the right scale, and the Comma dot binding frames the quilt nicely.

I quilted in a simple meander which I find to be a good choice for busy quilts like this one.  I've placed this quilt in my shop.

Rugby Stripe Block - a tutorial

One of my scrap management techniques is to cut 2 1/2" strips from scrap pieces of fabric.  The strips have been piling up, awaiting the right project, so when I saw this lovely photo by Samantha of Always Making Life Prettier, my mind went immediately to that box of jumbled strips.  Samantha was kind enough to allow me to use her idea as the inspiration for a new quilt and this tutorial (and believe it or not, her blocks are only a starting point for a much more elaborate design).

The Rugby Stripe block is extremely simple.  It is totally achievable for even a beginner, but it's also a great stash buster or way to use scraps for any quilter.  It's always nice to have a quick block for those fat eighth or fat quarter bundles or jelly rolls that doesn't require you to purchase a background fabric.
You can make a single Rugby Stripe block from two jelly roll strips, or simply use 2 1/2" strips cut from yardage, or scrap strips as I did, to create these 7" x 14" blocks.  You will need 45 blocks for a 63" x 70" throw quilt or 21 blocks for a 35" x 42" baby quilt.

To make a Rugby Stripe block:
1. Cut the fabrics

    Fabric A:
    1 strip 2 1/2" x 23"
    1 strip 2 1/2" x 7 1/2"

    Fabric B:
    1 strip 2 1/2" x 23"

2. Sew the 2 1/2" x 23" strip of Fabric A to the same size strip of Fabric B.

3. Press the seam as desired and sub cut the strip into 3 rectangles 4 1/2" x 7 1/2" each. I allowed an extra 1/2" wiggle room to trim away for perfectly straight edges.

4. Sew together the three rectangles created in  the previous step, alternating Fabrics A and B, and add the final 2 1/2" x 7 1/2" strip of Fabric A.

That's it!  These blocks sew up so quickly.  Of course, if you don't have strips or want to use fat eighths or fat quarters or smaller scraps, simply cut 4 rectangles of Fabric A and 3 rectangles of Fabric B, all 2 1/2" x 7 1/2" to make a single block. (FYI, if cut this way, two fat eighths will yield two blocks). Hope you enjoy the simple tutorial.  I'll be finishing up the blocks for my throw to show soon.