For 2025, I'm working on whittling down my 2 1/2" scrap strips drawer. This calls for a serious attack, as my drawer is at overflow level! I started by sorting all the strips by color. February is blue, so I gathered the blue strips, which is my most used color, and started sewing them end to end.
I'm making jelly roll race baby quilts for Bundles of Love, a local charity that delivers bundles of newborn items to families in need. They request baby quilts to be 35" to 40" wide and 40" to 50" long. I shoot for the largest size, 40" x 50", knowing they will shrink a bit with quilting and washing.
Size: 40" x 50"
Batting: Scrap
Thread: Glide--Graphite
Quilt Info #2:
Size: 40" x 50"
Batting: Scrap
Thread: Glide--Graphite
Fun fact: It takes about 28 yards of strips to make one of these baby quilts, plus another 5 yards for the scrappy binding!
Quilt Info #3:
Size: 40" x 50"
Batting: Scrap
Thread: Glide--Graphite
This 3rd quilt is where I ran short on that half price backing fabric so I added on another piece of half price fabric from my collection.⤴️ I love this versatile modern quilting design!!!
Quilt Info #4:
Size: 40" x 50"
Batting: Scrap
Thread: Glide--Graphite
This fourth blue jelly roll race quilt has a gingham backing, another half price purchase I had in my collection. ⤴️
I was also aware that I had a lot of indigo blue 2 1/2" squares accumulated in my scrap bin, as well as a lot of white/cream squares, so I decided to make a checkerboard quilt out of them!⤵️
Quilt Info #5:
Size: 40" x 50"
Batting: Scrap
Thread: Glide--Graphite
I first sewed these together as 4-patches which allowed me to spin the seams while pressing. Then I sewed the 4-patches together by rows. All the seam allowances spun beautifully!⤵️
Bridges is the name of this quilting.⤵️ Scrappy binding gives me one more chance to use up leftover 2 1/2" strips. As for the batting, I also piece batting scraps together for these smaller quilts.
March is yellow month at Rainbow Scrap Challenge--I'm pulling my yellow strips together!
Grace and peace!!! ~Nancy
Check out the quilt parties at Off the Wall Friday, Finished Or Not Friday, From Bolt To Beauty, Patchwork & Quilts, Oh Scrap, Handmade Monday, Sew & Tell, Design Wall Monday, Monday Musings, Monday This N That, Wednesday Wait Loss, Needle & Thread Thursday, Put Your Foot Down.
It would be a real pleasure for me to look through your leftover fabric drawers...how wonderful...I don't have much yet, especially quilting fabrics, last year I made my first quilt and now I'm on my third :-)))
ReplyDeleteGreat campaign you are taking part in... the baby quilts you made are very beautiful... they will bring a lot of joy to the families.
I have looked at each of your quilts in detail, you have wonderfully combined the different print styles of these wonderful fabrics... I can well imagine the joy it gave you... as they are fabrics with which you have already created large quilts.
Glad to see it... I'm currently preparing the binding for my third quilt. A hug comes to you from Viola
Precious quilts!
ReplyDeleteI love them all! I am partial to that last one, love those indigo and white squares. The gingham backing on that one is so cute. Your scraps are really pretty.
ReplyDeleteDid your scrap drawers expand as you used your scraps, or did you actually see a reduction? :D
Nancy these are a great way to use up those strips. The checkerboard is my favorite, I have one made and I'm trying to decide if I want it bigger or not. I enjoy seeing which panto you use on each quilt.
ReplyDeleteDid the 2.5" box go down? You certainly attempted it anyway. They're all lovely quilts but my favorite is the 4 patch, so pretty. Happy stitching!
ReplyDeleteI was inspired by you, Gretchen, to make 4-patches! And yes, the 2 1/2" stack of indigos and whites went down to nearly nothing, for now!!!
DeleteWow! What amazing finishes. . .all from your scrap drawer! Did you find a reduction in the drawer? I too was partial to your four patch finish those spun seams are a thing of beauty!--TerryK@OnGoingProjects
ReplyDeleteThe scrap drawer is definitely going down!!!
DeleteLove them!! I like your goals!
ReplyDeleteThese are gorgeous and what good work you are doing clearing scraps. I get tired of them and give them away. I can't stand prepping it....maybe I will try this and see how I feel as the results are so good. Love all your quilting choices, too. I always find one or two new ones to write down.
ReplyDeleteWhat beautiful scrap quilts for babies! You know I am partial to the Checkerboard quilt. One of my blog readers alternated black squares with colorful squares, and the quilt turned out fantastic. So you could try that design idea as well.
ReplyDeleteThese are gorgeous, Nancy and a great way to whittle the 2 1/2" bin down. You always play with the prettiest of fabrics. Enjoy your weekend and Happy quilting. Hugs.
ReplyDeleteIt's so fun reminiscing through the fabric stash isn't it!
ReplyDeleteYour blue quilts turned out beautifully, Nancy! Such a great way to use up your strips and squares. Just the other day I saw this quilt at Pennsylvania Piecemaker. Something like this would work with your gray and black squares. https://pennsylvaniapiecemaker.blogspot.com/2025/02/leaders-and-enders-quilt.html
ReplyDeleteEvery one of the quilts is awesome, but that checkerboard one really catches my eye. Beautiful quilting choices too!
ReplyDeleteScraps make the best quilt. Here are four fabulous examples. Bravo! Each one is adorable in their own special way. ;^)
ReplyDeletePretty baby quilts! I love to see your beautiful Japanese fabrics in there! Lovely quilting designs too, and scrappy bindings. Well done finishing five quilts! Thank you so much for sharing, and linking up!
ReplyDeleteOh my goodness, four jelly roll race blue baby quilts! What a lot of strips you used up, they all look wonderful. And I love the checkerboard quilt too, you have been super industrious indeed.
ReplyDeleteWow, your scrap drawer really was overflowing. You must have had a mountain to be able to make so many quilts.
ReplyDeleteThe JRR pattern works so well for all the different scraps you have used, and all the blues play so well together. They all look wonderful.
I can see you have had fun playing with the different pantographs, too. Great choices.
The checkerboard is a favourite. Seeing all that blue and white together is a delight.
Have fun with your next colour challenge.
Guess I'm not the only one who plays math games in my head while quilting, determining how many yards of this or how many pieces in a block times the number of blocks... No matter the yardage or the pieces, each of your blue donation quilts are fun. You have an amazing fabric collection. So many bold, happy prints that work well together.
ReplyDeleteWhat a beautiful way to spend February Blues! Great job. Loved seeing all the different pantographs too. Your backings showed them off beautifully too!
ReplyDeleteOh such a beautiful collection of blue scraps used again for a great cause. My favorite is the checkerboard quilt. Lovely quilting as always.
ReplyDeleteWowzer, great minds and all that! I made a bunch of blue & cream Irish chain quilts to use up my scraps . I still have scraps but I do feel better! I found an " indigo " pattern and made 2 variations to use up my strips. It is so much fun. Yours look great, the quilting really adds to the design. Great score on the backing fabric too!
ReplyDeleteMy goodness, Nancy! Your productivity puts me to shame! And your generosity knows no end! And gosh, but you have lots of blues and lots of 2-1/2" strips! My jaw is dropped. I couldn't begin to come up with so many blues, nor strips and you're excessiveness about donating is admirable. I adore what you've created, and the lovely longarm designs. If this is how you behave because you aren't working in a quilt shop anymore, it's evident that you put your time to good use. Wowsa.
ReplyDeleteThese quilts are a great way to use your strips and re-visit older (and very pretty!) quilting designs! :)
ReplyDeleteThese are fantastic and thanks for sharing the names of the pantographs.
ReplyDeleteGreat quilts. I'm always so impressed with how much piecing you get done. I may steal your idea for March's yellow. I don't have a lot of yellow strips but I probably have enough as fat quarters to make a copy cat top/s.
ReplyDeleteWhat a lovely way to use up your blue scraps! These are so pretty. Thanks for sharing on my weekly show and tell, Wednesday Wait Loss.
ReplyDeletehttps://www.inquiringquilter.com/questions/2025/03/05/wednesday-wait-loss-422
They all looks so pretty!! I love making jelly roll race quilts! Thanks for joining in on Monday This and That! I will be featuring your post this week! xx
ReplyDeleteSuch beautiful quilts. Thanks for showing the back of one with the spun seams, it's so helpful to see the "inner workings" :-)
ReplyDeleteThese blue quilts are all wonderful and for a great charity. Thanks for sharing with us at Monday Musings!
ReplyDelete