Tiny Trapezoids

 I don't remember where I bought it, but I know that I've had it for a long time...this $3 quart-sized bag stuffed with small scraps.  I was attracted to it because the fabrics are from the 30s and 40s.  

 Upon opening it, I was surprised to find all pieces of the same size and trapezoidal shape!

 

When I first brought the bag home, I hand-pieced a few pairs of the pieces together.  But not really knowing what I wanted to do with them, the bag was put aside.  I found it again while sorting my collection of vintage blocks and fabrics.  And because I'd been browsing scrap quilt ideas on Pinterest, I now knew what to do with the tiny trapezoidal pieces! 

I began by sorting and counting them (there were more than 500 pieces in the bag!!!).   Those that were too soiled or too irregular to use were discarded.  The rest of them were pressed.  

The trapezoids were randomly machine-pieced in pairs, short end to long end.  After pressing, they were all trimmed to 1 1/2" x 2".  

 The pairs were then randomly pieced in sets of 4 to form the sides of churn dash blocks.  Since most of the scraps were pink, solid pink fabric was chosen for the corners and muslin for the background.  I had enough scrap sets to make 16 blocks.  

(Scrap sets measured 2" x 4 1/2".  Muslin sides were cut 2" x 4 1/2".  Center square: 4 1/2".  Half-square triangle blocks cut 4" to start; pieced; trimmed to 3 1/2" square.  Block: 10 1/2" raw.)

The blocks were set together with simple pink sashing (cut 2" wide) with muslin cornerstones.

It is still a mystery to me from where these scraps might have come--so many of them and all the same shape and size!  How to use them is no longer a mystery--I now have a wonderful lap quilt:  "Churn Dash and Shoo-fly"

 

 

 

 

 

Triangles and Squares

 Among the fabrics set aside for the Sunbonnet project was a packet of green and cream pieces that I had purchased at an antique shop.  

 

 

The packet contained squares and triangles, with one cream and green triangle pair already hand-stitched together.  

 I decided that the green color was too strong for the other colors that I was using in the Sunbonnet quilt, so these pieces were not used there.  But the packet was out and was "begging" for me to do something with it.   

First of all, the pieces needed to be trimmed so that they could be machine pieced.  I trimmed the long edges of the triangles straight and pieced a cream and green triangle together.  After pressing, all pieces were squared up to 3" square.  The half-square triangle squares were made into 12 pinwheel blocks and the squares were pieced into 4-patch blocks, all blocks measuring 5 1/2" square, raw. 

Now what?  I pulled out some of my 30's reproduction yardage and laid the blocks on the various fabrics.  These were in a spot where I could keep looking at them, and I did so for days.  No ideas came to me...

 Then one morning, while in the shower*, I thought...why not expand the block by putting the pinwheel in the center and put scrappy pieced sections around it?  The squares could be the corners of the new block!  (*my favorite thinking place...)

I pulled out my scraps of vintage 30's and 40's fabrics and started scrappy piecing them.  The scrappy pieced sections were cut into pieces measuring 3" x 5 1/2" and the 4-patch blocks were taken apart.  The 12 new blocks measured 10 1/2" raw.  

The blocks were set 3 x 4 so the quilt top now measures ~30" x 40".  I would like it to be larger, but I am still thinking about how to make it grow.  There are some green pieces leftover...perhaps they can be used in some kind of border.  I'll let you know!  :)
 

I Love it!!!

Working With Vintage Pieces #1

 I love vintage quilts, quilt tops, fabrics, etc.  Friends who know this often give me vintage pieces to work with.  In addition, scouring booths at antique shops has uncovered vintage pieces that I've added to my collection. 

The next series of blogs will focus on how I have been using vintage pieces to create new quilts.  

The most recently competed quilt top began with a Sunbonnet pillow top, purchased back in 2001!!!  I literally had to blow the dust off this piece before working on it--it had been sitting on a shelf next to my ironing board for many months.  Along with the piece was a collection of fabrics that I'd gathered to use with it, and my original sketch of the quilt I would create. 

 

  

The piece had a few small holes in it.  I think that is why I put off working on it.  What would I do to fix those holes?  

Each time I went to the ironing board, I would see this piece.  I finally decided that it was time to tackle the project.  

The ruffle was trimmed off and the piece trimmed to 15 1/2" square.  Because the fabric was thin, I lined it with white cotton fabric.  To cover up the small holes in the top left corner, half square triangles were added to all 4 corners using the same white fabric.

I liked the basic ideas of my original sketch, but now the quilt needed to be drafted on graph paper so that all of the parts would fit together. 

I started by adding a narrow border of gold fabric to the top and bottom of the piece.  Then added a checkerboard border using white and the light teal print.  This was followed by another narrow gold border. I was pleased with how it now looked.

But how to make it grow to be baby quilt size?  

Triple sashing all around would add length as well as width.  But just solid colors all around seemed too boring. 

 

 Why not add a 9-patch block in the center of each side border?   I had already planned for 9-patch blocks in the border corners...And with some creative piecing, I had just enough of the light teal print to make all of these 9-patch blocks.

The quilt still needed outer borders.  I really liked the way the gold fabric that I'd used in the small borders looked with the light teal (this brought out the gold embroidered centers of the flowers).  I went to my stash of fabric yardage to see if I had any gold fabric that might work with these other fabrics.  I found this "funky" fabric, and the more I looked at it, the more I liked it with what I'd already done.  

Solid teal and white pinwheel corners break up the busy-ness of the outer border.  And a butterfly applique near the Sunbonnet's hat covers the remaining small hole in the original piece.  I am very happy with the finished quilt top, which measures ~35" x 45".

Blogging again!

 It has been many years since I posted on my blog.  In the meantime, I have been inspiring quilters through my monthly Scrappy News.  I have decided that it's time to blog again because I have lots to share!   I'll start with once a month...around the middle of the month.  Stand by...

A Little Quilt from Grandma

As a child, I loved playing with dolls.  Grandma knew that.  When she had some fabric leftover from making aprons, she made doll quilts for me and my sisters.  This little quilt was used to tuck in some of my favorite dolls back then.      

I have not outgrown my love of dolls.  I have kept some of my favorites from childhood and have built up quite a collection of bears.  My doll quilt is still cherished and every so often I'll bring it out and display it with some of the bears and dolls in my collection.

This quilt was the inspiration for "Granny Stars"--one of the patterns in my Little Dolly's Too pattern packet. You can find the pattern on my website: http://carolsscrapquilts.webs.com. 

Wonder if this bear has invited others to the picnic???   

Another "Oldie"

Last week was a crazy busy week so I did not have a chance to post.  I spent 3 days at the NQA show in Columbus.  Once again I was wowed by the beauty and creativity displayed in the quilts there.  There were many quilts with detailed applique; many with amazing machine quilting; and as usual, the ribbon winners were stunning.  I admire the determination it takes to see such a project through to the end!
The Blazing Star quilt that my grandma made for my parents took determination, too!  That is one design that must be pieced carefully so that it lies flat, especially in the center. 

This quilt was long-forgotten until I found it at the bottom of Mom's cedar chest when I was preparing her house for sale.  Like the 2 quilts I showed in previous blogs, it is thin and worn--signs that it was used often and well-loved. 
Grandma made these quilts in the late 40's and into the 50's.  I'm intrigued by the fact that the colors in these quilts are 30's colors--pastels.  Makes me wonder just how far back Grandma's scrap bag went!!!  I will most likely never know.

A Very Traditional Quilt

Grandma's smaller apron and dress fabric scraps went into this Dresden Plate quilt.  I'm guessing that she acquired scraps from her quilting friends, too, because of the variety of fabrics in this quilt.  This one was used on my older sister's double bed (she had her own room!!!). 
The "plates" were pieced by hand and hand appliqued to the background squares.  The blocks were set together by machine, however.  Grandma had a sewing machine--one that started out as a treadle, but was converted to an electric machine somewhere along the line.  That machine saw lots of activity because Grandma loved to sew. 
This quilt was hand quilted by the church quilting ladies.  Even though it was often washed (because it was used and loved), the quilting stitches are still intact.  Those church ladies did quality work.  :)