When I was asked to share my good friend Bonnie Hunter's Book 'String Frenzy' during her book tour I said heck yes! I've been sewing strips of extra fabric, strings of fabric, together for many years.
Bonnie has such a wonderful eye for combining scraps into very effective quilts! You will love her book. So let's see what I selected to work on.
** BUY a String Frenzy for 20% off! **
I decided that I have a LOT of neutrals that are just not getting used. Some are pretty big pieces, others are 1/2 a layer cake square, or a part of a fat quarter that was left.
I decided that Bonnie's gorgeous 'Indigo-a-Go-Go' would use up the most lights. She make this quilt to use her African Indygo prints. It really stretched those into a full size quilt with this pattern!
I've been making these type of strip units almost since I started quilting. I did one great big project that was part of a challenge and then toured to different shows a few yrs ago. It's very zen like to sew strips like this, I really love it! Another reason I was drawn to this quilt was the fact that I got to sew these units.
Because I want my strips to stay in the background, I'm using fabrics that read tonal and don't have a lot of other colors in them
Article continues below this Ad
As I had left over strips, I sew units to it to be used in the next strip unit, see below, it is an excellent way to use up leftovers!
I am EXCITED to use that strip of 'An American In Paris', I've had it awhile.
I decided to go with the pinky/red Figtree and the aqua Figtree fabrics. I have quite a bit of each and love them as a combo.
Lay out all the blocks so you like the placement.
Note that the direction of the strips in the aqua blocks. Some are horizontal and some vertical string placement.
This little surprise is why I love doing these type of quilts!
I have the top of my office assistant loaded up with this project. That way I can pull it up next to my Baby lock Solaris!
See how nice my Koala Studio table is, I love that my machine sits flush with the top and I have a comfy Koala chair to sit in.
I've decided the best way to do this is to make these 9-patch blocks.
I'll mix and match the red and aqua in the blocks so that when I set them the Figtree fabrics will be scattered around. And it's more motivating to me to sew these big 9-patch blocks as I go rather than waiting until the end.
The book has 12 quilts and tips of how to use your scraps. I love Bonnie's stories about each quilt too!
This is another of my favorites in her book, the pumpkin patch.. do you have a lot of orange to use up?
And Dawn's Early Light is so gorgeous with red/white & blue.
** BUY yourself String Frenzy, you'll love it! **
GIVEAWAY – Leave me a comment telling me
Do you save scraps?
leave the comment by 6pm April 11.
Winner is Nancy P who said "Yes I save my scraps, but now I have added saving scrap squares – thank you Pat Sloan. After being inspired by you, I now have baskets of 2, 2 1/2, 3 and 4 inch scrap fabric squares."
Book Tour:
- Friday, 4/5: C&T Publishing at ctpub.com/blog
- Saturday, 4/6: Pat Sloan at ilovetomakequilts.com
- Sunday, 4/7: Sandra Clemons at makeitblossomdesigns.com
- Monday, 4/8: Susan Arnold at quiltfabrication.com
- Tuesday, 4/9: Bernie Kringel at needleandfoot.com
- Wednesday, 4/10: Bonnie Hunter at quiltville.blogspot.com
CLICK to read the legal sweepstakes stuff I'm required to tell you.
895 Responses
Yes! I save my scraps and cut them up into Bonnie Hunters Scrap system. Then I M ready to use them in many different projects. And I love making string quilts!
A good friend gave me 4 bags of scraps and I would like one day to make a scrappy quilt. My friend passed away a couple years ago. One day I will make that quilt using her scraps and think of our memories together. A way of healing!
Of course I save scraps! I’m making a crumb quilt but would love to try a string quilt!p
I LOVE SCRAPS and I am overrun with them! LOL I think quilts made in a scrappy format are so much more interesting, more fun to “study.” Loving fabric is a never ending feast for the eyes. Thanks, Pat. I’m a new reader, enjoy your blog very much.
I just cleaned my sewing studio and gave a huge trash bag full of scraps to a good friend. Going forward I am going to TRY to keep certain sizes that I can cut on my gemini.:)
Oh my, yes! I use my AccuQuilt to cut some into squares & rectangles from 1 1/2 to 5 inches and store in plastic totes by size. I leave some scaps as is for applique and other sizes & EPP.
I sew almost exclusively with scraps. Cutting into yardage just doesn’t appeal to me, and I love quilts with lots of different fabrics to discover.
Yes, I save scraps and use them in quilts and other projects. Sew much fun to see the finished project!
Here a scrap, there a scrap, everywhere there are scrap-scraps! I have boxes of them! I really need to organize them in colors and not designers. I use my Sew Sampler boxes to store them in. Labeled with black Sharpe marker of what’s in them. This would be an amazing book to own and help reduce all the scraps.
Yes I do save scraps to make EPP grandmothers garden flowers and so many other things. Lately all you lovely quilters have shown us so many ways to use them.
I DO save scraps! And since I recently made my daughter an orange quilt, I’m thinking I should use all the left overs and make that pumpkin quilt! I love it!
I have too many scraps and it seems that no matter how many I use, the bins never get any emptier!
I do have scraps – lots of them! I just finished a twin size quilt using the strips that I had, and I still have leftovers. Oh well, looks like another quilt will have to be made!!
As I am cutting my fabrics I toss all my scraps (fat quarter and smaller) into a large bin under my cutting table. Once it is over flowing I then figure out what I want to do…I LOVE making scrappy quilts, so often start a new one. I will also cut blocks and WOF strips and keep together in storage boxes to use on other projects!!
I have a good start on saving scraps for my first attempt at a string quilt 😉
I love new quilt patterns to make with my granddaughter.
hi…do I save scraps – well I have been quilting for 15 years and still use scraps from the first quilt I made – I love love love scrappy quilts.
I don’t save scraps that are smaller than 1-1/2″ because my fingers and my sewing machine can’t deal with tiny pieces. 🙂 I do save larger scraps and recently sorted them by color. They’re stored in a vinyl tub. Bonnie’s book is inspiring. I love those patterns! And I love your site!
I keep all of my scraps. I just started sewing last October and plan on using my scraps in a quilt someday when I’ve collected enough of them.
I definitely save scraps! Not even the smallest slivers get thrown in the trash…they go into a pillowcase to be filler for dog beds at the Humane Society. The bigger scraps are put into bins for my scrappy projects.
I have pieces from a quilting friend and am a relatively new quilter (made 3 quilts and working on another one now. Knowing what to do with a piece of this and a piece of that would be fabulous!
Oh boy do I have scraps! I have so many scraps and no idea what to do with them. I find this blog to be very helpful.
Thanks, Pat!
yes, yes, yes…i save everything last scrap! Can’t bear to throw anything away.
I just reorganized my scrap saving system. I bought sterilite containers for each color. Now they look like a pretty rainbow all stacked up!
I save scraps and the ones too small to save are used to make fleece dog beds.
Yes, I save scraps from anything I work on…you just never know what you could use it for!
Pat, I do like scraps, especially since I started to do machine applique. I love your “Teach Me” book series and I learned so much from Teach Me to Applique. I had the good fortune to meet you a couple of years ago at your trunk show at Capital Quilts, Gaithersburg, Maryland. I have been following and learning from you since that day. Thank you for sparking my creativity!
I love saving scraps. I have a large utility tote that I throw scraps in. I find myself searching that bin of I need just a small piece of fabric for a project!
Still a nearby but the scrap Ile is growing
I save ALL of my scraps! Some are color sorted, some are just all piled together. I have made many quilts using these leftovers. I have pinwheels, strip sets, I made a camper trailer appliqué quilt totally from scraps last month. I love it!
Yes, I have saved scraps for a very long time and have tried to sort them into sizes . I don’t save anything under 2 inches unless I really love the fabric. String quilts are so much fun to make.
When you quilt you have scraps, no way around it. I have been going through fabric and making potholders for a Church Kitchen. Making pads to put between pot and pans instead of paper towels. Little table toppers, just because. And I thought I would make orphan blocks to sew together later that are just random and old…..
I do save scraps but haven’t really done anything with them yet. Bonnie Hunter is the inspiration I need!
I have scraps organized in Bonnie Hunter’s system. Love it when I can use my scraps!
Yes, I save my scraps, don’t know what to do with them!
We just love Pat Sloan and Bonnie Hunter. What could be better but the two together?
I have many scraps! Thank you for this inspiration to put them to good use. I love the scrappy look!!
Oh my do I have scraps. Would love a book to tell me how to use them.
I would love to have this awesome book! Thanks for the opportunity to win it!
I’m new to quilting,but my scrap collection is growing! I’m looking at all the wonderful ideas and dreaming!
I save scraps–I have more than Carter has liver pills!!
Yes, I do save scraps, and, even better, I am using them by making small things such as mug rugs and larger items like baby quilts, dog quilts for charity, and on up to lap quilts and bed quilts.
I really really need String Frenzy, my box of scraps seems to be mutiplying all by itself.
Oh…yes…I absolutely have scraps….I’m trying to avoid them but you are not helping…lol..
I would love to try one of these string quilts! Such a neat way to use those scraps!
Oh my yes I sure do have scraps but alot are cut into blocks of various sizes. I’ve been enjoying doing your scrap buster patterns , like Oh My Stars on Bonus scrap quilt. Love being creative.
Her designs always looked so intimating to me until I saw your block and can see it broken down. Not so frightening now…lol.. Thank you! I will have to reconsider doing a scrap quilt now…
I’ve been quilting for almost 20 years and I definitely have scraps.
I just went thru and organized my strips this morning. I need a quilt project for my scraps. It is time.
I have saved scraps from my own projects and I was given half a 2.5L rubbish bag of scraps from someone else, I have no idea what I am going to do with them all (many are single fabrics scraps and no twin), other than I have sorted them into separate bags