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
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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
I have loads of scraps!! Now I need use them.
YES I have scraps. And I’ll have a bunch more when I finish up on a couple of projects!!! I always buy way too much fabric, or is that really possible to buy too much fabric!!??? š
Yes I save my scraps. Strings, chunks and crumbs are all ongoing leader/ender projects. Thanks for sharing your love of strings!!
I used to not save scraps, then I read somewhere that āyour scraps cost you the same $ as you yardageā. That got the frugal I me going and I now save anything an inch or bigger. I have made at least 8 very scrappy quilts and I love them! They really are a story of my life. I can identify pieces in my quilts that came from clothes that I made for myself, my children, and grandchildren.
I am a scrapper gal, for sure. Love Bonnie and all her ideas. Leaders and Enders have been
used for building crumb fabric for a long time and used in many projects. I have applied many of her ideas to my own quilts and have several of her patterns in progress. Love the colorway you have going with your Indigo-a-Go-Go. It will be gorgeous!
I save all my scraps. I have never thought of making things into strips though. I am always thinking of blocks more so than strips. Great ideas now.
All my quilts are scrap quilts so I don’t really think of them as scraps – it’s my fabric stash.
Yes I save and use all my scraps! The more I use the more they seems to multiply š.
I enjoy using ur patterns Pat. They are easy to follow. Thank you!
Yes I save scraps all the time. I love Bonnie’s suggestion of have one on the side to use as a stitch off while working on another quilt. There’s nothing better then getting done 2 at once!
I’m a scrap saver and a scrap user! Love scrappy quilts!
I have many bags of scraps. I let my girls play with them. My four year old said she’s making a quilt for her younger sisters birthday.
I love my scraps! I have shoeboxes of 1 Ā½ and 2 inch squares and a basket of 1 inch strips along with a tub of larger scraps. Postage stamp quilts are my favorite.
I have a ton of all size scraps, they come in handy for all the projects I have been working on, be it for applique, splendid sampler II, or any other.
I didnāt save scraps at all – then Bonnie Hunter came to our guild with her trunk show and lecture and those days were over. Now my studio has a problem :-). I just signed up for a Bonnie class in Hershey. Hoping to use up some of those carefully curated scraps.
I save my scraps and friends give me their scraps too.
I do save scraps as scrap quilts are my favorite! I need to come up with a better system than my overflowing color bins.
Love scrap quilting! My goal this year is to use up scraps to make quilts for family mbers… for no reason at all,just because everyone needs a homemade quilt to snuggle under!
I do save scraps. Bonnie inspired my scrap saving system. I don’t have enough for one of her big quilts but I’m working on it!
I am a scrap hoarder. I’ve tried to organize my scraps and it is endless!! Which makes me smile!
I am ordering your book and hope that I can utilize all the strips I have pressed in a box. just need to start sewing them together. thanks Bonnie!
I have been saving my scraps in a special box, can’t wait to turn them into a beautiful quilt. Thanks so much for your inspiration I am so blessed to have found you!
I save all scraps no matter how large or small. I figure one of these days I may need to “chop up” some small pieces to use for something. So all my scraps go into a shopping bag right now. I thought they may also work in some sort of crazy quilt.
Yes, I save scraps. Looking forward to Bonnie’s next Mystery quilt.
Scraps – I Save ’em, Love ’em & never seem to use them all up! Such treasures. Thanks for the ideas for using some of them up as well as the opportunity to win. Enjoy your creativity always!
I save scraps. Every little piece. Made several stripy quilts. Love to own Bonnieās book Thank you.
A non-Quilting teacher friend just asked me ādo you know anyone with scrap fabric – is that even a thing?ā
I assured her it was āa thingā and offered to share mine for a second grade school project!!
I save scraps but in big tubs – not organized.
Yes! I save scraps and have enough to start a scrappy quilt. I need Bonnieās book to give me inspiration!
Yes!! I save, love and use scraps. A lot!
Hi, Pat! I’m a scrap saver and need to find ways to use them. If the scraps are really small and I don’t think I can use them, they will go into pet rescue beds as stuffing, so nothing is wasted. I love when you review a book and show your related quilt project. Your string quilt from Bonnie Hunter’s book looks amazing!
I do save scraps and bought Bonnieās book. I need to get busy as my scrap bins are getting out of control. Love what you did with this pattern.
Yes I save scraps. All sizes. All of them. I also save tiny scraps of paper for crafting. I have a serious problem with throwing things away. I may need them one day!!!, right??? Lol. Iām still working on workable storage ideas for my scraps.
Yes! I save scraps and I use them. Oh the fun we can have being scrappy!! String Frensy looks very inviting. Great quilts designs. Great use of scraps. Thank you for sharing, Pat.
I am a hopelessly scrapaholic. Do Bonnie’s ideas of Leaders and Enders always when I sew. Even tiny scraps can go into miniature or small quilts. I’m a Figtree fan as well and your colors for this project look very Springy. Would love Bonnie’s newest book!
I definitely save my scraps and use them regularly. I think they make the prettiest quilts.
Love the color combination you used in your blocks.
I definitely save scraps! As the years go by, the scraps I save keep getting smaller.
I save scraps, because I might need them. š
I recently tried to organize my scraps but kept all the strips that just need to be put together!
Oh yes… I save my 2×2 scraps just like you, in order to make more quilts.
I have trouble throwing any fabric away so I have lots of scraps!
Yes I save scraps even the smallest pieces go to a friend who makes dog beds for the local Humane Society.
I save my scraps and often use them for small projects or applique. I also save strings and crumbs and have a pile of squares made from each going!
I save 90% of my scraps. I used to save them all but Iām drowning in scraps and so I started to eliminate the smaller pieces (less than 2×2). I have an embroidery machine so sometimes I need small scraps for applique. I am determined to use up some of my really old fabrics and reduce my scrap stash!
I have too many scraps but the more I use the more they multiply
Scraps? After taking a Bonnie Hunter class, I don’t throw any scraps away! I use them to make her quilts.
I have tons of scraps iā Never used! I think I think Iām ready to try it though!
I have a string quilt in progress, but yes, I have lots of scraps. I donāt throw much away! I do some English paper piecing, and the little pieces come in handy! I love all Fig Tree fabric collections. Dora, I never would have thought of cofffee filters for string piecingāingenious!
My favorite quilts are scrap so I am nearly out of them. I cut up my least favorite fat quarters and add them as needed. They usually work better than I expected. It’s hard to imagine that some quilters throw scraps away!
Not only do I save scraps, but after taking a class with Bonnie I was inspired to organize them in clear plastic shoeboxes…otherwise they were exploding out of the drawer every time I tried to shove another piece in!!!
Always saving scraps! And always looking for new ways to use them. What a great book to help utilize themš