thinking on Settings

I tried to resist.  I tried to be open minded.  But at the end of the day I really truly just want to make another quilt.

And another.

And another.

I tell myself that I don't have a problem because between giving them away and possibly doing a craft show again someday, they'll all find a forever home eventually.  I know you friends are interested in other ways to use scraps, and I pinky promise to go there soon!

So here was my first idea for those improv scrappy squares.  Because they're made of such small pieces, it can feel busy when they get together.  Adding a little sashing between each seems to let them breathe.  Here I'm previewing a scrappy rainbow of color sashed in Kona Biscuit.  But for whatever reason I couldn't commit.  I think I wasn't feeling a rainbow at the moment (though right now I love this!).   If rainbows are calling you, and especially if you have a little bit of lots of colors, consider Kona Oyster (my fav. white) or Kona Ash (pale gray) or Kona Iron (gray) as other neutral sashing options.

During my brainstorming session, things got a little messy.  Take a look at the far right end of the table to get a peak at where I ended up.  I have soooo many tiny scraps that I'm thinking two quilts.  I'll divide my squares into warm colors (orange, yellow, pink, purple, red) and cool colors (gray, blue, teal, green, plus touches of yellow).  I'll sash the cool quilt in Kona Kale and the warm quilt in Kona Peach.  Kale and Peach are two of my current color crushes, if you're wondering how I chose.  It's not that either of them "go with everything", but instead that they will give the quilt an overall color that I know I'll love.  If you're considering bold sashing, definitely choose a color that thrills you!  Using only cool or only warm colors is a great way to give your quilt a color scheme while still being open to lots of shades.

First the cool-colored quilt!  You could keep it simple and do thin sashing throughout in a regular on point layout, like I showed over Kona Biscuit.  I found I wanted to incorporate even more of that beautiful green.  To build my quilt, I'm sewing blocks using nine of the 4" squares and thin sashing.  Then a layer of thick sashing interspersed with the black floral corner stones adds lots of definition to the design.

Here I've arranged my 4" squares in a 3 x 3 setting.  I'm using several 4" squares cut from larger scraps.  Bringing in some not-pieced squares calms things down.  If you don't have tiny scraps or don't want to make the tiny improv pieced squares, you could make this quilt with 4" blocks cut from your scraps or yardage!

I'm sewing all these pieces with a scant 1/4" seam (traditional quilting seam).  Be careful to sew straight when working with the thin sashing, as little hiccups really show.  My short sashing pieces are cut 1" x 4" and the long pieces are 1" x 12".  I'm trimming up my blocks to 12" x 12".  You will have a smaller block if you are using true 1/4" seam allowances.

Since this block is cobbled together from so many tiny scraps, I'm calling this quilt Cobblestones!

The thick sashing is cut 4" x 12" and the corner squares are 4" square.  Don't these blocks look so much nicer when surrounded by a saturated border?  The corner squares are so effective because their dark value contrasts beautifully with the rest of the quilt.

Ok, so it might take me awhile to work through this one - tiny, tiny scraps! - but I'm on my way.  Anyone else inspired to join in?

By the way, there were some fun quilt settings ideas left as comments on yesterday's post:  a woven setting, using them as pieced centers of wonky or traditional stars, in Anna Maria Horner's Color Dive quilt and as part of this oversized vintage star quilt.  Really since they're squares, the possibilities are endless!

And so are my quilts - - -