GROWING BIRCH TREES

How does one grow a scrappy grove of birch trees?

It’s fairly easy and a wonderful way to use scraps!

Yes SCRAPS!

I decided to use my tiny Charley Harper scraps.

I added in other scraps that read as solids and

Played will with the CH fabric colors. 

After making 3 larger quilts with his fabric…

I had plenty!

Maybe I didn’t need the pattern and could have emulated the design but

Supporting our designers is sew important. 

I love Amy Smart’s patterns and a fun fav is

“Birch Trees”

You can find her pattern here 

Sew at quilt retreat last year I made one test block.

The hard part is deciding where to randomly make the vertical cuts

As the scrap steps are inserted kind wonky.  Couple tips…

TIP #1 don’t get too close to left and relight edges for making cuts

TIP #2 make the background color squares larger than pattern says

and trim to size once all blocks are made. 

The left and right side cuts should have been closer to middle strip.

I don’t have much seam allowances as shown in this picture. 

Keep that in mind when cutting your vertical angles.

I decided to use various solid FQs for backgrounds.

Plenty to choose from in my stash. 

The key to scrappy is STOP being a control freak.

I tried to use various size pieces in the strips (trunks).

Try NOT to use the same scrap more than once in each strip (trunk).

Mx it up..and remember strips (trunks) can go be flipped vertically

when designing the layouts for each block. 

You will make your strips (trunks) using all kinda size scraps

THEN trim into straight strips (trunks)!  

Once I had enough strips (and I made extras…

I grouped strips (trunks) together.

Be sure to mix these up by prints and width sizes. 

As I built my blocks..I did switch a few strips (trunks) around.

That’s the fun of designing with scraps. 

Once all blocks were complete 

I trimmed all to same size and 

Placed on design wall to determine 

background color placement.

Then sew, sew, sew.

I decided 12 blocks was plenty, 

but the pattern offers several sizes!

This can be a small lapsize, a nice baby/toddler size

OR a wall hanging. 

And the top is complete. 

I made a backing using GRUNGE

I will quilt this in my Bernina 740. 

That will happen this summer.

I love my Charley Harper scrap birch trees.

Now go find some scraps…I know you have them,

 and grow your own birch trees! 

SCRAPPY ROUNDABOUT

I was cleaning up my sewing room and came across this 

scrappy book full of wonderful patterns.

And when I say...I was cleaning up...

that was summer 2021!

I found a pattern called Roundabout...that uses 2 1/2 x 5" pieces.

That means, to me, get into my charm stash

and scraps and get something made.

Sometimes I just need a simple and fast make!

(Fast is relative...as this was all decided in 2021

and its now 2022)

I have over 70 "hoarded" charm packs!

and....

How about this incredible find!

And Tiddly Winks may have been one of the very

first Charm Packs I ever bought.

I have always loved

Flea Market Fancy by Denyse Schmidt

I made a Churn Dash quilt in 2018

and I had bigger scraps left over that could work.

I cut them all into

2 1/2 x 5" pieces

I had white in my stash, so yep

that was used for the pattern as well.

Look at all this fun fabric!

Once all is sewn into units.

I can make this top

just need to decide the layout!

I really need to get to these!

I cut them all when I lost a dear friend in 2021.

He's been gone a year and 

it's time to move on and get them done.

LORAINE COUNTY PIECEMAKERS GO PLAIDISH!

In May, I was invited to provide a workshop for

the Loraine County Piecemakers Guild.

My favorite quilt and an easy all day sew-in would be

The Plaidish Quilt by Erica Jackman. 

I asked  Erica aka Kitchen Table Quilting 

for permission to teach her pattern.

I was staying near Cleveland in Wellington, OH

at a lovely B&B, formerly a Funeral Home.

No haunts were noted and the owners were a lovely retired couple.

Then the workshop (and trunk show) was held

 in a beautiful lodge near Oberlin called

The Lodge of New Russia Township.

I brought both my Plaidish quilts for the participants to see.

They had all their 567 pieces of scraps cut and ready to sew!

There were 19 participants and I was overjoyed!

My partner in quilting crimes, Kathy Guenther,

 attended this workshop with me.

She is NOT a random, let go of control kinda quilter.

BUT she DID and THIS is the result!

It's jut lovely.

Here are some of the lovely guild members

and the beginnings of their Plaidish quilt tops.

I waited, hoping to get some full finish pics...

but those may never come?

As random scraps can be hard but with this one only

needed to sort by value, Dark, Medium and Light.

3 colors choices, Blue is Dark, Green is Medium 

and white is Light...see the pattern?

All solids works as long as you make sure the 

Dark, Medium and Low Volume 

pieces have enough volume contrast.

This participant came in with her entire layout on a 

flannel tablecloth...well that wasn't the point of a

'random quilting experience" but

if it works for you, its ok with me.

Totally scrappy!

Christmas prints.

Another all solids.

These busy florals also worked!

I was totally surprised by this one!

All scraps

A red, white and blue design.

3 color design

An autumn color palate REALLY caught my eye!

All Scraps

Minimal color selections.

Black, White and Gray

Blue, Yellow, White

Everyone seemed happy as they allowed the fabrics

to work the magic. 

This is a free tutorial and you can download it here.

PAY CLOSE ATTENTION

TO THE DESIGN LAYOUT!

If you don't your won't be plaidish or happish!

I am available for trunk shows and workshops.

Contact me for details.

FRIENDS WHO CUT LOOSE!

Who would have ever imagined that in January, 2022

we would still be dealing with the damn corona virus

 and all the ugly heads that have mutated.

I could go on a rant right now...

but that won't help get shots into arms.

Sew, I will talk about how I deal with the insanity.

Sewing has saved me and this

"CUT LOOSE" pattern along with my sewcial distance partner,

 Kim Hensley, gives me focus and goals to meet for a beautiful finish!

This quilt is our 7th sewcial distance sewing

"apart/together" since April, 2020 

I had a great stash of Alison Glass scraps.

How perfect is this color scheme!

I use my stash (without buying more fabric) any time possible.

Many patterns offer a cutting chart that uses a specific line of fabric.

Like this line by Denyse Schmidt for Free Spirit fabrics.

Erica Jackman, Kitchen Table Quilting made the quilt on the pattern.

I don't worry too much about fabric lines or prints.

I stick to keeping the colors as close as I can

to the pattern chart (above)

Next, I pull my stash fabrics and using the fabric requirements guide

cut, label and bag the fabrics.  Often I put a bit extra in the bag and/or

I allow myself to swap out fabric that might not be what I want

...as I sew the blocks together.

After everything is cut...I still have a pile of Alison Glass fabrics to use.

I have made one other quilt before this one. 

Maybe someone else who quilts will get these scraps gifted?

Kim decided to use her stash of Jennifer Paganelli fabrics.

She tagged Jennifer on Instagram and lets just say, Jennifer is excited.

Kim has also bagged and tagged her pretties.

I am pretty sure these tops and maybe the entire quilts will be finished

 before spring thaw!

Stay tuned to the best sewcial distance station in town!