Scrappy Quilts (or Reduce your Stash with No Cash)!

Summers are typical of a bit of down time in the professional longarmer world.  So it was last summer for me when I decided to piece a few quilts with my worm accumulation.  Worms are strips of fabric, usually 21/4"-21/2" wide, that you have collected over a series of projects just for the purpose of assembling them into a scrap quilt.  This post features three quilt tops I pieced last summer that hung patiently in the closet until I had time earlier this year to quilt them up.  

This quilt, using a pattern called Buzz Saw, was pieced entirely of collected worms except a purchase of green border fabric.  However, the actual piecing process did not require a border, just the sly placement of blocks with the green 'border' material to make it appear framed.   When using scraps, a quilt typically needs control fabric such as the green used here to unify the quilt top.

For the second quilt of three, I gathered all my pastel worms and created a precious pinwheel quilt.  Although it looks '30's, none of the fabrics were reproduction '30's. I quilted it in freehand feathers and curls to complete the vintage, cottage-y feel.

Fun tip:  if you have a straight-back rocking chair without cushions, consider weaving a quilt through it and - tah dah! - you have instant comfort such as this one now has.  You can seasonally change the quilts; a wool one in winter, this pinwheel quilt in the spring, etc.   How inviting!

The third and last quilt, called Cobblestones, was made from worms and was the most expensive one to make.  The cobblestones were made entirely of worms, but some rust yardage was purchased for the control fabric.

Below is a closeup of the freehand feathers quilted along each strip of fabric as well as the borders.

All of the patterns used for the quilts in this post were from Debbie Caffrey's books using fat quarters or worms.  The backdrop of my book display is another lap quilt I've made using Shape Up Your Fat Quarters.  I highly recommend any of her books.  The patterns are very easy to follow, the quilts are very easy to piece, and the best part is reducing your stash so you can purchase new fabric!!!