I'm so thrilled to join Swan again for another Summer Scrap Elimination event! I am so excited for this year's project - it's one that I've used to bust some scraps in the past, and it is so much fun I thought I'd share the process with you. What is it? We are going to make a mini improv pieced quilt using our scraps. Let's dive in! Use the steps outlined in this post as a "formula" for your first improv mini quilt.
Step One: Pull out your scraps!
Everyone has their own method of storing scraps - by color, by size, by type. Maybe you have yours neatly folded in bins - or tossed in a basket. Whatever your method of sorting and storing, we are starting with the scraps - so pull them out!
Step Two: Audition scraps
You've got scraps. Great! But you need to narrow down WHICH scraps you want to use for the mini quilt. So play around with different combinations of prints and colors.
If you have any pieced scraps - you know, those left over pieces from strip pieced blocks - pull 'em out. It's a nice shortcut to get you started on your project.
Now you need to audition your fabrics to decide what will go into your mini quilt. Above are some examples of my "auditioning" for the mini quilt. I had two pieces of strip pieced scraps that I wanted to try out for the quilt. You can see them in the center of each picture above.
Step 3: Begin with pieced scraps
Let's speed up the project by including some pieced scraps. Now, if you don't have pieced scraps, no worries - make some! But if you DO have pieced scraps, pull 'em out and get the improv started! Full disclosure - I'm starting with the strip pieced scrap you see above.
Step 4: Cut up your pieced scrap
Once you've decided on a pieced scrap (or you pieced two or more of your scraps together), let's start cutting it up.
- My pieced scrap had a great high-contrast combo, but the lime green strips were too wide for a mini quilt, so I trimmed down both sides to make it smaller scale.
- Since I decided to use several different prints, I wanted to surround the yellow print with the lime print to provide contrast and a sense of order to the overall project. With that in mind, I started by adding a strip to the bottom of the trimmed strip piece. Notice that I placed the strip at an angle. It's improv after all! I sewed along the raw edge of the lime green angled strip.
- Next I wanted to add another strip to the top of the unit - again at an angle that is different from the first. Again, I sewed along the raw edge of the strip.
- The piece looked a little too large for a mini quilt, so I cut it in half. Use your ruler to test out angles to find one that looks interesting.
- Now you have two different sections for your mini quilt!
- Continue adding strips to the pieced sections, and trimming down to suit your taste. Remember, this is improv. There are no rules. Do what looks great to you.
Step 5: Auditioning Spacers
So that my wonky little sections from Step 4 show up, I want to separate them with some high contrast spacers. The easiest way to do this is by simply laying the wonky units on different fabrics to see how they look. Which one would you pick?
Step 6: Adding Spacers
- Add spacers much like we added fabrics in Step 4. I settled on the orange fabric as a spacer. I loved the high contrast and the pop of yellow that tied in with the yellow print in the wonky units. Because I only had a small piece of it, I pieced directly on the orange fabric. I started by laying a wonky unit, right sides together, along one edge of the orange fabric and stitching with a 1/4" seam allowance.
- Leaving a little space, I added a second wonky unit on top of the orange fabric. To keep up the improv/wonky look, I put the second unit on at an angle.
- Continue up the spacer fabric, adding units at an angle and varying the size of the spacers.
- You can see the project taking shape as you continue to add units.
Step 7 - Add Spacers to Finish
Keep in mind - there is no wrong on this! So keep adding spacers and wonky units until your project is the size you want it. Or until it looks "done" to you.
Step 8 - Trim
Now I get it - some folks would quilt first, then trim. But for me, I like to know what my surface area is that I'm working with. And I like to work with the trimmed unit instead. AND you can always add those pieced trimmings to ANOTHER improv project!
Step 9 - Choose threads for quilting
A terrific aspect of a mini quilt is that it is easy to quilt. So here's your chance to try something new - new thread colors, new thread weights, different stitches - go crazy! Personally, I LOVE the look of variegated thread. It adds a sense of movement to a project. For this mini, I chose three different variegated threads from Aurifil in three different weights to add texture and color to the project.
Step 10 - Quilt the mini
Layer your project for quilting. Pssttt...fusible fleece makes a terrific option for small projects like this one. For backing you can use a large scrap to bust more scraps. I like to use plain white fabric for the back of minis, since they are going to hang on a wall. That way I can save all my pretty prints for the front of my quilts!
Have fun with your quilting! I did simple straight line quilting and some "v" quilting that echos the wonky shapes. With small projects like this one, you can easily stitch from edge to edge. That means you don't have starts and stops with thread ends that have to be tied off. Bonus!
Once it is quilted, trim the project (again). Then bind it and ta da - you're done!
I love how the scrap project came out! It reminds me of summery citrusy punch. I've used this same formula for another mini scrap improv quilt and I love it too. Try it and see if you like it too!
Here's another little mini improv quilt, using the same "formula" I outlined for you above. Isn't it amazing how just changing fabrics can change the look of a project?
And remember those edge trimmings from the first improv quilt? I used them along with some more fabrics (love that pop of pink/yellow) for a small little mini mini quilt!
Making these little improv quilts can be addictive - so have fun!
I also have a fun new class coming in a few months! This virtual on-demand class will dive deep into creating gradations (or ombre effects) using your fabric stash. Sound fun? Click the image below to get on the waitlist so you don't miss a single detail!
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