scrappy economy block

 Hi thank you all for your positiveness regarding my sketch.

I thought I would reward you with some patchwork!

Don't tell anyone

but I seem to have joined in with something!

With my efforts to reduce my scraps being poor to none

I thought this economy block was just the thing 

to lessen the load.

And because you have been ever so nice

an update to the crazy one.

I was thinking how my quilts are all different 

yet go well together..

I guess fabric choice has a lot to do with it.

This is another a little experiment with colour choice

it is what it is

okay with a little tweaking here and there.

100%   s-crappy fabrics

You can find a tutorial and qal links  here
 I used Crazy Mom Quilts measurements
which makes the finished block a little over 8.5 inches.

ps.

I know they are not perfectly square...

but who wants to be square right?!

patchwork scraps scrappy quilt?

   Today's post was supposed to be about how I only have ONE wip.

It's a partial truth

somewhere amongst this lot

there is my batik quilt that I began last year.

Colourwise it was looking a little flat,

so I thought I'd add the Dresden to it.
A quick rummage through my scrap bags

and you see where I ended up.

If you love English paper piecing or quilting

then maybe you have such a stash?
UFO's
unused fabric oh~dears

So what do you think?

Should I just go for it....and say I do only have one wip?

How about you?
Got any UFO's?

I dare you to get your patchwork scraps out

I better you'd be surprised how many you have.

ps.

One wip must mean that I have finished binding my 'kantha style' strip quilt,

I have indeed, I just need to make a label and wait for a sunny day.

Full reveal coming soon....

scrappy fabric frame tutorial

It has been too long since I shared a tutorial...

in fact this is more a decoupage technique..

 using fabrics though and not paper.

This is my first attempt at a fabric frame

so let's work through this together!

Here's what you need~

A frame (or something you fancy covered in fabric!)

PVA glue, the type of glue that dries clear

A paintbrush

Scissors

And fabric scraps*

* The point of this little project is purely to use up all those odds and ends.

That said, I can well imagine this would be really cute

with a limited palette of one floral fabric

or spots and stripes.

So lets go!

Start by taking the frame apart.

This first picture is inside the back of the frame.

This lip stops the glass falling out

and is where I began gluing.

When placing your scraps you will need to have at least one straight edge,

cut one if you need to.

Apply glue to the area of the frame that you are about to cover,

and smooth down the fabric with your fingers or a paintbrush.

Take the fabric all the way round the back of the frame 

to create a nice edge.

Continue overlapping scraps

glueing them down as you work around the frame,

always working from the inside out.

Another view from the back of the frame.

The fabric top edge can be neatened during or after.

If something isnt working add another scrap!

Be aware that you will (if you're like me)

get into a bit of a sticky mess,

but at least you are not taking photos (like me!)

Okay still with me?

The picture on the left is the finished frame.

To stop the fabrics fraying and generally hold it all together

paint a layer of glue over the whole frame.

This gives an almost plastic finish,

(if you want to keep the fabric look

then you will have to work very neatly

good luck with that!)

Once dried replace the glass etc....

and add a suitable picture or special postcard from a friend x

Good things to know.

Darker fabrics work better over lights

(as I discovered, see the purple gingham~ whoopsie)

Too much glue will give an opaque look when dried~ boo.

Make sure you remove any fluff from the finished frame

before you coat it in glue.

Admire what you've made

and think of bigger and better things you can cover with this technique!

scrappy do

  Come on now we all have scrap bags in need of attention don't we?

 You may find a gem or two

like this label that was destined for Marys quilt

before the fraying began.

 I like to think it's my sentimental tendencies 

that keep me from throwing these things out

and not one of those horrible hoarding behaviours!

Generally speaking scraps usually get turfed out after Christmas

but as I'm in a moving stuff about decluttering mode

here we are...

I have a few ideas bouncing around my head,

but the one that really got the cogs whirring

was Marys reminder of her 

scrappy fabric baubles

that she made last Christmas......

 Here is my first attempt drying off.
This is so much fun
and all you need is some old baubles, pva glue and scraps..
I dare you to have a go
you wont regret it!