Sister's Choice Quilts

My interests are quilting, reading, cooking, family, decorating, and matters of style. I post regular quilting tutorials and book reviews of current fiction.

Scrappy Quilts

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I adore a scrappy quilt.  No sense in using four or five fabrics when forty or fifty are so much more interesting.  Oh, I have made my share of planned quilts that involve specific amounts of yardage using just a few different fabrics, but those quilts tend to bore me.   In my mind, the main attraction of designing a quilt is to use color as an artist would, incorporating many pleasing patterns, hues, scales, values, and contrasts.  I also love the historical aspect of scrappy quilt.  The pioneer woman of 150 years ago had to use scraps of used clothing, feed sacks, or other materials because those were the only things on hand to make a bed covering.   I have always admired and respected this skill and resourcefulness, even though as a modern day quilter, I have thousands of choices (maybe even from my own stash!) when it comes to making a quilt.

My favorite style of scrappy quilt is one that has some sense of organization in the colors that are used.  In the quilt pictured above, for example, I knew I wanted to use a palette of purples and greens.  (Who doesn’t love a purple and green quilt!?!)  As with many of the quilts I make, my inspiration often comes from nature. The myriad shades of greens and lavenders in this arrangement of hydrangeas was what I was going for.

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I wanted as many shades of purple, lavender, mauve, sage, celery, lime, and olive as I could get my hands on.  The collecting and assemby of these fabrics was pure joy.  I bought fat quarters and quarter yard or eighth yard cuts of well over sixty fabrics for this quilt.  Combining the color combinations (careful not to repeat any) was a past time that caused me to lose happy hours at a time.

In the end, mainly because I was having so much fun making them, I made over 100 blocks!  I picked my favorite 90 blocks and created a quilt I have never gotten tired of.

 

16 responses to “Scrappy Quilts”

  5. Welcome to the Quilt Studio web ring. I love your purple and green quilt. I also love “controlled scrappy” quilts. And I love purple!

  6. Welcome to the Quilt Studio web ring. I love your purple and green quilt. I also love “controlled scrappy” quilts. And I love purple!

  7. Beautiful quilt, Nicole. I’m sure it was as much fun shopping for fabrics as it was putting them together. I totally agree with your scrappy philosophy, too. Love it!

  8. Beautiful quilt, Nicole. I’m sure it was as much fun shopping for fabrics as it was putting them together. I totally agree with your scrappy philosophy, too. Love it!

  11. Easter is around the corner! I loved your house decorations on Friday. We must do a bit more photo sessions together. Dad’s red sweater and phone on the side table are things we could have brushed aside before clicking the shutter. ^_^ I’m proud of my blogging Mama! That quilt is such a treasure, this quilt really made me love the scrappy look, as well as the Sea Side Rose quilt. I’d like to do a quilt with all creams but it will take years to collect the fabrics for it.

  12. Easter is around the corner! I loved your house decorations on Friday. We must do a bit more photo sessions together. Dad’s red sweater and phone on the side table are things we could have brushed aside before clicking the shutter. ^_^ I’m proud of my blogging Mama! That quilt is such a treasure, this quilt really made me love the scrappy look, as well as the Sea Side Rose quilt. I’d like to do a quilt with all creams but it will take years to collect the fabrics for it.

  13. Arrggg. I must get so I can see everything that the camera is capturing. I never noticed the red sweater on the dresser until you brought it up…..Thanks kid.

  14. Arrggg. I must get so I can see everything that the camera is capturing. I never noticed the red sweater on the dresser until you brought it up…..Thanks kid.