Thanks for coming over to my blog from the Blogger’s Quilt Festival. I’m Tisha of Quiltytherapy. Sewing is my therapy and the only creative outlet I’m good at. Unless stick figures can be a creative outlet, ha! Making quilts from scraps and my stash is what I strive for. Scrappy Unicorn Rainbow Sprinkles is a combination of scraps and pieces from my stash.
It’s hard to truly have a favorite quilt, but this one is in the top 10 that I have created. It is still for sale on Etsy here.
The center blocks are paper pieced using scraps from my guild members. Center triangles are trimmings from Lindsay’s quilt she made during our Winter Retreat. Erika and Lisa brought bins of scraps that they let us raid. I had pulled some scraps together in this color palette before the retreat but their generousity rounded out my collection.
While I wanted to make the entire quilt out of the blocks, they started to look too similar. In my stash was a bolt of Kona Robin’s Egg blue that really brought it all together.
Look for a tutorial on paper piecing these scrappy blocks to make your own version.
This was the second time I ever quilted the organic wavy lines. It created so much crinkle once it was washed. The purple polka dot binding is perfection. As I noted in my original post about this quilt, I hope it leaves behind a trail of rainbow sprinkles wherever this quilt goes.
Read more about creative process with Scrappy Unicorn Rainbow Sprinkles here and here.
Are you looking for an easy scrap quilt? Don’t hesitate to look at a postage stamp quilt as an option. Since I keep my scraps cut into squares, making a postage stamp quilt is quick and easy. Let’s jump into how I make a scrappy baby postage stamp quilt.
Sorting Scraps
Creating a color palette that works together with a good amount of variety is my first priority.
From my 2.5″ scrap bin I grabbed yellow, neutrals, green, aqua, navy, brown, orange, and gray. Mixing in prints, novelty, and solids. If I think they coordinate, they make the piles. As the colors and prints are spread out you may not notice that one that didn’t fit.
Chain Piecing
When working on a postage stamp quilt, I find that chain piecing is the best way to go. I’m striving for a random layout on the quilt top. Grab from yellow and gray, then brown and green, and just keep going around. Once I have 10 sets (20 squares) pieced I begin pairing them up yet again. Ultimately I’m just sewing one long strip of 20 squares. Repeat that 18-24 times for the top. 18 rows is a smaller baby quilt and 24 rows is a better size.
Pressing and Sewing Rows Together
I grab the starch and spray each row. Next I press all my seams the same direction and then flip one row to create nesting seams. Sew the nested rows together and repeat 3-4 times. From there begin flipping and turning rows to nest together and get to the desired length. Some colors and prints may line up next to each other over the rows and I think that is okay.
Finished Top
Once all the rows are sewn together, head back to the ironing board. Spray starch the entire top. At this step I like to press all my sewn rows the same direction on the back of the quilt top. Then, I turn it over and press again on the top. This helps to flatten the top and smooth things out.
Thank you for the comments when I posted the top. A comment was made about the concentration of brights in the middle. That’s what happens sometimes when I got for random. I didn’t really see it but I do now that it was mentioned.
Backing and Binding
Polka dot explosion?
Within my stash I found a green and blue variations on polka dots. Maybe they are circles, but does it really matter? They coordinated well and used some pieces I had leftover from other projects. The binding is a blue polka dot I have had stashed away. You’re going to see it again on an upcoming quilt. I thought why not just make up some binding with this. Done!
Quilting
I prefer straight lines in a coordinating thread on the diagonal of each square. With this method I can keep quilting as I get to the end of a line, just flip around and start a new line all the way to back to the edge. Quilting takes no time, unless I run out of bobbin thread.
QAL interest??
Since I love creating scrappy postage stamp quilts, I’m mulling the idea of hosting a QAL later this fall. Would you be interested? Let me know in the comments.
Need an easy baby quilt? Dig into your scraps and let’s get started.
If you have been a reader for a while, you may know that I keep my scraps in tubs until it’s time to sort them. Well, my solids are kept separate and they were getting out of hand. The drawer could no longer even be stuffed close. It was time to make something again.
Inspiration
Nothing was really speaking to me, so I headed to my Modern Quilting Inspiration Pinterest board for ideas.
An older quilt from Red Pepper Quilts caught my attention. Rita’s version can be found here. This is a step by step guide on how to create my version.
Design
Tip: Without different hues and saturation, the quilt could run together.
Off to the scrap bin I went to start gathering strips to make my version. I was able to collect many strips and have the variety of colors/saturations I desired. However, I didn’t have many long strips like the inspiration quilt.
Based on my scraps I could create strips in 2 inch width to get the most from my pull of fabrics. The lengths would be 5, 7, and 9 inches. Feel free to create based on what you have in your scraps.
Each size stack was sorted yet again by color. Orange, yellow, blue, green, brown, black, neutrals, and gray. Sorting will help when piecing. I wanted to avoid having too may of the same color right by each other.
Piecing
Grab randomly from each pile and begin piecing two strips together of the same size. Rows include 28 strips, or 14 pairs, to make a baby quilt size. Piece all 5 inch strips first. Starch and press the seams all going one direction. Next the 7 inch strips. Starch and press the seams all going the same direction. Finally, the 9 inch strip set. Sew and press in the same manner. Nestle the seams of the 5 inch row and 7 inch row together, pin if needed. Sew the rows together. The outcome is randomly placed colors without overthinking the process.
My version goes in this order: 5 inch, 7 inch, 9 inch, 5 inch, 7 inch, and 9 inch. If you wanted a little larger baby quilt, you could throw another 5 inch row after the last 9 inch row.
I starched the top and pressed my row seams open. The backing is a blue print I picked up a few months ago when a local quilt shop was closing out their inventory. With this size quilt, I only needed a yard of the fabric.
Quilting and Binding
The quilt is randomly pieced, but I knew for the quilting exactly what I wanted. Straight lines in a light gray horizontally in the middle of each row. A few lines in the middle 5 inch strip vertically. In your version quilt as desired.
The secondary shapes created with colors being close together was an unintended effect. They could have been moved, but then the random process is lost. That was more important to me as I just wanted to create.
Finally, I grabbed Corn Yellow Kona Solid I have had forever to create the binding. The binding was 2.5 inch double fold and completely machine bound.
Final Thoughts
Love all the crinkles in this quilt after it was washed. Wonder what the rows would look like in an ombre?
This quilt is currently on the way to a new home. Check out my other quilts using just solids below. The solids scrap bin is still too full.
We were able to sneak away for the weekend and enjoy some family time. We had lots of fun, maybe too much fun. P is in his second week of school and is asking for homework. The older kids in after school care are required to spend some time on homework. It’s been an adjustment for our family, but overall it’s been a positive experience.
This week my favorites are based on our family.
Indiana University
I teased a couple of these photos on Instagram earlier this week. IU has a special place in my heart. Rob and I met here 12 years ago in grad school. The campus is stunning and one of my favorite places to visit. I think we need a weekend away there soon. Hmm, I will get on that. These are some pictures from stopping by on Sunday afternoon.
P wasn’t really into the idea of going to college. He cries every time we bring it up. Maybe in 14 years we can drop him off here and he can experience the wonderful campus himself.
Sewing and Quilting
I am all for actually using your quilts. We take quilts to the park, vacations, and use them daily on our couch and beds. I hate thinking about a quilt not being loved and just laying around all folded up. USE THE QUILTS. This gem went to soccer practice this week. It now has grass and snot on it. Yes snot because sometimes your kid needs to blow his nose.
It’s now in the laundry basket awaiting a good wash. Earlier this week I opened up Bloglovin and saw this post from Suzy Quilts. She’s offering tips and suggestions to wash your quilts. For stains like grass on this quilt I will dab a bit of Dawn on the stain. Just the blue kind.
Last week I commented that about the Improv Stripe QAL happening. I felt like crap one night and didn’t really want to do anything. I decided to sort through my solid scraps and strings. There should be enough for a baby girl quilt. My scraps have been divided by warms, cools, and neutrals.
Pincushions have become a fad over on Instagram. Search the hashtag #pinnieparade to find your favorite. Do you make pincushions? I have not before, but considering giving it a go.
Upcoming Weekend
We will be kid free this weekend. Part of me just wants to stay home and sew all weekend. What are you weekend plans?
Scrappy Unicorn Rainbow Sprinkles is finished and ready for her next adventure. It would be great if this quilt left a trail of rainbow sprinkles everywhere it went. Instead it just brings lots of color and brightness to a room.
It was fun to watch scraps from friends become something cohesive and lovely. Thank you again Lisa, Erika, and Lindsay for sharing your scraps. I would love to hear your thoughts below on the quilt and any of your scraps you recognize.
When it came time to pick the backing on this quilt, I was sure I was going to make a scrappy one to flow with the front. I wondered if I would have a vintage sheet that would work and began digging into that stash. I did find a sheet that could have worked if the blue was a little more aqua. While the vintage sheet would have worked, it didn’t feel right. I would have wanted to change it after quilting it. Instead I found this solid green sheet that coordinated with the greens on the front.
Remember the purple polka dot binding from Thistle Storm? I had so much of it left that it ended up being enough to bind this quilt. Everything on this quilt is either a scrap or stash item I had not used in awhile. Feels good to finally give some of these fabrics a new purpose and use.
As I finished the quilt top, I realized there were a few errors that I hoped to work out in the quilting. One or two were too big to ultimately just quilt closed. I had to go back and zig zag stitch over them. While it’s disappointing that this quilt isn’t perfect, it now has it’s own flare and design elements. After my IMQG meeting they couldn’t really see the issue. If a group of quilters can’t see it, then there is no use in stressing over it.
For the quilting, I went with wavy lines again. It’s a simple method that I want to keep building my skills on. The waves add a softness to the overall look.
Look at all the crinkles post wash. I want to take it on a picnic or snuggle under it on the couch. If you’re looking for a quilt to add color to a room, you can find this quilt here on Etsy.
You can read about the process of the quilt below.
Prepare yourself for some color. My inner 90’s child just wanted to bust out my Lisa Frank stickers and Trapper Keeper when I started these blocks. In all transparency, I do have a Lisa Frank calendar on my desk at work to look at and enjoy. You’re not here about obnoxious desk decor, you’re here for the fabric and blocks.
I hit the mother load of scraps during our Indy Modern Quilt Guild Winter Retreat. Lisa and Erika were gracious enough to just let us go through their scraps. Take whatever you want. Lindsay Conner was working on blocks and was just tossing the left over half square triangles away. I knew they would could be reused in a scrappy project.
There were so many from her 12 blocks, plus all the other scraps that an idea came to life. I had 7″ squares left over from finishing the solids string quilt. Let’s make a scrappy quilt that looks like rainbow sprinkles. YES!!!
fabric sorted and ready
Sorting through the scraps again was more fun. I had an idea in mind and could start seeing the palette emerge. Orange, green, teal, aqua, purple, pink, white and of course gray. The mix plays so well together. I made a couple of test blocks to get started.
They felt right so I kept going, unsure how many I would make.
Around 15 blocks I started to get a little bored. The blocks seemed to be repeating themselves, though each one is different. I made a few more and decided to test a layout. Maybe that would be the catalyst forward or the stopping point.
A couple of design options started to flow. Keep going until there are 42-56 blocks completed for a totally scrappy quilt. Egh, I wasn’t really feeling the work involved. The blocks didn’t take long to make. I was running out the yellow and orange scraps. Second idea was to add six more blocks and get to 25. Maybe put them on point and surround with a solid. White? Gray? I remembered a bolt of Kona Robin’s Egg Blue I had in the back room.
The color coordinated well with the blocks and I had lots of it on hand. New plan was to finish the next six blocks and then finalize a layout. The last six blocks took forever, I couldn’t seem to get them finished. Final block count of 25 was all I had in me for this project. It was enough scrapiness and it left options for negative space.
During an open sew day for an IMQG meeting, I was able to get the blocks sewn together and start ripping off the papers. Ripping off the paper when paper piecing is annoying, but soothing at the same time. I even found a few errors that was too late to really fix. Did you see this gem on Instagram?
Some inappropriate words were said, but I knew I could fix it later. I added big borders to the top and called it a day.
As the top was being pieced I just kept thinking about rainbow sprinkles. That’s what the blocks looked like to me. With the half square triangle in the center, I was thinking unicorns. So the name, Scrappy Unicorn Rainbow Sprinkles, was given to this quilt. I think it’s perfect and I’m crushing on this quilt pretty hard. Not quite New Kids on the Block level, but close. Enjoy!
Do you have a favorite 90’s song I can jam to while quilting this over the weekend? Leave your suggestion in the comments.
Linking up with Oh Scrap! & I May Have a Scrap Problem
