Love of Scrap Quilts – Earth Day 2021

love of scrap quilts, tub of scraps

Earth Day 2021 is feeling refreshed and renewed.  Indianapolis had hail, snow, and some wintery mix this week.  I thought this was spring?  These crazy weather patterns are a result of climate change and we all have made an impact.  Quilting is an industry full of waste and consumption.  It’s the part that I hate about it.  You have to buy a line of fabric quickly because they may not reprint.  A certain designer puts out a new line and it’s gobbled up.  Over the last couple of years I have shifted my focus away from consuming and focusing on my love of scrap quilts.

Give me your scraps and I can make something awesome.  Here are some scrap quilts I have made with friends or other people’s scraps.

I also believe every baby should have a handmade quilt.  Friends come to me with a gender or color palette.  I can make a Simple Squares quilt in a day or weekend.  My scraps are usually stored in certain sizes so doing a pull is pretty easy.  Then I dig into my larger scraps to offset.

The simple squares is one of my favorite quilts to make.  It’s great to see the combination of colors and prints come together to be something unique.  There are one or two already organized to be made.

Another favorite is half square triangles.  These also come together quickly when you have your scraps ready to go.  There are a variety of ways you can manipulate a half square triangle as well.

My scrap bins are usually overflowing and my favorite part is digging in.  Start gathering and playing, ideas start to come to life.  Then those scraps become something new entirely.

Using scraps is not only sustainable, but gives projects so many options.  You shouldn’t be afraid to play with scraps to see what you can make.  Some of my favorite quilts have been created by just playing.  Most of the time I don’t know if they will work, but I love the process.

My love of scrap quilts is not going away.  I have even found someone that will tiny scrap pieces for her projects.  There is a bag ready to be shipped once I finish my next quilt.

Tired of your scraps?

Try a swap with friends, check Instagram for destashes, or organize one in your swap.  Seeing new options will sometimes help spark creativity.  Also it’s okay to give some away if you aren’t inspired.  Partner up with another quilter so you can keep a scrap pipeline going.

Some people aren’t into scraps and that’s okay.

I love scrap quilts because they are economical for stretching your fabric investment.  Plus, you are creating less waste.  Sustainability was not something I thought of when I started quilting.

Do you make scrap quilts?  If not, let’s connect.  I will take those scraps off your hands.  No, seriously.