Scrappy Strippy Quilt

As you know, I love scrap quilts, and I love even more using up fabrics I have had for a while.  How much more must I love a quilt recipe which also uses up the long strips of wadding/batting which you invariably have left over when laying out other quilts?  You know the strips I mean, too narrow to be used for bags or baby quilts, even table runners, or anything but the smallest purses or mug rugs.

So when a friend gave me the pattern, more an outline of what to do really, I started cutting my scraps of fabric and wadding into 4 1/2" strips and hoarding them - in an organised and purposeful way, you understand?  Back in April I had a piecing frenzy, and in the process bust my walking foot (as mentioned a while ago), so the shine went off this project rather and I put it to one side.

A new walking foot, and subsequently a new sewing machine, came to pass, and I finished off quite a few other quilts over the intervening months.  But slowly this project worked its way back to the top of the pile, literally, and I decided to finish it.  Finishing involved not much more than quilting it with variegated Guterman thread in long lines parallel to the seam lines, and adding a scrappy binding: I didn't mark the quilting lines but 'eyeballed' them, as I think the 'freehand with a slight wobble' look is more relaxed and appropriate to this particular quilt.

In fact, I am really pleased with the texture the ribbed lines give, and I have started liking this quilt again, after definitely falling out of love with it last year.  It is not perfect by any means, and the fabrics are maybe a little old-fashioned now in colour palette and style, including many Debbie Mumm novelties, but I would like it to go to a good home.  I hope it might appeal to a child and for this reason I am planning to donate it to Siblings Together, a charity I first heard of on Lynne Goldsworthy's great blog, to which I am linking today.

I have to do a bit more research about the charity before I can grab the quilt ambassador button, but my intention is to make another quilt by this method (tweaked a bit to avoid my mistakes!) very soon, and then I will post a tutorial and some more information.

For now, however, enjoy making your quilts, whoever they are for.