I like to hoard. I call it “collecting” and that seems to justify it. But I also love to use up my stash so I can start fresh. I also like quilts. I start planning them twice a year, as the weather dictates. In the fall, as temperatures drop, I start thinking about the quilt that I will snuggle with each night. In the spring, I’m thinking of a quilt to take to the beach and on picnics. Of course, they rarely get past the imagination phase…until recently.
After finally finishing my first quilt this past winter (the top had been done for over a year), I have made a second, and (almost) a third. Below is my new “Spring Cleaning Quilt.” A chance to use up my leftover fabric scraps that I couldn’t part with (the purple floral in the center front leftover from the backing of my first quilt). It was quick, simple and fun – just the way I like my crafting!
Here is my simple “recipe” (I like it better than pattern) for the Spring Cleaning Quilt. I cut my fabrics into 5″x5″ squares and sorted them by color: white, pink, purple, blue, green, yellow. I then arranged them by color on the diagonal, in the order listed above. I made my quilt 12 blocks wide and 18 blocks long. So…216 blocks (hmm…it didn’t feel like that many!). I sewed them together in strips with a 1/4″ seam allowance. When I was done, I sewed the strips together. (Pressing inbetween, though I don’t always…)
I cut a two inch wide strip of fabric for the borders and attached them with the 1/4″ seam allowance. I attached the top and bottom borders first and then the two sides. I think I could have finished the quilt yesterday if it hadn’t been for the backing! I was planning on using the coral trim fabric because, all folded, it was heavy enough to indicate some serious yardage. Unfortunately, there was another piece of fabric folded inside…alas, not enough! So…I’m off to the store today to pick up something for the back, and then I’ll tie and finish! (Not tonight, though. I’m taking the husband to the Black Sheep Bistro for a birthday dinner!)
Happy Spring Crafting!
