Twofold

When I made the original Plaid-ish quilt, I loved the finish so much, there really wasn't a question if I'd made Erica/Kitchen Table Quilting's second version when the tutorial came out. Plaid-ish2 is similar but different from Plaid-ish. This second one, at 69" x 86", is ever so slightly larger, and of course, even after making both of them in less than a year's time, my scrap bin is still full.

As thrilled as I was with the finished quilt top, I wasn't really in the mood to quilt such a large one, and asked my guild-mate Pam Cole of Keeping it Simple Quilts to help me out again. We agreed on a maze-like panto called 'square dance', with cream thread.

Of course, a pieced back was more than appropriate, and I was happy to find some reasonably large stash fabrics that semi-coordinated.

When I realized I was out of black and white Michael Miller Clown Stripe, my favorite binding for scrap quilts, I went stash-diving for something else and came up with plenty of Carolyn Friedlander's Doe, many scraps of which were pieced into the quilt. It's much more subtle than the stripe, but considering there are so many low-volumes in this version, I think it works. Stitching it on, I realized it was actually the gray and white left from a Doe Wide Fabric, not black and white, but still fine.

So that felt like an accomplishment, even with Pam's help. It really IS amazing how many scraps you can use up and still be inundated with them. But no worries, I'm diving into that scrap basket again!

775 Scraps on the Wall

When Erica/Kitchen Table Quilting let it out that another Plaid-ish scrap quilt tutorial was in the works, my ears perked up! I adore the first Plaid-ish I made, and was totally up for making the new version, Plaid-ish 2.

First up, was the cutting, of course. 775 pieces, all cut from scraps! That took a while, and of course, though it seems like alot, didn't even made a dent in my scrap baskets. But it was definitely worth doing, and by that time, I was more than ready to start sewing!

By the time I was done with the top - 69" x 86" - it had outgrown my design wall. It's just slightly larger than the first Scrap-ish, though Erica did note in her tutorial that you could leave that last 'border' all around off. I'd already cut all those pieces though, so I just kept on sewing.

Look at the ends of the third and fourth darker rows from the top - somehow I managed to get the exact same fabric on the ends of TWO rows. And I thought I was paying attention! I'm thinking I might take my seam-ripper to those sections and redo them, but we'll see. On the other hand, I love that print, so what's it really matter. Whatever, I'm happy to be this far along. Now back to the stash to see what I can do about a quilt back.