Baskets Full of Scraps

I don't even remember when was the last time I posted here. But lately I am working on a quilt that is so appropriate for this blog, I had to post a few process pictures and talk about the process and its progress.

First version of this quilt I made was in 2009 or something like that. My husband's niece had a baby and so I decided to give that one to her. Ever since then, I had thought of making another one but never got around starting one until about two or three weeks ago when I was working on a sample block for a workshop I was going to teach at a guild in Seattle.  

I wrote the pattern a while back and that prompted me to make another version for myself. 

I chose the colors I hadn't worked with in a while. It has been ages since I have bought new fabrics. I am sticking to my use what you have rule. It kind of feels good to use the stash.  

So here is how it went. I just got a stack of brown and orange fabrics out. Selected a few based on their textures and value.

I already was unhappy where I was headed with these colors but  that day I made a few crazy blocks. 

That night I went to bed thinking I will start over the next day. I absolutely disliked the colors. The design wall looked too much like Halloween. The next day, I woke up, went back to the sewing room and decided to make at least one basket to go on the background. This was pretty challenging because I was already frustrated with the background, how was I going to over come that?  

 I thought lighter value of basket fabrics will be perfect. Considering the seasonal aspect was already decided as soon as I chose the background, I didn't have much choice but to stick with fall colors. 

Okay, this could work, I thought. 

The original quilt had all plaids and stripes for the background. They sort of blend into each other and made a crazy but soft background. This one right here, started looking like a mosaic. I was struggling with really crazy, busy background. Still, I continued on. Once I started appliqueing the handle on the basket, I suddenly calmed down. I could hear my voice saying, this might just work. 

Then there were two!

All I had to do was to continue. More I stared at the design wall, clearer my thought process became, the next few steps became easier. 

 

I actually got excited about setting the baskets, adding the spark and on and on it went. I have spent most of my day today in the sewing room.

This is where I am right now. I know what I will be doing this weekend. I hope to work as best as I can to complete this quilt top. It is very likely, I will finish it with machine quilting. Entire quilt is too busy for me to finish it by hand. I will be sure to come back and post the final results.

Have a great weekend you all!

Sujata

Friendship Basket

Do you remember this lovely basket that Sujata made? Well, she sent it to me as part of a block exchange on the 15 minutes play blog. I've been having such fun this weekend, playing with this block and a mixture of scraps from her and other blogger friends.

Those little churn dash blocks are 4". I've never made a block that small in my life! But they are just so cute, I decided I really like the small piecing idea.




Here are soon-to-be potholders, made with the scraps from the churn dash blocks--scraps of scraps! Those little triangles are about 1/2".

Thank you Sujata!!

leaves

I added a few leaves today.

My berries are now happy

and I'm going to call this....

DONE!!!

oops.....

gotta quilt it!!

Thanks go to you, blog friends.

Thanks for steering me away from my

flower idea.

I like this much better.

Scrappy Baskets

I started this quilt in a workshop with Freddy Moran last fall. It was going to be all dot scraps, but a few stripes and florals crept in. The white floral sashing is a home decorator remnant I bought in Sweden.

The block pattern is in the book, Freddy and Gwen Collaborate Again. In this method, you sew scraps onto newspaper triangles.

lonely berries.

I'm hoping those little berries will not have to wait

too, too long for some flowery company!!

They need it.

Poor little things!

Maybe they'd even like a few leaves.

Probably so.

Scrap Baskets

Here's a basket quilt I made last year, using a similar method taught by Gwen Marston. These handles are strips cut on the bias and steamed into shape, then top-stitched. The whole thing measures about 42" square.

Speaking of baskets...

Here's some basket inspiration. This quilt is one of twelve similar quilts shown at the Sisters, Oregon quilt show last summer. There is a group of 12 quilt-makers who go to the show every year and stay the whole week to sew together. They come from all over the US and Canada. Last year they made baskets for each member of the group. Then each member made her own quilt from them. I especially like the fish basket.