As you may know, fussy cuts are my quilting weapon of choice. I've never been able to turn down a cute animal print or storybook scene. My fixation probably stems from my passion for storytelling and fondness for all things nostalgic. 

Around the time I finished my fourth quilt, I found myself holding back when it came to my fabric. I don't have a very big collection (small budget, lack of storage space), so I felt the need to think carefully before I used any of my materials, especially the ones I only had tiny pieces of. 

It's important to balance your desire to preserve your fabrics with the excitement of using them. Here are few ways I find that balance.

1) I organize my scraps in clear bins by color family, but I put my favorite pieces (regardless of color) into my super-special-awesome scrap basket. I carefully consider how and where I will use scraps from the SSA basket. However, I do make an effort to use pieces from the basket in almost every project.

2) Give your scrap some breathing room. Add borders and frames that contrast (but don't compete) with the print you're trying to feature. Low volume is always a nice option.

3) If your piece oddly-shaped, try an QAYG bloom block or a paper-pieced pattern that lets you use the most of your scrap. You could also use fusible webbing and turn it into a raw edge appliqué.

4) For extra special pieces, make a mini quilt or small project to feature a few scraps. Choose supporting fabrics that keep the focus on your treasures!

5) When there are multiple elements that you can fussy cut from a larger scrap, consider which one you choose.  I always use my clear quilting ruler to check which “extraction” will be the least destructive to the remaining fabric. I try my best to reduce collateral damage.

6) Think about how you want to quilt your project before you use a scrap. If you are going to be doing dense or elaborate quilting, you may want to save your scraps for a different project. Too much quilting over a scrap may detract from it’s appeal or compete with it. I like to keep my quilting simple so my scraps shine.

My Solstice Medallion started off with pebble quilting...

...but I ripped them out and went for a spiral.

Emma's Garden Blog Tour + Giveaway

It’s August at last! After months of waiting, I finally get to share these exciting projects with the world! What makes them so exciting? They all use fabric from Emma’s Garden, the newest fabric collection of amazingly talented friend, Patty Sloniger!

My "Wing It" quilt and other Emma's Garden pretties

I need to start this post off by making a tearful virtual toast to Patty. I feel like the luckiest person in the world to have such amazing coworker and mentor! She’s the one who got me interested in fabric, which in turn made me start quilting. I owe her so much, which is why I wanted to make some extra special projects for her Spring Quilt Market booth and her blog tour! (Check out Patty's post for the blog tour full schedule!)

Taking my inspiration from Patty's butterfly print, I started sketching butterfly blocks, which grew into a baby quilt design. I had been quilting for only three months at the time, which is a testament to how simple it is to make! I named it "Wing It" because that's essentially what I was doing as I designed my very first quilt pattern.

You can download the FREE Wing It pattern here!

Want more? We're giving away a fat eighth bundle of the Emma's Garden prints I used to make this quilt! To enter, leave a comment on this post, and I'll select a random winner on Friday, Aug. 15th! Exciting!

From @michaelmillerfabrics via Instagram

After I finished the quilt, I had some tiny scraps left over. Being the person I am, I couldn't let them go unused. I opted to use them in this gorgeous cathedral window pillow. I used Jo Avery's pattern in issue 6 of Love Patchwork and Quilting as a guide, although I changed the sizes to suit my scrap assortment.

With Karri's lovely mini

Cathedral windows look way more complicated than they actually are, so even as a newbie, I was able to make a dramatic, posh pillow! I used the same variegated thread from my Wing It quilt to do some decorative hand stitching. I think it really takes everything to the next level. Even my overly-critical father loved it!

My pillow made it into Michael Miller's catalog!

Emma’s Garden also has great prints for clothing. I made this comfy summer blouse using her Big Blooms print, which may be my favorite design out of the whole collection. The pattern is from Yoshiko Tsukiori’s Sweet Dress Book. The construction was a breeze, taking me less than three hours from start to finish. I omitted the bow added ties to the sides which I think was a more grown-up touch.

Hopefully my projects have inspired you and done justice to Patty's beautiful collection! 

6 Tips For Scatterbrained Quilters

Name: Scatterbrain Quilt No. 4
Size: 38 x 39"
Fabric: Totally scrappy.
Pattern: None except for mix tape block (from issue 10 of Love Patchwork & Quilting)
Quilting: QAYG
Completed: July 26, 2014

Last week I completed my fourth Scatterbrain Quilt. I get a lot of questions from friends and family about my Scatterbrain Quilts. Not so many specific questions, but often broad ones like, "The hell is that?" Just kidding! ...Sorta.

I came up with the idea of Scatterbrain Quilting, because I always have a million ideas floating around in my head. There's a new quilt block I want to try, a cool print I want to feature, and bin full of scraps that I need to use up! With Scatterbrain Quilting, I can knock out a lot of these goals with a single project! I wanted to share a some of my favorite tips to help you put your own Scatterbrained head to use.

1. One and Done - I often come across one-block projects that look so fun and unique, like this cool mix tape from Love Patchwork & Quilting magazine. Sadly, I lack the patience to make the same block over and over. Instead, I like to make a single block, and stick it in a Scatterbrain Quilt. I get the satisfaction of making the block while avoiding the monotony. 

My lone mix tape

2. Framing Fussy Cuts - I love fussy cuts, mostly in the form of scraps. I enjoy finding ways to make them pop by framing them with other fabrics. Using them in Scatterbrain Quilts makes it easier to use them, because I don't have to worry about size or a color palette. 

Make your scraps bloom!

3. Play With the Rejects - I save scraps that most people would toss. I toss everything larger than 1" square into a bin. Oddly-shaped scraps can be exciting to work with, because they force you to get creative! Try pulling scraps out of your bin (no peeking!) and use whatever you grab. Sew scraps together to make an amorphous blob, trimming your seams as needed. Once you have a large enough blob, trim it down to a clean rectangle. 

4. Use All Your Colors - I'm a graphic designer with a BA in art. I can tell you all about color theory...but I won't, because following the rules is boring. Use any colors you want, no matter how badly you think they will clash. This is not the time to be prim and proper. 

Embrace color!

5. You Won't Even Know He's There - I occasionally find myself with fabric that is just...fugly. Rather than tossing it or trying to make it someone else's problem, sneak that ugly piece into your project. Use it in a disappearing nine patch, or to fill in an empty space. If you keep the pieces relatively small and space them out, you won't even notice them in the finished quit. 

6. Just Keep Swimming Sewing - When I'm making a Scatterbrain Quilt, I find that it's best to keep moving. I keep a scrap bin with small squares and rectangles next to my sewing machine. I grab pieces that have a similar sized edges and chain piece them together. Then I start piecing those pieces together, trimming as needed until I have a more substantial block. Even if you have no idea what you're doing, you're still being productive.

Don't stop sewing!