Scrappy Cake Stands

Every once in awhile a quilt pattern will show up that just says "make me now"! Recently a friend was cleaning out her quilt books and gave me a stack. In that stack was an old book on scrap quilts.

As I have mentioned before I had a hard time wrapping my head around making scrap quilts. So I wasn't immediately drawn to this book.  I sort of just flipped through it and set it aside. A couple of weeks later I was preparing the stack to go to a lady who is collecting books for my guilds show in the fall. We are having a used book sale at the show.  So I just flipped through it again and came across this quilt.

Soft colors and florals are my favorite.  So if this quilt had been made with dark prints I probably wouldn't have given it a second glance. But it caught my eye.  The pattern was referenced in the back of the book.  So I flipped to the pattern.

This is it. Just a grid. Well no problem. I've made lots of blocks, I got this.

So I dumped my scrap basket out on my dining table and began making "pairs" of fabrics for the cake stand and the background.

My local quilt guild has a retreat in January. So I "kitted" up the pairs I had made. Made a sample block to be sure I had the sizes and amount of pieces needed to make each block so I could be sure I had enough of each fabric.  Placed them in a box and headed to retreat.  I worked almost the whole retreat on the squares needed for this quilt.  As I made each block I declared it my favorite, until I made the next one. 

By the end of retreat I had all the blocks made.  When I got home I was so excited to see this quilt come together I immediately cut the setting triangles.

Then I got in my stash and found a border and backing fabric. Sewed the border on, loaded it on my long arm, and quilted it. 

I am so pleased! It is now among my favorite quilts.  

While hand sewing the binding down I spilled a glass of iced tea on it. So as soon as the binding was done I tossed it in the wash. It is just lovely and crinkly and cuddly! 

For the backing I had 2 yards each of 2 pieces of cream print fabric. 

I pieced together scraps of batting to make a piece big enough.

So everything came from my stash!

This is what quilting for the sheer fun of it looks like!

What I have really learned over the last year about quilting is USE YOUR FABRIC!

Use the stuff you have been saving. Get rid of fabric that you don't love. And have fun!

If you don't use it your heirs will give it away so don't save it!

Theres another pattern in the book that looks equally fun, 

so who knows, 

maybe another scrappy quilt lies ahead. 

Have Fun Quilting Today!