A Crafter's Life, Fabric Scraps Obsession, Quilt Retreats, Scrap Happy Quilt Retreat

ScrapHappy May: Scrap Happy Retreat!

tierneycreates: a fusion of textiles and smiles

It’s the 15th of the month and time for my “ScrapHappy” post as part of the ScrapHappy group I belong. At the end of this post I have a link to the other blogs participating in this monthly event in case you’d like to check out their ScrapHappy posts.

As I mentioned in yesterday’s post What’s on the Design Wall: Scrappy Log Cabin, I am having a “Scrap Happy Retreat” at my house.

It starts today with two of my friends attending and runs to Friday where they will fly home. I only have enough space for two other quilters at the table in my studio and in the accommodations in my home (unless I install bunk beds, ha!).

My sew table is set up for the retreat, I pulled out my other Bernina sewing machines – my QE 440 with 7 million stitches (see post 7 Million Stitches+) and my little 215 that I take to classes.

I have some treats set up for my friends at their sewing stations and of course tucked inside a drawstring bag (if you are new to this blog see post The End of the Drawstring Bag Era (A Year of Finishes – 36th to 42rd Finish))!

In case you are wondering what the zippers are – I have a lot of red zippers and thought I would share in case we want to make any scrappy zipper bags during the retreat.

I am calling our retreat a “Scrap Happy Retreat” because we are going to work on projects using my fabric scraps (though they are threatening to bring some of their own to unload).

I got my scraps already sorted by color (or type as I keep Batik fabric scraps separate) and they are ready in their wine crates:

I’ve sorted my fabric scraps into these color groupings:

  • Black, white, grays
  • Reds, oranges, purples
  • Yellows, creams, browns
  • Blue, green, blue-greens (teal, aqua, turquoise, etc)
  • Batiks (all colors)

Next year when I teach the 6 day workshop I am slated to teach (more on that later when the venue complete the class catalogue and I can officially announce) I am going to bring this whole lot of scraps with me to let the workshop participants use them if they like. I just have too many fabric scraps, even after donating several bags of them to charity thrift shops.

At the retreat this week, which runs Monday to Friday, we are going to work on improvisational piecing log cabin quilts (I will review the “log jamming” technique I first learned in a class at the Stitchin’ Post many years ago) like the one share in yesterday’s post:

Here is a YouTube video on “log jamming” by the Stitchin’ Post if you’d like to see the technique. I’ve adapted the original technique to a process that works better for me but it is still essentially the same concept.

And here is the fabulous Jackie who taught the class I attended and has a pattern she’s published on Modern Log Jam (I miss the Stitchin’ Post so much, a lot of wonderful creative memories while living in Central Oregon happened there):

In addition to working on improvisational log cabin quilts, we are also going to try our hands at piecing scraps onto adding machine tape. I have a bunch of adding machine tape I bought from a thrift store for $2:

Here is the YouTube tutorial we are going to use (I have a small TV in my studio and we can watch and try it together on our machines):

Wish us luck on this new technique for us!

I’ll update you on the progress on our projects at the retreat!

Oh and the tierneycreates Beastie thinks she might be able to pull out her Beastnina (made by Helen of Crawcraft Beasties) and sew with us 😉

Here are the bloggers that participate in the ScrapHappy monthly posting event, check out their blogs and ScrapHappy posts:

Kate @Tall Tales from Chiconia , Gun @Rutigt – G Adrian, Eva @bambisyr-evaj, Sue @From the Magpie’s Nest, Lynda @Life on the Farmlet, Birthe @Birthes rom, Turid @Den syende himmel, Susan @DesertSky Quilting, Cathy @nanacathydotcom, Tracy @It’s a T-Sweets Day!, Jan @The Snail of Happiness, Moira @The Quilted Snail, Sandra @Wild Daffodil, Chris @chrisknitsews, Alys @Gardening Nirvana, Claire @Claire93’s Blog, Jean @onesmallstitch, Jon @writinghouse, Dawn @DawnGillDesigns, Gwen @Deep in the Heart of Textiles/Textile Ranger, Sunny @The Adventures of Team Wil-Sun, Kjerstin @Quimper Hittys, Sue @Going Batty in Wales, Vera @lifebyacompassnotaclock, Edith @Edi’s Crafting Life, Nanette @Chopin – A Passionate Quilter From Texas, Ann @Ann F Stonehouse Quiltmaker, Dawn @myquiltprojects, Carol @Quilt Schmilt, Preeti @Sew Preeti Quilts, Debbierose @Sew Rosey, Nóilin @Paper, Pen and Mug, Viv @Where the Journey Takes Me 2, Karrin @Karrin’s Crazy World, Amo @View From Our Hill, Alissa @ Snakes & Cranes, Lynn @Tialys, Tierney @tierneycreates, Hannah @quietwatercraft


Published by tierneycreates: a fusion of textiles and smiles

Quilter, crafter, obsessive tea drinker and lover of all furry creatures (especially dogs and cats) - join me on my tierneycreates blog as I share stories from "A Crafter's Life".

46 thoughts on “ScrapHappy May: Scrap Happy Retreat!”

  6. This looks like so much fun, and I know you will appreciate your friends being guinea pigs for your class, and helping you figure out if there are any “logjams” in instructions or timing. 🙂 It shows how thorough you are in your planning! Have fun!

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  7. I wish I had quilting friends close enough to inflict, er, share my my scraps with! You and I have similar scrap stashes AND a collection of adding machine rolls! Those strips work great, but you do need to secure the thread ends well to prevent stitching coming undone while you’re removing the paper. Ask me how I know… I made a LOAD of it to sash one of my rainbow scrappy quilts. It looks spectacular but can be a pain to work with.

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    1. Thanks so much Kate! We decided not to do the adding machine tape project and thanks for sharing your experience with it. Before the retreat I did a sample/text of the process and it was not my favorite. I might try it again on my own with some Batik scraps and I see why the YouTube video suggest you sew the scrap strips together into a block before removing the paper, with just a single strip it seemed unstable and awkward when removing the paper!

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  9. This was so fun! The rainbow assortment was the highlight for me- no, it was the zipperbag (suprr cute)- no… I enjoyed it all! This has to be a ton of fun to do with friends. The black and white contrast looks so elegant yet warm.

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  10. This looks like so much fun. I love the little drawstring bags and your beautifully organized stash. How nice to have the room to do this and friends with the same interests. I hope we get to see some of the makes from the weekend.

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  14. I don’t know Tierney, maybe your next career should be in organizing and hosting quilting retreats. Between your organizational skills, eye for detail, contagious enthusiasm, and gift for being a hostess, you would certainly be in demand.

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  19. Pingback: Scrap Happy Retreat Day 1 – tierneycreates
  21. Pingback: More on the Blocks I Made at the Retreat and a Brief Tutorial – tierneycreates

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