ScrapHappy – tierneycreates

It’s the 15th of the month and time for my monthly “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.

I have an update on the VERY SCRAPPY Farm Girl Vintage Sampler quilt I am working on (see my ScrapHappy April 2024 post ScrapHappy April 2024: Scrappy Farm Girl Vintage Sampler and a Mystery), an old UFO (unfinished object for the non quilters reading) that I began at a quilt retreat after being lured in by other quilters at the retreat to work on with them (even though I am not a “farm girl”).

Last month I figured out the mystery that I’d plan to use 6.5 x 6.5 inch Haystack Blocks from Lori Holt’s book Farm Girl Vintage in the setting for the 12.5 x 12.5 inch sampler blocks, using the Square Dance setting in her book:

So far I had 19 12.5 x 12.5 inch sampler blocks completed but I want to make 6 additional 12.5 x 12.5 inch blocks so the quilt will be 25 total (5 x 5 setting), so I needed 35 6.5 x 6.5 inch blocks for the setting.

Since my April 15th ScrapHappy post I’ve completed those 35 6.5 x 6.5 inch blocks working from my basket of scraps for this project:

I did a test layout of the setting (without the setting fabric) on my design wall and it took up the entire design wall even without the additional 6 12.5 x 12.5 sampler blocks I need to make:

(Note this is a test layout, not final, and I still need to make 6 additional 12.5 x 12.5 inch blocks and to decided the arrangement of blocks)

I decided to go ahead and test out setting fabrics and I decided I couldn’t bear to use a white fabric as the setting fabric even though I have a white background in most of the 12.5 x 12.5 inch blocks. The quilt already doesn’t go with the decor and aesthetics in my home and all that white would make me just put the quilt away in a closet when I finished it.

So I decided to go with a denim like lightweight cotton/linen blend (like an Essex Linen but I don’t think it is an official Essex Linen, I found this fabric thrifting a couple years ago):

I cut a couple test strips per the setting pattern size and it seems to work with the blocks:

So next steps are to make the 6 additional 12.5 x 12.5 inch sampler blocks and then start to assemble the quilt in sections. I will be sending the completed quilt top and back out for professional long-arm quilting this time – not planning to put anymore large quilts in queue for hand quilting right now!

Oh and speaking of the backing for this quilt, I’ve decided to use my large collection of cotton flour sacks that I shared an image of in April’s ScrapHappy post, to create part of the backing for this quilt (I’ll have to of course piece the bags with additional fabric to make it large enough).

I thought they would add some additional whimsy to the Farm Girl Vintage quilt!

As promised, here are the bloggers that participate in the ScrapHappy monthly posting event, check out their blogs linked below for their 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, 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, 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, Ann @Ann F Stonehouse Quiltmaker, Dawn @myquiltprojects, Carol @Quilt Schmilt, Preeti @Sew Preeti Quilts, 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

Fabric Scraps Obsession, ScrapHappy, What's on the Design Wall

ScrapHappy October 2023 – Recycled Jeans and Home Decor Fabric Scraps

October 15, 2023October 15, 2023 tierneycreates: a fusion of textiles and smiles

This post is a follow up to my October 9th post – What’s on the Design Wall: An “Upcycled” Work .

I’ve completed 51 blocks piecing recycled denim/jeans and home decor fabric scraps; and I put 49 of them in a 7 by 7 square so you could see a sample of a layout:

Yes I couldn’t decide which photo to use so I included all three!

I want the piece to be sort of large, and definitely square and I’ve decided to make a total of 81 blocks for a 9 by 9 square piece. I might hand quilt it, I haven’t decided but I am going to try some sample designs with scrap denim to see how the stitching would look.

There is going to be lot texture in this quilt, primarily from the recycled home decorating fabric samples I used:

Here is a collection of close up blocks to show you the textures:

There are more fabrics I haven’t cut yet that I will be adding/using for the additional 30 blocks I need to make.

The layout you see on my design wall is not the final layout, just a sample layout. When I finish all the blocks and go to layout the quilt, I realized I need to pay attention to secondary patterns that I might want in the piece.

For example I noticed this secondary pattern, from how the blocks lay together, in one of the sections on the design wall and I like it:

I want to make sure the final layout has a lot of “movement” in it.

My tentative name for this piece is What Direction Do I Go?

It is a deeply personal piece, inspired by my first recycled fabric random triangle piece Flying Triangles (2012); but about my struggles for the past 5 years since becoming a widow, selling my beloved house, moving to Colorado (leaving all I knew there), starting the 2nd relationship in my life, quitting my job, trying to focus on textile art, etc. (Yes I like to lump a lot of life changes and drama into one time period, ha!).

It should prove to be an interesting Artist Statement on the piece when I am ready to write it (not until the piece is done of course).

And you thought it was just some recycled denim and home decor fabric sewn together (wink).

As promised, here are the bloggers that participate in the ScrapHappy monthly posting event, check out their blogs linked below for their 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, 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, Ann @Ann F Stonehouse Quiltmaker, Dawn @myquiltprojects, Carol @Quilt Schmilt, Preeti @Sew Preeti Quilts, 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