4 Scrappy Free Form Log Cabin Style Quilts for Project Linus Donation

Hello my crafty, sewing friends. Several months ago I got the idea to make a free from scrappy quilt using my turquoise scraps and a tiny orange center for each block that I made. Well, I didn't plan it out very well as I just kept sewing scraps and I had so many blocks started, but very few that were squared to the 8.5" square size I wanted, so I had to add blue scraps and green scraps as well as the turquoise I started with, 😜.  Then when sewing the blocks together, I didn't want huge quilts, so I made 3 square quilts at 40" x 40" and one that was a bit longer and a rectangle instead of square. I actually made 2 rectangle ones, but I will share that one another day, as I am going to see if I can sell that one first at a gift shop. If it doesn't sell, I will donate it too.

I love piecing scraps to make these free form log cabin style quilts. No rules, no mistakes, just sewing fun! They can be sewn with any width scrap (from 1" to about 3") and sewn in the Log Cabin style (sewing around and around in a clockwise fashion) or the Courthouse Steps style (sewing strips across from each other) or both ways in the same block. I choose where I want to sew the scrap based on the length of the scrap piece. Sometimes I don't have a long enough strip to sew on a certain side, so if it fits on a different side then that's where it gets sewn.

I backed all of these quilts using soft flannel. In fact, I didn't add any batting at all. I just sewed the backing and the top right side together, left an opening and turned them. I press them, topstitched all around, which closed the opening, and quilted to hold the 2 layers together in a Serpentine Stitch on the diagonal. The pieced top with the flannel backing was heavy enough as is without any batting and the quilt has more drape too. 

I like to add an appliqué animal or a flower on my scrappy quilts that get donated, but these were so busy, that when I auditioned a large appliqué by placing it on top, it got lost, so no appliqué for these quilts. I will have to choose a different light color to piece next time in order to add some appliqué to the quilts.

5 blocks across x 5 blocks down (8" finished blocks) makes this quilt 40" x 40".

The flannel backing I used was Peace Signs. I love how soft the flannel makes a quilt more cuddly.

Closeup of a few blocks.

This is the rectangle shaped quilt as it has 5 blocks x 6 blocks, making it 40" x 48".

Close up look.

Royal blue flannel backing.

Another 40" x 40" quilt.

There are a lot of fun scraps in these quilts. Sort of an "I Spy" quilt, making it fun for the child to find all sorts of things, like the ballerina pig above.

Another close up.

This was also backed in royal blue flannel, but I needed to add a strip of the floral print flannel to make it big enough at the top.

40" x 40".

I spy a hot air balloon, butterflies & flowers.

This flannel backing is the floral print.

Happy Scrappy sewing!

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33 Doll Quilts + 14 More= 47 Doll Quilts Made!

Hello dolly! I made these doll quilts to donate to my quilt group who teams with the woodworkers who make doll beds. Each Christmas they give a simple doll, a wooden doll bed and a handmade doll quilt to young girls (and a wooden toy of some kind to the boys). 

I wanted to use up the mountains of scraps I had, so I just made free form or crumb quilts, crazy quilt style and used up UFO blocks too by adding a few strips to them. I made 33 quilts. But then before I went to the quilt group to deliver these, I had time to make another 14 more, so ended up giving them 47 doll quilts in all. Also, I gave a  handmade doll I had and a stuffed sheep in case they could give that to one of the children.

Stack of 33 doll quilts.

These were quilt blocks to begin with and I added strips to make them larger.

More 9-patch quilt blocks with added strips.

A stack of crazy quilt style doll quilts.

Crazy quilt doll quilts, using up my yellow and orange fabric scraps.

More yellow and orange scraps made crazy quilt style.

As usual, barely made a dent in my scraps! But these all went to a worthy cause, so that should make some kids happy.

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Doll Quilts or Table Toppers

I wanted to use up some fabric scraps and since I recently made some doll clothes for 18" size dolls, I decided that I would make some doll quilts too, which of course could be table toppers or even wall quilts. I only made one in girly colors, which is a pink string quilt, so probably most little girls wouldn't even like the other colors I chose to use? When I was a young girl I loved blue and still do, so perhaps some girls might like these other quilt colors too, that is if they do become doll quilts rather than table toppers or wall quilts.

Scrappy 9-Patch quilt.

On the back of the quilt I sewed my new label. I was lucky enough to win some labels from a giveaway at Sew Fresh Quilts. The labels are from Ikaprint.

Trip-Around-the-World quilt. (Sold).

My pretty new label on the back.

Lorna from Sew Fresh Quilts had her labels made with her Blog/Business name on the front of her label and her name on the back of the label and I really liked that so I did the same thing with my labels. I chose a different font than Lorna did though.

Scrappy string quilt in scrappy blues. I set this in a zigzag. (Sold.)

Here is the back of the scrappy blue string quilt where you can see the zigzag quilting. The kitten fabric is a flannel.

The label on the back.

Scrappy pink string quilt. I set this one in a diamond setting.

Yes another photo of my new label. I just think the label looks so nice I wanted to show it off.

Back of the pink scrappy string quilt is a pink flannel print. You can see the diamond quilting lines.

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