Using sustainable quilting practices to create more eco-friendly quilts. Scrappy sewing projects, tips, tricks, and tutorial.
I made a different type of quilt recently when I made a sustainable quilt with all thrifted and upcycled materials! This is something I’ve wanted to do for a while and with Earth Day around the corner I had the motivation to get this done! Why use upcycled materials? I wanted to challenge myself to create a quilt out of all upcycled materials for a couple of reasons. The first reason, simply, I like aContinue reading
These scrappy Half Square Triangles are a great way to use up scraps and you can incorporate them into your next quilting project. Or check out these fun tutorials: Scrap Heart Quilt Block Scrappy Throw Pillows Mini Heart Block Tutorial Today we’re going to use the 2-at-a-time method to create 5.5” finished half square triangles. Finished size is the size when they’re sewn into your project. If you’d like to make a different size, orContinue reading
Someone recently tagged me in an Instagram post about Zero Waste quilting, and I thought the subject would be a fun one to elaborate on in a blog post, specifically about how I approach zero waste quilting and scrap management in my own quilting practice here at Patchwork & Poodles. What is Zero Waste Quilting? Zero waste quilting is the concept that everything gets used – from the fabric to the thread – and nothingContinue reading
I’m a big fan of coordinating, or companion quilts. Quilts that work well together in a room but aren’t exactly the same. Quilts that use the same fabric collection but different patterns or styles. In my mind, I always call these sister quilts. I grew up with one older sister, and she’s an amazing person. Kind, generous, thoughtful, always willing to help. She’s the quintessential older sister and I’m so lucky to have her. WeContinue reading
So you’ve made a Graffiti Hearts quilt, congrats! It is one of my favorite designs and I’m sure you’re sitting there admiring your quilt. You’re also eyeing up that little pile of Graffiti Hearts offcuts from making the blocks. Want some ideas on how to use them up? Read on! First, create HSTs using all the offcuts from Graffiti Hearts: 1. Sew together all the small stitch & flip offcut triangles to create HSTs, oneContinue reading
Turn your Graffiti Hearts offcuts into these scrap throw pillows! These pillows coordinate well with the quilt, really tying the room together. I’m a big fan of using my scraps before they hit the scrap bins, so these scrap throw pillows check all the boxes in my book! If you haven’t made a Graffiti Hearts quilt yet (and omg you totally should 😉 ) but want to make these pillows, start by sewing together someContinue reading
I’m a big fan of turning scraps into useful items before they hit the scrap bin! So for Graffiti Hearts, I wanted to create tutorials to help you feel confident in turning your scraps into coordinating items. Plus, what’s more fun than turning your hearts into more hearts? It is never-ending hearts over here. Ha. This scrap heart quilt block is the perfect use of Graffiti Hearts scraps and makes a fun coordinating pillow! There’sContinue reading
This mini heart quilt block is the first in a series of tutorials aimed at using up your scraps from the Graffiti Hearts quilt. This tutorial uses up the smallest scraps created from making the quilt. Heart finishes at 5″ wide by 3.75″ tall. The fun thing about this block is that it creates some super fun, funky hearts! You can choose whether the solid fabric will be the background or the heart itself, orContinue reading
Coming at you today with a super fun, super FAST tutorial. You don’t even need to break out your sewing machine for this one! Let’s learn how to make fabric tape. I started making fabric tape a few years ago because I hate to throw out scraps! Hey, you paid for that entire yard of fabric, didn’t you? Let’s make it all work for you the best it can! Fabric tape a super easy wayContinue reading
For the past year or so, I’ve been saving all of my scraps. The tiniest little pieces, and the odds and ends of batting that were too small to use in quilting, I held on to them nonetheless. My initial thought was to turn them into stuffing for a dog bed, but instead something else happened. Enter – the Closet Case pouf! As is my usual fashion, I’m late to the party, but Closet CaseContinue reading
As an Aurifil Artisan, I choose to participate in challenges throughout the year that use Aurifil thread. I absolutely love these because they push me outside of my comfort zone. This month’s theme is Foundation Paper Piecing (FPP) and I immediately thought it would be so much fun to use create a Misty Mountains coaster! I’m quite the rookie when it comes to FPP and my previous experiences, well, I didn’t really love them. ButContinue reading
THIS QUILT. This scrappy Starlite quilt. What an emotional roller coaster it brought me on! Starlite comes with three variations – 3-color, Fat Quarter, and Scrappy. Each variation allows for a slightly different finished quilt. The cover quilt, which you can see in the image below, is the “Fat Quarter Variation” made with Fat Eighths and a single background color. But, for the ultimate scrap experience, you want the “Scrappy Variation” of the Starlite quilt.Continue reading
