I have wanted to make charity quilts for quite a while now. However, I've been so busy making quilts for my immediate family that starting another quilt has just been out of the question. Not any more. Even though I am still nowhere near done the quilt for J, I have decided to begin piecing some scrappy tumblers for a Project Linus quilt.
Yesterday I pulled out my box of "crumbs". It is overflowing with lots and lots of bright happy colors! First I ripped out a few sheets of telephone book paper and cut them to a 6" x 6" square. I pulled out the fabric pieces that I thought may be long enough to cover the paper foundation and began the diagonal piecing. Oh what FUN! I gave myself no rules at all except that I would make an even number of tumblers, half going one direction and half the other. I also decided that if I had enough of the fabric pieces used in one tumbler, I would try to combine the same fabrics on a tumbler of the other direction. These tumblers will probably not end up anywhere near each other on the final quilt, but knowing that there are two tumblers that sorta "match" eases my perfectionist anxiety over a truly "scrappy" quilt, LOL.
Since this is going to be a very "long-term" project, I left the papers attached and even did a line of stitching within the 1/4" seam allowance. I don't want any jostling around to cause fraying of edges!
Once I have run out of "useable" crumbs, I will pull out my scrap drawers and continue the process. If those empty too quickly I have some started fat quarters that can be used too.
I'm going to put a shout out on Freecycle to see if I can get a brand new, in the package, sheet in either white or black to use for the alternating solid tumbler. I know I have enough pieces of batting that I can "heat and seal" together to make one large piece adequate for this quilt. Then I will just have to find another new sheet for the backing. SUCH FUN and for a good cause, too!
Toodles...
