Ok, show of hands, who has scraps? Or make that Capital S Scraps, as in a Scrap-berg or Scrap-bank (nice wintry thoughts) taking over your sewing room? I know I do, so I decided to experiment with a railfence block to try using some up. The square above is the modern variation I came up with. I call it a Scrappy Random Railfence block. It was easy and fun to put together. Here's how I did it in case you want to try too ...
Dig in your scraps for any 2.5 inch strips you have left from anything -- binding bits, jelly roll leftovers, etc. If you have 5 inch charm squares left, just slice them in half. Then take all your scraps of other sizes and get cutting. You need lots and lots of 2.5 inch strips of many different fabrics. Even cut your little pieces, as short bits will be needed too.
Take your 2.5 inch strips and cut them in random lengths between 2 and 10 inches long. Cut, cut, cut.
Start randomly grabbing any two pieces and sew them together. Chain piecing will help this go faster. Really try not to think about what pieces you are using, just grab them and really mix up fabrics and lengths. The focus here is Random.
After you've joined some in groups of two, keep joining those groups. Keep adding and adding.
Keep going until you have a giant long piece, twenty feet long, fifty feet long, whatever -- the longer it is the more variety you will have to choose from when making your squares, and the more squares you will be able to make. -
Press your seams. I press mine open, just because that's what I prefer. Do it however you like.
Start cutting 12 inch strips from the long piece. Cut them all consecutively. Just let your ruler fall wherever. Again, the emphasis is on Random.
Cut, cut, cut.
If you come to a part where a cut is going to land right on a seam, or annoyingly close to it, then just cut that little bit out and keep going.
Soon enough you will have a great selection of strips made up of random bits of patchwork. Oh so pretty and scrappy!
Pick six strips, or if you want to be even more random, grab any six strips and line them up side by side. Sew them together using a 1/4 inch seam.
Voila! Your block will now be 12 inches square. As a finishing touch, I would suggest stay stitching the edge.-
Now make a whole pile more!
When it comes time to lay out your quilt, arrange your squares so they alternate between strips going horizontally and strips going vertically.
When it comes time to lay out your quilt, arrange your squares so they alternate between strips going horizontally and strips going vertically.-
If you try this, I'd love to see what you make.
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Happy Quilting!
