Friday, October 27, 2017

Double Dipping

I have not one but two finishes to share :-D  But first the background story.
Quilts 15 and 16 for '17
Specifically the cream background. You see, the Wild Nectar fabrics with a cream background did not make the cut for Esmeralda, because they would not stand out against the white background.

Poor Contrast with White
But they are too pretty to ignore. Just need a better setting to highlight their beauty.
I also had some fabric left over from the border, binding and the backing.

4-patch blocks from backing, binding and border

And these leftover squares now beckoned to me - constantly. Come get me. Don't you want to make something with me. How do you deal with the siren song of the scraps?

I gave in.

Enjoying the contrast
See how much alive these cream fabrics are against the blue/teal/aqua 4-patch blocks.
But it still needed something - a pop.

The pop of orange

After a few iterations, addition of orange solid from my stash, sewing and trimming, I came up with this little beauty.

Charlie's Birds
The cream squares are in good company with teal/aqua/navy four-patch blocks.  The orange makes it pop and the tangerine binding makes it all come together. Ta da!!!

This Peanuts Easter themed fabric was perfect for backing and the tangerine binding complements the green beautifully.

Easter with Charlie Brown

Because of Charlie Brown on the backing and humming birds on the front, I have named this quilt - Charlie's Birds. Yes, I am smiling too.

Labelled
The finished quilt measures about 36" square and it makes me very happy :-)

Happiness

To be able to squeeze out a second quilt from these gorgeous fabrics feels like double-dipping :-D


Let's continue to double-dip. Shall we?

To make the corner triangles for Esmeralda, I had to trim the layer cake into 8" squares, leaving me with several 2" strips left over.

2" strips - Scraps from Esmeralda
Do you know the trouble with 2" strips that are 8" and 10" long?
They are SHORT!!! Meaning they are too big to throw away and too small to use.
I had just the perfect plan - a simple and free tutorial to use them up!!! Here you go.

1. Take three strips, 2" by 10", and stitch them along the length, using a scant 1/4" seam. You should have a unit measuring 5" by 10". Cross cut into five sections, measuring 2" by 5" each. Repeat the process for all 10" strips.

Three strips 2" by 8"

Cut into 2" sections

2. Similarly, take three strips, 2" by 8", and stitch them along the length, using a scant 1/4" seam. You should have a unit measuring 5" by 8". Cross cut into four sections, measuring 2" by 5" each. Repeat the process for all 8" strips.
Peach and Aqua = Loveliness

3. Cut background fabric into 2" strips. Sub-cut into 2" by 5" rectangles.

Background Strips 2"

4. Place the background strips one on either side of the strata strips and sew. You should have a block measuring 5".

Trimmed Block
Now make some more.
5" Blocks

Arrange the blocks alternating direction. Sew blocks into rows and rows into columns.  For a 41" square quilt, you will need 81 blocks, arranged 9 by 9.  Here is a handy little graphic for your use, showing finished sizes.


Using all of my leftover strips, I ended up with 90 blocks.
Finished Flimsy

Arranged 9 by 10 and added skinny borders.  Used this Nursery Rhymes Fabric for the backing.


Quilted simply with wavy lines using my walking foot.


The turquoise binding works perfectly with both the front and the back.

Finished

The finished quilt measures about 42" by 46".

Paul, the model
I am calling this one Nectar Drops.

Labelled

A second quilt (top) from Esmeralda's scraps is Double Dipping, but a third flimsy - now that is Triple Dipping.  Or Double Dipping - Twice!!!

Two finishes!!!

Bright and Joyful

Charlie's Birds and Nectar Drops

That completes my October OMG. Time to celebrate and set November goals.

Fabrics for Christmas Quilt

I am making a Christmas Quilt and hope to finish the flimsy in November.  I will be linking with all my favorite linky parties.

Hope you enjoyed the simple tutorial for Nectar Drops. What is on your mind and on your goals list? I'd love to hear from you.





45 comments:

  1. Wow! They are both great! What beautiful quilts.

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  2. I like your stitch that you used for quilting. Now that I have a new machine I can choose different stitches like that to use now too

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  3. Wonderful quilts! Thanks for linking up with Elm Street Quilts One Monthly Goal and congrats on your finish. Don't forget to add the link for the OMG blog post to your post.

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  4. Brilliant scrap play! It's so fulfilling to use up all the fabric from a special quilt. Thanks for the inspiration.

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  5. Both of these quilts are adorable. Thanks for the tutorial! I'm liking the quilting stitches, too. mary in Az

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  6. Oh, how lovely, both of them! And what fun to use scraps up--sometimes I end up finishing a "scrap leftover" quilt before the original project!

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  7. Both of these extra quilts are wonderful. Mill House Quilts call those Generations quilts. I call them leftovers, but I've been trying to use up fabric from one quilt onto the next one for a while. I think the red and white fabrics I am using has five generations so far and I have fabric left over to make a sixth!

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  8. You are way to clever for words, my dear! These two extra quilts are wonderful!

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  9. Great scrappy projects! I am overwhelmed by my scraps at the moment, they certainly multiply faster than I can use them. You knocked it out of the park by not only piecing but completely finishing both!🎉🎊🎈

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  10. Hi Preeti,
    Yousa! Triple dipping - how wonderful is that?! I absolutely love the Charlie Brown fabric . . . and the quilt name. The mini tutorial is pretty special as well. Thank you for sharing with us! ~smile~ Roseanne

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  11. Both are beautiful! What a perfect pairing in the first one! But the second one...why must you tempt me...it is the perfect use of strip scraps. I'm thinking one in solids since I have a crap ton of strips laying around...Preeti! You little devil you!

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  12. These are both awesome quilts! I love Nectar Drops and I might have to make one as a scrappy project! I'm going to be working on scrappy blocks this weekend after I finish the binding on a quilt tonight!

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  13. Great work, Preeti. I love them both. You pick out the coolest backing fabrics.

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  14. Both quilts are awesome. And those backings are wonderful.

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  15. Good for you for making two quilt from your leftovers and right away too. I like both of your scrap patterns. You made three wonderful quilts from your bundle of Wild Nectar fabric.

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  16. These are so great! I love the Nectar Drops quilt especially. It's just so sweet, and an inspired use of those strips. Somehow, when I finish a project I'm so tired of the fabrics that I have to put them aside for a while until I forget I had them. Then when I find them they're all new again. Have a great weekend!

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  17. What a great way to use up lovely fabric. They both work so well - thanks to your creative imagination. Thanks for the tutorial.

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  18. Two lovely little quilts! And, I agree with other comments, such wonderful backing fabrics!

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  19. They are both very cute. I love the backing on each of them. Thanks for sharing your use on the strips.

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  20. Two great finishes made from leftovers. I like the pop of orange adds just the right punch.

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  21. Thank you for the tutorial, I love that simple yet effective quilt! And yes you got the right combo for the first quilt...that fabric knew what it was talking about!!

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  22. Great idea for the scraps! I'm certainly going to try that!

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  23. Such darling quilts from your scraps. I've always thought it didn't matter what was on the back as long as the binding looks good on both sides. You have proved me right.

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  24. That orange inner border makes a great frame! And Nectar Drops is such a lovely scrap quilt! Great job on two finishes!

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  25. so beautiful quilts! Happily turned those scraps into beauties! Happy thought to 'harmonize' the different scraps with one single fabric
    Greetings

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  26. Great use of those leftover bits. Both quilts look great. Thanks for sharing with Oh Scrap!

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  27. Very efficient use of left overs. Both quilts turned out beautifully!

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  28. Aren't you clever! I have a bunch of leftovers of Amanda Murphy fabrics, so I think your tutorial will be perfect to use them up! I also really like the name Nectar Drops. :-)

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  29. Congrats on the two lovely finishes. You are so smart to use those scraps before they got lost or mixed in with others. That is a great organizing idea, keep them together and actually use them!

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  30. I love what you did with these leftovers, Preeti! Each one is unique and so fun to look at.

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  31. I think both quilts have been great solutions to use your left over fabric. They look great.

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  32. I love that scrappy strip quilt! Great idea, and great for using up scraps!

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  33. Love your double dipping ideas and quilts------ice cream anyone? I happened onto your blog from the Linkiy party at Small Quilts and Doll quilts.

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  34. Beautiful way to use the scraps. The quilts are so pretty.

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  35. Esmeralda The Great and now her two beautiful children! What a great way to use up those beautiful scraps!

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  36. That pop of orange really, well, pops! It looks fantastic and was the perfect choice for that quilt. Both quilts look great. Congrats on your finishes!

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  37. YEA! Double dipping works for me. Thanks for the tutorial too. I don't have any long skinny pieces now but maybe someday!

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  38. They are both so beautiful! And what a great way to use up those short strips! Thanks for the tutorial :)

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  39. I really love your Nectar Drops quilt! I also get distracted by scraps, I keep a small pile of scrap blocks that I add to whenever my attention span wanders. I figure eventually there will be enough for a quilt (^_^).

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  40. I am impressed as usual. Great use of the scraps AND such fast sewing again. Amazing!

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  41. "the siren song of the scraps" is now going into my studio in some manner. I love it! (T taught The Odyssey for years, so yeah.)

    Your two quilts are precious. I don't know who will end up with these pretties, but wow! I like that second one so much that I'm thinking of hunting down some strips. Surely I can adapt your measurements, if necessary. Your tutorial and graph are well written and easy to understand.
    I love those little birds. I thought at first that the one in the nest is a fat bird--a cute idea--but a closer look reveals the nest. I'm going back to look for a clutch of eggs. Just because.
    Beautiful finishes!

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  42. very pretty! I like Charlie's birds best. The orange is perfect!

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  43. Oh you are so popular! Let me squeeze in here this time to say I think you are the most clever woman! LeeAnna

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  44. Yes, clever indeed!! I pinned the post because I really like the use of strips - so much so that I will just cut new strips to make this. I don't think I have enough strips that already exist. Great pattern tho. Thank you for sharing the details Preeti!

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