7 Truths About Scrap Quilting

It's no secret around here that I love scrappy quilts! I even created a membership for quilters who love scrappy and stash-friendly patterns as much as I do (join us, if that's you!). After making many (many!) scrap quilts in my almost 30 years of quilting (now I feel old), here are some things I've noticed about scrap quilts, along with some scrap quilt eye candy. And yes, all of the quilt patterns are available in my shop along with a lot more😊

Blooming Beautiful

It takes longer to cut everything for a scrap quilt

When you're cutting 40 2 ½" squares from yardage, you can quickly cut a few WOF strips and then cut them down into the squares you need. It only takes a handful of minutes. When you're cutting those same 40 squares from 40 different fabrics, it takes longer. There are ways to speed it up a little, like stacking the scraps so you're cutting more than one at a time or using a die cutting machine, but it's still not going to be as fast as cutting from yardage. That's not necessarily a bad thing, since it also means you get to admire all those fabrics as you go, but it is something to take into account if you're making the quilt on a deadline.

Ombre Twirl

Scrap quilts are a great walk down memory lane

Not only do you get to admire all those fabrics as you're cutting them, you're also reminded where they came from and what projects you've already used them in. Digging through my scraps is always accompanied by an internal monologue of 'I made a skirt with that,' 'Sandrine gave me this one,' 'I used this for Brandan's quilt,' 'that's the fabric Aiden bought me for Christmas,' and on and on and on. It's kind of like taking out the Christmas decorations and remembering the story behind each one, except it isn't confined to one part of the year.

Scraps Take Flight

Every scrap quilt is unique

Even if you use the same pattern and the same colours, you still won't make two identical scrap quilts. You might be using only blues for the nine patch blocks, but you'll still use a different combination of fabrics each time, giving the quilts a slightly different look. That means you can use the same pattern over and over, but not get bored because every quilt will feel new. It also means basic patterns, like simple patchwork squares, can feel fresh each time because the fabric combination keeps you engaged.

Framed Pinwheels

They never empty the scrap bins

I swear the scraps multiply as soon as we turn our backs! It doesn't seem to matter how many scrap quilts I make, the scrap bins are never empty. Considering how much I love scrappy quilts, I'm not complaining, but it is mind boggling.

If you're starting a scrap quilt thinking it's going to use all of your scraps, you're going to end up disappointed. But if you're starting that quilt thinking it's an opportunity to play with some favourite fabrics, create something beautiful without needing to buy a bunch of new fabric, and create a little space in the scrap bins at the same time, then you're right on track.

Pinwheel Irish Chain

They can look chaotic if you're not careful

Some people are perfectly happy to throw absolutely everything into a quilt willy-nilly and they're thrilled with the results. Other people look at those quilts and shudder because there's no cohesion. Personally, I've done both. These days, I prefer to use a single fabric for the background, especially a solid or blender, which tames the chaos a little and makes the whole quilt feel calmer.

Other ways to tame the chaos include using all solids, using a limited colour palette, and keeping all the scraps of one colour close in value.

Stand Out Starburst

Any quilt pattern can become a scrap quilt pattern

A pattern's fabric requirements might say it needs one fabric, but that doesn't mean we can't use an abundance of scraps instead. One of my Stash Artists members recently dug into her stash of dark purple fabrics in place of a single purple I had used for the background of a sampler quilt. Her version looked fabulous!

Prairie Points Pinwheel

They can be addictive

Once you start combining all those leftover bits of fabric to make a quilt, it's hard to stop. There are so many possibilities and it's so fun to rummage through the scraps to find the perfect ones. And of course, we all know there are always more scraps just waiting to be used. These days almost all of my quilts are scrap quilts and I'm not mad about it!

8 Point Meadow

Did I miss anything? Are there more truths about scrap quilting that people need to know? Share them in the comments!

All Booked Up Quilted Bookmarks

In the Stash Artists membership, I'm sharing a mini quilt pattern each month of 2026. This month, I really embraced the mini and designed the All Booked Up quilted bookmarks. Aren't they cute?

The bookmarks finish at 2" x 6", not including the ribbon. Since they're so mini, I went for simple, scrappy piecing with a bit of reading-themed text. There are three piecing designs and three text designs, which can be mixed and matched for 9 different bookmarks. They're so quick to make, you could easily make one for all your reading friends! (And if you're not a Stash Artists member yet, join us now to get access to the All Booked Up pattern right away.)

I made my first set with hand embroidery. I did simple backstitching using Aurifil 12 wt thread (one bookmark also has a handful of french knots), and did it all while traveling for the h+h trade show. It was a great travel project. 

Bonus points if you can identify the book I used for a background!

I really love the addition of the hand embroidery! Tip, if your backstitched lines aren't as smooth as you'd like, make your stitches smaller. Larger stitches tend to make choppy lines, whereas small stitches make lines look nice and smooth.

Then, since not everyone is into hand embroidery, I made a second set using fabric markers. I used the fine tip end of my Ohuhu fabric markers.

I wasn't sure the fine tip of my fabric markers would be fine enough, so I was pleasantly surprised to find it was exactly right and worked perfectly for the small text. And no, these aren't freehanded! My writing is nowhere near that neat! The text template is included in the pattern and can be used for either embroidery or fabric markers.

Here are both of my Bookworm bookmarks. I love that there are endless possibilities for making unique bookmarks, with the different piecing and text options, and then incorporating all your favourite scraps and different ribbon colours, too.

I opted for simple quilting after assembling the bookmarks, using white Aurifil 50 wt thread to outline the piecing.

I kind of expected the flying geese design to be my favourite bookmark, but the horizontal stripes with the teal embroidered Bookworm ended up being my favourite of them all. Which one is your favourite?

If you love mini quilts, stash-friendly and scrappy patterns, and virtual sewing sessions with friends, then come join us in the Stash Artists membership! Once you join, you'll get access to the All Booked Up pattern and more. We're an international group and we'd love to welcome you, too 😊 

My First Quilt with Karen Neary

This has been a crazy busy month, with the h+h trade show, Nathan's high school graduation (and family visiting for it), and then us traveling for Zachary's university convocation. With all of that, the last Friday of the month really snuck up on me and I almost forgot about the My First Quilt interview. Thankfully, I remembered late last night and was able to get the post ready this afternoon. Whew! This month Karen Neary is sharing the story of her first quilt.

From her home in Amherst, Nova Scotia, Karen Neary has been obsessively designing quilts full time for more years than she cares to admit. Her work has appeared in books and magazines, and her quilts displayed in shows around the world, including France and Japan.  Karen even designed and made a quilt presented to Sir Paul McCartney to mark his visit to Nova Scotia in 2009. She takes great joy in making, and teaching. Her particular love is New York Beauty quilts. Karen is a Canadian retailer for Aurifil threads and has a well-stocked online shop of threads plus her books and patterns.

You can connect with Karen at her website, her blog, on Instagram, on Facebook, and on Pinterest.

And now, here's Karen's first quilt!

What year did you make your first quilt? What prompted you to make it?

My first quilted project was when I was around 8 years old and made a Dresden Plate potholder, hand pieced and hand quilted. It proudly hung in my grandmother's kitchen for many years.  My first big quilt was a very traditional log cabin made for my eldest son's first bed, well over 30 years ago. 

What techniques were used in that first quilt? Did you quilt it yourself?

The quilt was pieced in red, blue and white scraps which included some of his baby clothes. The blocks were put together in a "barn raising" setting. Having no rotary cutter (and no patience for scissors) I tore the fabrics into 3" strips and sewed them together by machine using the 5/8" seam allowance I had learned from garment sewing. The squares mostly finished to around 12" and the quilt fit a double bed. After joining the blocks, I "birthed" the quilt by sewing it right sides together with the backing and turning it to the right side.  I then machine quilted it just in the ditch between the blocks. It's a wonder it held together at all. The batting used was "Mountain Mist" polyester, a popular choice at the time. 

Who taught you to make the quilt?

My grandmother Myrtle Davis was an avid quilter who taught quilt-making in her community, and I learned from her...although I sure could have used her help making that first one. I wish I had paid more attention to her instruction. 

Are the colours you chose for your first quilt ones you would still choose today?

I absolutely love the red, blue and white palette and use it often still. I get why so many world flags use this combination as the colours work so well together.

Did you fall in love with quilting right away? Or was there a gap between making the first quilt and the next one?

I was hooked from the moment that quilt hit the bed.  As awful as it was, it made me feel so good to think that I had made it.  All these many years later, I've never lost that feeling with each new quilt. 

Where is the quilt now?

Honestly, I was unsure this quilt still existed, but a search unearthed it shoved in the back of a closet.  Not only did this quilt spend many years on the bed, it was dragged around the house, attended many sleepovers, and always went to Cub and Scout outings.  It has many holes, some from wear, others from sparks from sitting too close to campfires. When it came time for this first son to head off to university, there was no way that raggy old quilt was going with him, so I made a newer version - same barn raising setting, same colours.  By a strange coincidence, the new school colours were red, blue and white. It was meant to be! This time I cut my fabrics more precisely with a rotary cutter and used 1/4" seams.

After only a few blocks in, I realized the quilt was going to be HUGE so I set those blocks aside and started again with 2-1/2" strips. It came out to a much more reasonable size, and got finished up with free motion quilting and an actual binding on the edges. Sadly, it did not survive the dorm room experience.  A year or so later, I found the larger blocks I had set aside and decided to make enough to do a table cover for quilt fairs.  I still use that one today;  nothing went to waste!

Is there anything you wish you could go back and tell yourself as you made that first quilt?

I think I would just whisper in my ear that this quilt would be the beginning of a journey that would bring great joy and creativity to my life. I have been so blessed to be able to pursue quilting as a career.  (And also I would say, pay closer attention to the seam allowance!)

Thanks for sharing your first quilt with us, Karen!