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Serendipitous Scraps

Vast Horizons Quilt

Serendipitous Scraps

Full Day
All Levels

Scrap quilts have a lot of personality and use lots of fabric from our stash. We will cover techniques for managing a wide variety of fabrics to create a lively project. Hands on exercises exploring value and color will be included as well as ideas for considering new and unusual border ideas. Using a simple half-square triangle pattern, we will have fun exploring the endless design possibilities we will have with our scrap quilt blocks. Students can do some of the cutting prior to class and there is the option of trading fabric squares between other students if desired.

Supply List - Serendipitous Scraps Workshop by Wendy Butler Berns

Assembling this quilt top will be a relatively simple assembly line process, but the cutting is what will take the most time. If you can choose fabrics and do a lot of the cutting prior to class, you will have more time in class to explore the design and layout of your 1/2 square triangles. Remember the more random the fabric choices, the more unique your quilt will be.

Machine in good working order, 1/4” presser foot
Rotary cutting supplies
Serendipitous Scrap Pattern - Available from instructor at the guild meeting or the day of class for $8.00
General sewing supplies and thread
Flannel covered design board approx. 3 ft x 4 ft.- a piece of insulation or foam core works well
Iron and pressing surface- one for every 3 to 4 students

Fabric needed:

For inner pieced quilt top. Border fabric will be discussed in pattern.
For a scrap quilt, the greater variety of fabrics, the more interesting it will be. Light, medium, dark values, various scale prints(small, medium, large), plaids, stripes, theme fabric, favorite fabrics that you have in your stash The more fabric you use, the more tedious the cutting process will be, but it will be worth it! You could use as many as 24-36 different fabrics.

1. Sort Fabric:

2. Cutting Fabric:

Strip piece method to create 1/2 square triangles:

Light/light medium: Total yardage needed approx. 1 3/4 yards.
Cut a total of 120 blocks 3 7/8” x 3 7/8”
Select 12 fabrics, cut 1 strip from each fabric 3 7/8” x 42”, sub-cut each strip into 10 blocks of 3 7/8” squares
Mediums: Total yardage needed approx. 1 yard
Cut a total of 60 blocks 3 7/8” x 3 7/8”
Select 6 fabrics, cut 1 strip from each fabric 3 7/8” x 42”, sub-cut each strip into 10 blocks of 3 7/8” squares
Darks: Total yardage needed approx. 1 yard
Cut a total of 60 blocks 3 7/8” x 3 7/8”
Select 6 fabrics, cut 1 strip from each fabric 3 7/8” x 42”, sub-cut each strip
into 10 blocks of 3 7/8” squares
Cutting/fussy cut method:
For a greater scrappy look, using lots of small amounts of fabrics. Lay several pieces of fabric on top of each other that are at least 4 1/2” square and cut out 3 7/8” squares using the total block amounts listed above for the light/light
medium, medium, dark values listed above.
These fabric amounts will get you started. There will be some additional fabrics needed for borders, but border options will be discussed in the workshop and fabric choices and amounts can be determined later.

If you have time before the workshop -
3. Sorting blocks:

4. Come to class ready to sew and design.

Diagram here to show marking fabric

Fabric combinations:

Classroom Set Up

8 foot tables at the front of the class for the instructor
At least 1/2 of an 8 foot table per student, so there is room for sewing machines, cutting boards, etc.
irons and ironing stations for every 3-4 students
A flannel board or bulletin board for displaying samples and viewing projects from a distance