Scrappy Improv Blocks

Are you ready to let your inner quilty bone go loose?  If you have tons of scraps, hold on to them!  There is always something cute and special waiting to be created out of scraps, like the Pieced Strip Blocks.

In this post, we are using still more scraps to create Scrappy Improv Blocks, a really fun and free technique full of unexpected surprises!

MATERIALS

Scraps, scraps and more scraps!

And smaller scraps!

ORGANIZING SCRAPS

The first step is getting things in some kind of order. I grouped the smaller scraps by print and shape.  Feel free to use orphan units that didn't make it to a previous project!  For instance, a goose and an hour clock finally found a home in this mini quilt...  :)

Also, did you catch that little scrap in the lower right corner?  That's a unit with several scraps already sewn to each other. Don't discard anything! It only gets more interesting!  :)

CREATING BLOCKS  

Because this is an improvisational block, there is no specific set of instructions and your blocks will always be different. We will talk a bit about making everything uniform and consistent. That being said, I will share how I put together the three main "units" that make up the blocks of this wall quilt.  Some instructions are very similar, and I'll try to avoid repetitive information, but please, feel free to ask questions in the comments section if something is not quite clear.

UNIT 1

The first step is finding scraps that are roughly the same length.  Note that two pieces are already made up of smaller scraps; these are leftovers of the borders I used in  my in-laws' washer and drier covers.

Also, I will focus on adding pieces to form a shape with this unit, so please keep reading to find suggestions on how to continue adding scraps and not going (so) crazy in the process...  :) 

Sew them together with a 1/4" seam. Press open and repeat.

Once you finish with this part, find more scraps that are -again- roughly the same length or width of the shape you just put together.  In the next picture, you can see the initial shape sort of upside down (compared to the original organization) and two larger scraps that are more or less the same width as that of the first piece.

Keep sewing and adding pieces from every side!

Something I really enjoyed was including orphan units from other blocks.  You can see that I used a flying goose.  

One suggestion is to vary the prints and shapes of scraps.  For example, there is a long, red strip and a chunky print going in different directions.  Also, I try to keep the same prints away from each other - the most obvious example is the print with black background; chunky guy and goose happily sewn in opposite sides of the unit.

You will probably end up with something that looks like this:

This is when you need to start trimming edges...

Like that, you will have a straight "line" to add more strips to.  In the following picture, you can see I added one strip to the top and one to the bottom.  And I found this other unit with three fabrics that had been previously pieced - remember, you can use all the scraps, and this one was no exception!

It just needed a little extra to roughly match the width of the larger unit...

...and a little trimming to those edges.  And the following picture shows one way of doing it - just put one scrap on top of the other and cut!

UNIT 2

Here goes the second unit!  

Remember, find scraps that match closely; edges, points and seams do not have to be exact for this technique...  :)

Just do it all over again... Match scraps, sew 1/4" seams, open and keep adding scraps to either side of the section you are building up.

If you have an uneven seam and are adding a straight scrap, use the straight scrap as a sewing guide.

You can always trim before you iron...

Remember, this is spontaneous and it should be fun!  Don't worry if you have something that looks like the following picture.  Ultimately, it's a technique that allows you to use scraps that would have been thrown away... how cool is that!

UNIT 3

At one point, I used up all the smaller scraps and had the following small pieces that really did not fit because the width and length just did not match at all... 

I did not want to do without them, so I just added an irregular scrap and trimmed it so that the unit you see to the right roughly matched up the one to the left.

However, I did not like that several prints were the same on either side.

This is where I took the larger leftover fabric and cut a stripe that I wanted to put in the middle, but there was still one matching print...

If you are caught in this situation, just flip the piece around and try to keep the same prints away from each other...

Here is another option for sewing your scraps together; just find several that are practically the same length. You'll end up with a piano key sort of effect... Notice that I used an orphan flying goose unit, so don’t hesitate to use whatever is left from other projects.

Now we go to a different section...  It's just general guidelines that make this improv technique way more fun and enjoyable!

SEWING TIPS

If one of the two main pieces you are sewing is not pieced, put that one below the pieced fabric; this will avoid any seam warping due to the feed dogs.  In other words, and like you can see in the following picture, the fabric that has not been pieced goes on the “table” and the pieced fabric goes on top, on the “machine” side. (Table=bottom and machine=top, hehe.)

Another tip is sewing the seams open.  It’s not necessary, but this helps reduce the bulk, particularly after so many scraps are sewn together.

The last suggestion is to sew seams a tad wider than ¼ inch. I found it was easier to iron and open the new seams; once more, this is optional, but handling is definitely made easier this way.

ASSEMBLING THE BLOCKS

Once you have several units finished, it’s time to combine them in order to make the blocks.  Because all the scraps are different sizes, the units will also be different each time you try this technique; however, keep in mind that straight edges are needed for the final assembly.

In the next picture, you can see how I cut off the uneven ends and ended up with a straight edge on the bottom part of the unit.  

By doing this on all sides, it was easy to sew the red strip on top, and an extra unit to the right.

Now we only need new straight edges in the larger units.

Once you trim one unit, use the edge as a guideline to trim the other unit...

... like so:

Sew by the straight edge and trim the larger piece you now have.

Although the piece was large enough to square and form a block, I was still not very happy with the result, so I took a deep breath and...

...sliced it up diagonally!

Other than the new straight edges, the diagonal line broke the evenness of the piano key effect and created new interest in the piece.

Try different orientations and go for the one you like the most!

I decided to go back to the larger scraps of fabric and cut a strip that would go right in the middle of this unit.  I love it!  It looks so complex, but it was so easy to make...  :)

Let's go to the finishing touches...

Remember that the idea is to have straight sides, not a particular shape.  For example, the next block is kind of rectangular, but it is obvious that the right side is shorter than the left. This is what I was looking for; however, if you feel more comfortable with even shapes, go for it! Although it's a different look, I'm certain it will also be beautiful! We will come back to this particular picture ahead, so hold on for a sec to find out how I tied all the three final blocks together.

Remember that diagonal cut? Well, I actually used diagonal cuts from two different units...

... and added the strips in the middle; one was from a larger scrap and one from leftovers that I got from trimming another unit.

The following is what I had after trimming the edges and having a more regular shape.

This is how the third unit ended up.  Although smaller, it's still interesting and with a red stripe inside, which sort of links all of the blocks together.

We're almost done! Just some finishing touches, and this baby will be ready to assemble!

And here is where we go back to the previous pic of that uneven shape, shorter on the right side... Once more, what is necessary at this point is straight edges, not perfect shapes.

Here is another example of the uneven shapes. Once more, we have a block that has edges of different sizes, but all of them are straight.

And here is a pic of my final three shapes. All of them are different sizes, but the red fabric provides some consistency throughout. Although it is impossible to have completely equal shapes with this technique, try to use at least one larger piece of fabric that can be easily identified once the blocks are finished; in this case, it is the long, red strips that provide a focus point and the common denominator among the blocks.

However, if you prefer to do so, feel free to use a template or a ruler to obtain a perfect square!

FRAMING THE BLOCKS

The only thing we are missing now is a frame; this step is completely optional, but I found that by having a frame the blocks seem to be more defined and there is even more cohesion, achieved once more by the use of the red fabric. 

Also, before going on, I would like to acknowledge that the idea for a frame and the final composition are based on Elizabeth Hartman's Icy Improv Scrap Pods. Click here to find out more about this super creative quilter and her gorgeous techniques!

Going back to the blocks... Up to this point, we have three uneven blocks. Because of the business of the patterns, I really wanted to have some kind of order in the midst of all the craziness.  As I said, a common frame will help achieve that.

Sew a strip of fabric (my "leftover" strips were mostly 1" and 1 1/2" wide) to one side of the block and press open.  Then sew a second strip to an adjacent side and press open; you will have something that looks like this:

Now is when squaring begins! Keeping in mind seam allowance, trim the framing fabric using a square ruler or the cutting mat as guidance. I liked using the ruler because it let me see whether I was about to slice any of the pieced fabric - which we do not want...  Do the same with the two other sides and square all up!  

As you can see , there is still some wonkiness left, and it still can be seen. However, because this is a minimalist composition, the frames give it quite a character!

ASSEMBLING THE QUILT

Following Elizabeth's inspiration, I cut smaller strips of the red fabric to connect the blocks.  You can find more information in her blog, Oh, Fransson!

At this point, I wanted to bring some kind of simplicity to the business of the blocks, and I decided to go for a neutral background. I had enough of a cream cotton and some natural linen left, and I thought either could be a great background. I decided to use the cream fabric; it blended more subtly with the pieced blocks. 

And here are the blocks, after assembling the different strips together:

In the following picture is another example of a mini-quilt, made with the same technique. In this case, the scraps were larger, so a completely different effect was achieved.

It is so much fun and just think that those scraps were in risk and almost thrown away!

And here it is! An eye-catching mini quilt, perfect for that empty spot on the wall or a lonely table that needs some eye candy.

I do hope you give this a try. It is amazingly simple, but the results are beautiful. It also provides a great chance for improving your technique; all those itty bitty seams need to be tamed! 

I created a Flickr pool so that we can all share our experiments, WIPs, practice pieces and finished projects.  Just click HERE to go to the page and start sharing! 

I hope you  have LOTS of fun making this quilt and remember to leave your comments below.

God bless!

Ideas all over the place...

...and few make it to a post... (sigh!).

Sometimes I wish my mind had an integrated keyboard that will automatically dictate every single crafty musing to the computer and post automatically.  After a second thought, it could take away some of the fun... Dunno...

The reality of the deal is that I'm working on several little projects - testing a paper-pieced pattern, coming up with ideas to draw and collect all the block figures that pop in my mind and designing two quilting series for the blog.  I'm still wondering how -or when- it all will make it here, but rest assured that I'm working on stuff for everyone to share.  

This is where I beckon your patience and leave a little token of my advances... 

And just a little extra - some early morning shots of the beautiful snow from last week!  

 

 

And a secret message...  :)

 

 

I just can't have enough of that soft crunch under my feet with each step! 

See you soon and stay blessed!

A treat in Mom's Kitchen - No bake cookies!

Hello again!

As you may already know, we were back home, in Mexico City, for Christmas break.  It was a wonderful time with the family that we will treasure forever.

And just like when we are in the States and are asked about traditions, my inquisitive - and sweet-toothed - relatives were asking about typical culinary treats of the USA.  I immediately thought of No-bake cookies!  They are super simple to whip up, ingredients are easy to find and the recipe yields quite a lot of yummy bites for a bunch of hungry tummies!  :)

Now, before we start, I'd like to thank mom for allowing me to experiment in her kitchen.  It's always been me the one that messes up things; mom is not that into cooking, so I was in charge of things ever since I can remember!  I must also say that I rarely follow recipes - I rarely go to the drawer and take out the measuring spoons because I just do it my old good grandma way - a pinch here, a dash there, a squirt over here and so on and so for yonder and yonder...  OK, I should give mom kuddos for digging up recipes from the darkest corners of the forgotten kitchen book shelf and sticking to them to the T; she's been able to come up with pretty good stuff that kiddos are eating, so they must taste good.  Not sure whether I've been lucky and not been there for trying her food...  You got me!  This sounds horrible, but I'm not the only one known for not even coming close to mom's culinary experiments in the past.  We love so much momma!!  :)

OK... Going to the no-bake cookies.  Let's start with the original recipe that I found in a cooking card in my mother-in-law's recipe thingy:

 2 cups sugar
4 tablespoons cocoa
  2 cups butter
1/2 cup milk
1 tablespoon vanilla 

2 cups rolled oats

Bring to a boil the sugar, cocoa, butter and milk. Let boil for 1 minute then add vanilla and oatmeal. Drop mixture by teaspoons on a flat, cold surface. 

This is what I call the standard recipe, but why stop there? Note that in the picture there are two "secret" ingredients - that's my experiment part!!  Peanut and hazelnut butter - YUM!  This recipe can also have one cup of either, just remember to add one cup of oats.  In other words, if you add 1 cup of peanut butter, remember to use 3 cups of oats for the batch.

So, here we go...  Add the butter to the pot; at this point, I like having everything medium heat, so that I can get a homogeneous mix without overcooking anything - this is CRUCIAL for the recipe to work! It's one of those chemistry-thingies that I find so interesting and would like to understand and explain to the full!  :)  

Add the sugar...

  

Add the milk...

Add the cocoa...

... and one cup of peanut butter (or hazelnut cream, a.k.a. Nutella).

Don't forget to add the vanilla extract (not pictured, sorry)!  Now, up to this point, I really haven't seen any major consequence about the order in which ingredients are added to the pot, as long as the heat is medium to low, and you make sure to stir so that you get a homogeneous mixture.

Ehem! May I draw your attention to the wonderful -and handsome- assistance provided by Mr. Fuzz?  He loves cooking, and he was not shy of helping out so that I could snap almost every step of the no-baking process for you to see...  Note how he likes to do it - taking the pot over to a burner that is not on and mixing before putting it back on the burner that has medium heat going on.  Look at that technique!!  The invisible hand to the no-bake-rescue!! Hehehe...

The next step is to be VERY careful and watch the mixture... Here is where the chemistry deal comes in!!  As the recipe says, you need to BRING TO boil the mixture, not BOIL it... Makes sense?  OK, let me try again... Watch for bubbles!!!  Just think of water boiling; bubbles start to form when it starts to boil.  This baby is no different; watch for bubbles starting to form (particularly in the edges) and move the pot away from the heat, or turn it off. The bring to boil moment is what makes all the ingredients bond and form a cookie that does not fall apart when you take it; in other words, this is what makes it all stick together!

Time for the last ingredient... And remember, I used 3 cups of oats because we had 1 cup of peanut butter.

With the heat OFF, start adding oats.  I found it works better if oats are added little by little, because it is easier to add them to the mix.

Keep adding and mixing...
 

... a bit more...

... looking good...

... and this is what you want to see! Everything looking even, but starting to come off the sides of the pot.

At this point, go get a helper or work super fast, because the mix cools quickly!!  Take a teaspoonful and drop it on a cool surface. What works best for me is using cutting mats - they are small enough to move to a table, large enough to drop several cookies and easy to clean!  What can beat that, huh?

Here they are!  Note that the ones on the large, white board are of a lighter color; those were made with one cup of peanut butter (and yes, an extra cup of oats).  The ones on the mats look darker because they have hazelnut cream.  You just need to be patient and let them cool down.  If you don't have this kind of cutting mats, alternatives are silicone baking sheets or baking trays.   

Here are the peanut butter ones all by themselves...

And here they are with their Nutella buddies...

... but they did not survive long! :) I hope you give them a try, they are easy and fun to make.

God bless!  :)

A weekend at the lake

Oh wow!  It's been several days since I've been around the blog, and even if it sounds weird, I actually miss posting. However, there's is a good reason for this mini hiatus - or at least, that's what I always tell myself each time I pause for some days.

We were blessed to get tickets to travel to Mexico and spend a bit over a week with family. Seeing everybody again was a wonderful gift and some comfort for the heart. When Mr. Fuzz and I got married, I moved to the US and had not been able to come back home since then. All the kiddos are grown, there are more all over the place, and one more is yet to make it here (he's happy in mommy's tummy right now).

And with all the visiting, calling and excitement, I have put off posting, but it's been well worth it!

However, I decided to log in and share a bit about the beautiful place we were at last weekend, Valle de Bravo. It's a place West of Mexico City; there are a lot of activities to do at the lake, like paragliding, cruising around the lake and even visiting ostrich farms! 

This time, we went downtown and enjoyed a little cruise on a 10-passenger boat.

Many people have the idea that Mexico is only a big desert and that there are cactus all over the place.  I hope these pictures change your mind and show the wide variety of natural beauties that live happily somewhere in this colorful country.

Mr. Fuzz was particularly fond of the trees; I'm not sure what kind they are, but he thinks they resemble willows.

 

We went for a walk on Sunday, and I was thrilled to find little surprises along the way, like the stream that sparked so much curiosity in us; we kept hearing the wonderful sound of the running waters, but had not been able to see where it came from, until we stepped outside the house.

And going back to our Sunday cruise, we had dinner at a floating restaurant. I had one of the most delicious fajitas I've had for a long time!  But I must confess that the most memorable - and awesome - moment was when we stepped out and were greeted with a gorgeous view of the setting sun.

And this is where I have to end this post. At this point, I can only thank God for his precious love and gift of family and home. This is my wish for the new year, that you experience His love and blessings in a wonderful way!