When scrappy gets the best of you

Written by Diane Harris on December 29, 2023. Posted in Blog, How-tos and Ideas, Inspiration, Quilt Lifestyle

I don’t always get scrappy quilts right. This week I got one really wrong.

I had time to sew over Christmas so I pulled out a UFO (UnFinished Object) with a Christmas theme: Tannenbaum by Edyta Sitar of Laundry Basket Quilts.

There are 10 elements making up the Christmas tree, and I had three done. But it’s not a large quilt so it seemed doable, especially since it was snowing and blowing and I’d not be venturing out soon.

I opted for rickrack handles on the baskets (which led to a half day of reorganizing my rickrack collection) and that went pretty well.

I’d had the good sense to buy pre-cut applique shapes with the fusible web already added. I think they’re worth the money.

I made steady progress and was feeling confident. My reds and greens were just scrappy enough. My plan was to go scrappy with the backgrounds too, which looks fine in the rows.

But when I started adding the backgrounds, everything took a nosedive. Do you see how the backgrounds don’t really blend together? It appears to have columns on the sides. The floral backgrounds don’t blend in at all. The tree doesn’t stand out nicely from the background either.

You might wonder why I didn’t stop right there. Good question.

I didn’t want to unsew and lose the progress I’d made. The finish line was in sight. Surely I could salvage it! I bulldozed forward.

I decided that for the tree to show up, I’d need to outline the sections. Rickrack would be the solution. I toyed with using several colors of green (above) but decided on just one deep shade.

This is where it currently stands. I don’t think it works.

So what went wrong?

• I didn’t make the backgrounds in the piecing lighter than the backgrounds for the tree. See how that works in the pattern image, below?

• The backgrounds should have all been more similar.
• They should have been placed randomly instead of symmetrically.
• I should have stopped sooner, as soon as I realized it wasn’t working.

What are my options at this point? I could:

• Leave it unfinished and chalk it up to lessons learned.
• Put it on my guild’s garage sale in February.
• Take it apart and fix it.
• Add an interesting border to distract from the center.

I don’t love any of these options and right now I’m just really unhappy about the whole debacle. What would you do? Please leave me a comment.

On the plus side, a valuable takeaway for me as a teacher is this:

Doing scrappy well is not easy, and I will keep learning about it for as long as I make quilts. It’s even harder if you have never tried it or you’re not confident that you can do it.

If this experience makes me a better teacher, more patient and more compassionate toward quilters who struggle with scrappy, then it’s a win. Because now I know for certain that no matter how many scrappy quilts you’ve made…

Scrappy can go crappy in a hurry.
And there’s not always an easy fix.

Quilt on,

You might like these posts:

My favorite little quilt block pattern (free!)

Understanding Stitch Length

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UFO Bonanza in Omaha

Written by Diane Harris on November 6, 2023. Posted in Blog, Classes, How-tos and Ideas, Inspiration, Open Classes for Everyone, Quilt Lifestyle

Wouldn’t it be great if someone could jumpstart a UFO (or two) for you? How helpful would it be to have a coach and a cheerleader to tackle your UnFinished Objects?

Let it be me! Join me at Mangelsen’s in Omaha on Monday, Dec 4 and get revved about your UFOs once more.

No matter what stopped your progress, bring your quilting UFOs to this unique work session and get started again. Maybe the instructions were bad. Perhaps the technique was beyond your skills. Or somehow you simply lost your sew-jo.

Whatever the problem, we’ll brainstorm solutions together and start moving toward a finish. This workshop is fun and inspiring, and you’re bound to leave jazzed up about your projects once more. 

Workshop runs from 10 to 4 and is $65.

Learn more or register here

Sometimes a person with “fresh eyes” can see things in a UFO that you cannot. I can’t tell you how much fun it is to embrace whatever people bring to class and solve the issues in a creative way—together!

This house quilt was a UFO because the sashing I originally planned didn’t work with the scrappy reds I’d embraced along the way. When you’re alone in your sewing space, this kind of situation can be discouraging and overwhelming.

But when you have an experienced quilting and UFO veteran at your side?

It becomes an inspiring adventure into creative problem solving.

Join me at Mangelsen’s in Omaha on Monday, Dec 4 for all the fun. I can’t wait to see what UFOs you bring me!!

Learn more or register today for the UFO Bonanza.

Have a great and creative week!

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Conquer Your Fabric Scraps Summit

Written by Diane Harris on November 3, 2023. Posted in Blog, Classes, Complimentary, How-tos and Ideas, Inspiration, Open Classes for Everyone, Quilt Lifestyle

Here’s an invitation for you: Please join me for a complimentary event focused on practical ideas for managing your scraps.

It takes place next week, Nov 6 to 9, online. There is no charge to listen to a curated set of presenters offering strategies, tips and ideas for scraps and scrap quilts. I’m sharing two different presentations.

The first is “Save Fabric, Save Time: Techniques for Scrap Management.”

It’s a 29-minute talk with my best tips for not getting under the pile with your leftovers.

My second talk is a 43-minute look at how you can “Beef Up Your Backgrounds.”

This is a topic I’ve learned so much about in the past few years. Once I discovered how to make scrappy backgrounds, my quilts improved drastically. I’m sharing my best tips for how to take your quilts to the next level by jazzing up the backgrounds. Such a simple idea but oh so valuable!

Some of the other topics include creating designs with coordinated scraps, artful creations from tiny scraps, the magic numbers method and the art of controlled scrappiness. There are many more, truly something for everyone. There’s nothing to lose, it’s totally free to listen and it happens Nov 6 to 9.

Full disclosure: You’ll be offered the opportunity to upgrade your ticket for a fee. With that fee you can have early access, longer access, and a host of bonus materials. But it’s not necessary if you don’t want to upgrade. There is tons of free material with your complimentary ticket. I just don’t want you to feel blindsided when the upgrade offer comes.

Click here to sign up for the Conquer Your Fabric Scraps Summit and get your free ticket!

I will see you there!

Quilt on,

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Scrappy Jack Quilt: Improv Halloween Sampler by Stash Bandit

Written by Diane Harris on October 13, 2023. Posted in Blog, How-tos and Ideas, Inspiration, Quilt Lifestyle

I start with orphans, leftovers and rejects.

And somehow before it’s over, the whole thing comes together. It isn’t without frustration, error and ugliness, though. There’s a lot of messing around. It feels like wasted time but I’ve learned it’s necessary.

I start by putting all of the elements that might work on the design wall.

I tried to make this quilt last year but I couldn’t bring it together. So I decided to try again. The key this time around was in letting go of the ones that didn’t work. I edited out a bunch of things! I hated to let the giant ghost and pumpkin go but their scale just wasn’t working.

After a lot of playing, I got a little closer, above. At this point I took a photo and printed it, as it helps to look at it in a different form. If I need to, I can cut up the paper and rearrange things.

By this time I can start to see how sections could be built.

Eventually I start sewing things together because you can only stress for so long. I add coping strips or patches as needed to make things fit. Some sections come together easily.

Some are more difficult, like the one below. It still feels awkward to me but I had to keep moving forward in spite of it.

One thing I do continually is to back up from the design wall so I can see the big picture. Standing too close is deadly. Back way up!

Kathy Haverly from Hastings, Nebraska made the stars blocks, and I bought them on a guild garage sale for a few dollars. There were so many! I used a lot but I still have a lot!

My overall recipe was orange, black and blue so the bits of blue in the star blocks were a gift. The wonky Flying Geese were destined for some long-forgotten idea.

The giant ghost and pumpkins had to go but the giant house got to stay!

I was so happy to fit it in, and I love its glowing windows.

I created a spooky tree beside it but after a struggle, I abandoned that idea in favor of a coffin, which was easier to execute and is cuter, too.

When I’m sure of an applique feature, I fuse it down and machine straight stitch close to the edges. I came up with the spiders to fill awkward empty spaces. Now they’re my favorite part.

I did have to unsew a few places to insert the rickrack but it was worth the trouble.

Do you see how things don’t need to be in proportion as they’d be in real life? Those spiders are huge compared to the house. But it’s all so whimsical that it doesn’t matter.

Here’s where I landed. It took me about two days to get it this far. And remember…

…the elements were mostly already made. I thought it was finished but I added a scrappy black border to fill with hand sewn big stitch. More on that later.

This has truly become my favorite way to create. I’d love to teach “Improvisational Quilt Sampler” at a four or five day event.

Wouldn’t that be fun? And I have almost enough of them to warrant a new trunk show. In the meantime, they’ll go into the Taste Test Trunk Show of unexpected sampler quilts.

I always felt I didn’t like samplers because they were dull and predictable. I was wrong.

Quilt on,

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Color Class: Boost Your Quilts to New Heights

Written by Diane Harris on September 29, 2023. Posted in Blog, Classes, How-tos and Ideas, Inspiration, Open Classes for Everyone, Quilt Lifestyle

It can be done—I can help you wrap your mind and your creative dreams around these basic ideas. They’re essential for making successful quilts, scrappy or not.

Join me next week on Thursday, Oct 5 from 11 to 5 Central on Zoom for my popular “Color, Contrast & Cohesion” hands-on workshop.

Attend live or watch the recording! Totally convenient.

Choose from several patterns (included) and use the simple piecing to work out the ideas in a practical way. I’ll come ready, willing and able to help you!

This workshop is a crowd pleaser because you’re learning each step of the way. Why do some fabrics look great together up close, but die tragically when you stand back?

What does value mean in the context of quilt making? How can you tell what a fabric’s value really is? Can the value change?

What does value have to do with contrast? What is the difference? Are they even connected? And how can you use the fabric you already own to make unique and beautiful quilts that are truly inspired?

All of this and more in
Color, Contrast & Cohesion

Tickets for this full-day class are just $55 on Eventbrite. Click here to learn more or reserve your place!

I would love the chance to walk with you into a fearless creative journey where you combine fabrics with ease and confidence to create amazing quilts you’ll be proud of. Join me next week and get started!!!

I can’t wait!

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A secret: Favorite cuts for scrappy quilts

Written by Diane Harris on September 21, 2023. Posted in Blog, How-tos and Ideas, Inspiration, Quilt Lifestyle

I have three patch sizes that I return to again and again.

You may have favorite patches too. It’s good to know what sizes you use the most because when you’re dealing with leftovers, you can cut them up accordingly.

I do not cut everything into patches, though, and here’s why.

Gwen Marston once said during a class, “Don’t commit too soon.” In other words, be sure of your direction before you take an action (like cutting) that can’t be undone. She was talking about improvisational quilt design but the same is true for scraps.

Most of my fabric is not cut up into my favorite patches.

I want the freedom to make it into whatever I choose. But I do cut up some very lights, some very darks and lots of leftovers into my favorites.

• 1-1/2″ x 2-1/2″ rectangles
• 2-1/2″ squares
• 2-1/2″ x 4-1/2″ rectangles

Here are a few of the quilts I’ve made with these patches.

One of the first Baby Windmill quilts I made was Framework. I noticed one day that several darker blocks formed a line on the design wall. I realized that if I made darker blocks on purpose, I could arrange them into “borders” without any extra work. It’s a fun quilt to make because you’re free to use any and all fabrics together. The chaos is kind of the point.

Here’s a tutorial for Baby Windmills.

Scarlet Spin is a simple design that lets the reds do most of the heavy lifting. Reds clash so beautifully and I never tire of them. It also uses 1.5″ x 2.5″ rectangles for the focal point of each block.

When I decided to try making pictorial quilts

from those little patches, Home for Christmas fit the bill. With the exception of the bows on top of the presents, every patch in the quilt is that same size, even those in the borders. I love designing with just one patch because it greatly speeds and simplifies the cutting.

Just Bricks uses my other favorite rectangle, the one cut 2.5″ x 4.5″. I joined a lighter patch with a darker patch, and then rotated alternating units. Piece of cake. As I pieced the center, I thought it was horrible. I almost threw it away. But then it got big enough to audition some borders. It came together when I put this Jane Sassaman fabric beside it. The narrow yellow border also arrests the eye a little, giving it a much-needed break.

Perhaps the biggest surprise of the past 10 years

has been Star Silhouettes. American Patchwork & Quilting’s August ’22 issue featured it on the cover, something I never dreamed could happen. By the time I sent it off, I was so tired of it that I couldn’t see how pretty it was. You can get the pattern for Star Silhouettes from AP&Q.

At first I was shocked by how much people loved the quilt. But now I think it’s a good example of how simple patchwork can be really effective if you let the fabric do the work. I made the quilt with only 2-1/2″ squares.

Some people see kittens in windows when they look at this quilt. I wasn’t intending that but I like the idea. I used in-your-face-yellow for sashing to distract from all the mismatched-ness of the blocks. And I think it works. I have a dozen more ideas for StarQuars, all made from 2.5″ squares.

And I have a new quilt design which is based on Flying Geese made from two of my favorite patches. I can’t wait to share it with you. 😊 I’d be interested in what your favorite patch sizes are!

Quilt on,

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House plans gone awry

Written by Diane Harris on September 11, 2023. Posted in Blog, How-tos and Ideas, Inspiration, Quilt Lifestyle

I worked on a UFO last week and it didn’t go well.

Not the designer’s fault, by the way. It’s a great pattern and it’s well done. But my tendency to go scrappy got me into trouble.

This is Jessica Dayon’s original design using just one red. When I bought fabric a few years back, I thought I’d use one red too. I bought a rather ordinary barn red and a sashing to complement it with holly leaves and berries.

The background is off-white with small dots and I had a white-on-white for the various sampler blocks.

But once you start making scrappy quilts, it’s pretty hard to go back to just one fabric for a dozen blocks. I couldn’t do it. So right off the bat I scrapped it up.

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CCC on The Quilt Show

Written by Diane Harris on August 29, 2023. Posted in Blog, How-tos and Ideas, Inspiration, Quilt Lifestyle, Trunk Shows

I’m really pleased to have an episode on The Quilt Show, and you’re invited to watch.

Find the episode with some of my best tips for scrappy quilts broken down into some of my favorite C’s: color, contrast and cohesion. What else?!

You’ll find a wealth of information on so many topics at The Quilt Show. You can fall down many a rabbit hole there.

The Quilt Show folks got in touch last spring and invited me to tape with them in Phoenix. So off I went for a day of fun with Ricky Tims and the crew.

We shot a few different segments but it was all pretty relaxed which I appreciated. The TQS team is highly professional but really cordial, and they made me feel right at home. That helped keep the nerves at bay, mostly.

One scary part for me was traveling with the quilts in checked bags. I wondered what I’d do if the quilts didn’t arrive? I often put quilts into checked bags but every time, I worry. Thankfully nothing was lost.

I was the third guest of the day, following Shannon Conley and Vicki Conley, who are both art quilters. They’re mother and daughter, and they’re friends with my friend Diana Fox, another contemporary art quilter.

Which reminds me: Ricky Tims is unbelievable when it comes to work ethic and stamina. He carried the full load during this shoot, as Alex Anderson was not on set. (She was at home recovering from surgery.) Ricky remained cheerful, helpful, engaged and engaging even though he must have been exhausted. It was impressive. I can’t say enough nice things about Ricky Tims. (And I’m happy to say that at a recent shoot in Colorado, Alex was back at it.)

I hope you’ll take time to watch the episode. You’ll be exposed to the plethora of resources at The Quilt Show, and you might hear something new about scrappy quilts. We all have scraps and stash and it’s great when we can use them to make something both unique and beautiful!

A special shout-out to Diana Fox, who shared my name with The Quilt Show folks as a potential guest. And thank you to Ricky, to Shelly Heesacker, Lilo Bowman and Kristin Goedert as well. You made me shine. ☀️

Happy Scrappin’,

Here’s the link one more time: https://thequiltshow.com/watch/scrap-quilts/learn-how-to-use-color-contrast-and-cohesion-when-making-scrappy-quilts-with-diane-harris

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Getting past a creative block

Written by Diane Harris on August 27, 2023. Posted in Blog, Complimentary, How-tos and Ideas, Inspiration, Quilt Lifestyle

Where should I start? How should I begin?

Ricky Tims said something really important on my episode of The Quilt Show, which has just been released. He said that when you have a creative block,

JUST SEW.

And I have an idea for WHAT you can sew! Check out my tutorial for Baby Windmills. The cutting is simple, the piecing is fast and easy, and you’ll be unstuck in no time!

Go to the basic tutorial for Baby Windmills now.

GET YOUR SCRAPPY ON!

Piece,

You might also enjoy:

Free pattern: The little hearts quilt

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Pumpkins on Parade in APQ

Written by Diane Harris on August 7, 2023. Posted in Blog, How-tos and Ideas, Inspiration, Magazines, Quilt Lifestyle

Today I’m happy to introduce a new quilt design, Pumpkins on Parade, which appears in the Sept/Oct issue of American Patchwork & Quilting.

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This issue is on newsstands now and there are lots of great quilts inside. I love the cover quilt by Joanna Figueroa. Get a digital issue instantly right here.

A few years back I had the idea of putting an object at the intersection of an Irish Chain-type of block, and I fleshed it out in this new design.

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