Posts Tagged ‘stash sewing’

Unify diverse fabrics in scrap quilts

Written by Diane Harris on March 2, 2026. Posted in Blog, How-tos and Ideas, Inspiration

One of the tricks to making cohesive scrap quilts is finding a way to unify diverse fabrics.

In my Make Extraordinary Scrap Quilts trunk show, I talk about using “glue”—something to hold all those fabrics together. Today I’m sharing a few types of glue along with examples where they’re used.

Color

Using a single color for a scrap quilt is an easy way to achieve unity. That one color automatically holds everything together quite nicely. It’s such a simple idea but I think it’s true.

Scarlet Spin by Diane Harris for Quiltmaker. Photo by Mellisa Karlin Mahoney. Used with permission.

Scarlet Spin came together easily because “all reds clash well,” according to the late Mary Ellen Hopkins. If you’re brave and you use all the reds together, it will work. You truly can’t mess it up.

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.

Christmas Dance by Diane Harris. Photo: Kristen Laing Photography.

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

Scrap Quilt Classes Upcoming

Written by Diane Harris on July 6, 2022. Posted in Blog, Classes, How-tos and Ideas, Inspiration, Open Classes for Everyone

Everyone is welcome at “StarQuar Scrap Quilts.”

I’m excited to share the concept of “StarQuar” units in one local and one online class in the next few weeks. Won’t you join me? This is the idea on which Star Silhouettes is based.

Star Silhouettes was designed and pieced by me, and quilted by Julie Lechner.
It appears in the July/August issue of American Patchwork & Quilting.
Image: Used with permission from American Patchwork & Quilting®. ©2022 Meredith Operations Corporation. All rights reserved.

We’ll cover scrap management in the context of StarQuar units.

And you’ll learn my best tips and tricks for successful scrappy quilts, too. Concepts include color, value, scale, texture, density, line and pulling all your scraps together in a beautiful way.

This little unit has unlimited potential and I’ll show you many of the designs it can create. You can sew from your scraps, your stash, with precuts or with your favorite yardage.

Believe me when I say that making stars from StarQuars is only the beginning. There is so much more! You’ll discover dozens of ways to use these units and you might come up with something I haven’t considered. This is a completely entertaining way to sew and I’m anxious to introduce you to it.

When and where?

Locally, StarQuar Scrap Quilts happens on Saturday, July 23 at Mangelsen’s in Omaha, Nebraska from 10:30 to 3:30. Find details and registration here. There’s a lovely new classroom at Mangelsen’s and you’ll enjoy it! The store is easy to find and there’s lots of free parking (not to mention amaaaazing fabric inside).

Online, StarQuar Scrap Quilts happens Thursday, August 4 from 10 to 4. Find details and tickets here. Many quilters really like virtual learning and sewing from the comfort of home. Your stash is at your fingertips!

I’d love to see you in class very soon. Register today! And thanks for visiting Stash Bandit!

Keep quilting,

Looking for the magazine with Star Silhouettes? Find it at Mangelsen’s, Barnes & Noble and many newsstands. If all else fails, call me. I have issues! 😉

Sunday Sew-In Coming Up

Written by Diane Harris on June 1, 2021. Posted in Blog, Complimentary, How-tos and Ideas, Inspiration, Quilt Lifestyle

Today I decided to stop analyzing and just get some events scheduled. The first one is coming up on Sunday, June 6. We had so much fun learning together during Scrap Quilt Secrets so I created a Sunday Sew-In. We’ll hang out and sew on Zoom, and I’ll share a block pattern plus some scrappy tips.

I’ll share a few quilts that are not in any of my trunk shows and you’ll get to see what I’m currently working on. If you want to, you can share what you’re working on, too!

You’ll need a ticket and they’re priced right at just $5. Get your ticket on Eventbrite now!

Scrappy Backgrounds: What I’ve Learned

Written by Diane Harris on May 6, 2021. Posted in Blog, How-tos and Ideas, Inspiration, Quilt Lifestyle

When I started making scrap quilts, that is, quilts with lots and lots of different fabrics, I thought that I still needed one big chunk of background fabric. I’d see the materials list and it would look something like this:

Sometimes it would require even more background fabric. Think 3 or 4 or 5 yards. I’d scurry off to the quilt store (which in my case means driving almost an hour) to buy the background.

Scrap Busting Fun in 2021

Written by Diane Harris on November 24, 2020. Posted in How-tos and Ideas

I’ve been playing with some scrap quilt ideas and there’s nothing I love more. The only problem is that one idea leads to another, and then to another and so on. I have started five new quilts in the past two weeks (ridiculous, I know).

All of this is in preparation for a new class I’m teaching on January 2 from 10 am to 1 pm CST:

Stash Busting Fun in 2021

This class is open to anyone, anywhere and will take place on Zoom. I’ve learned the ropes, had some successes and feel confident enough to do it now! Prepare for inspiration!

Included with the class will be a number of easy AMAZING quilt patterns suitable for scraps. You will want to have some fat quarters or yardage available as well, but the idea is that you’ll have many options for using up leftovers and making dynamic scrap quilts from the fabric you already own!

But wait! There’s more!

I will also share a bunch of my best tips, tricks and secrets to making a scrap quilt work. We will cover the ideas of value, contrast, scale, vibrance, mood, genre and more.

We’ll look at some quilts that do NOT work so that we can begin to understand what DOES work.

If you wish to be seen during class, you can turn your video on. But if you wish not to be seen, that is fine, too! My experience has been that people chat and laugh and enjoy being together during a virtual sewing session in much the same way they would in a live class. Turns out this is really enjoyable and FUN! Who knew?!

I’m using the new Zoom Beta platform called OnZoom, which I am really excited about. One of its limitations is that an OnZoom session can only be created 30 days before the event. This means that registration for Stash Busting Fun in 2021 will open around Dec. 3. I will publicize it on my social media and in my newsletter. Here are links to those:

Check out my Instagram @stashbanditquilting

See my Facebook biz page

We’re going to have a great time and you’re going to leave inspired to sew up a ton of the fabric, kits and supplies you already paid for!

What’s not to love?!

Keep on stitchin’,

Improv Stars in Love Patchwork & Quilting

Written by Diane Harris on March 27, 2020. Posted in Blog, How-tos and Ideas, Quilt Lifestyle, Trunk Shows

Most of the time when I have a design published, it’s because I pitched it to a magazine and they accepted it. But last year, a magazine in the UK came to me, which was very exciting. I have often purchased Love Patchwork & Quilting because quilters in other parts of the world sometimes have a different aesthetic, or at least a different viewpoint, and it’s a good way to expose yourself to their ideas.

Love Patchwork & Quilting Issue 85. Get a digital issue today! My quilt is inside. 😊

They had seen my Instagram and wondered if I would design a scrap quilt for an upcoming issue. They didn’t have to ask twice.

Scrap Quilt in Solids, Bad Intersections and Lessons Learned

Written by Diane Harris on March 18, 2020. Posted in Blog, How-tos and Ideas, Quilt Lifestyle, Trunk Shows

I just finished a quilt top and now that it’s done I can say that I like it. But along the way, I hated this thing. Too much stitch-and-flip, too many ugly intersections and not nearly enough forgiveness for my style of sewing. None of this was the fault of the designer, Erika Bea, or the publisher of the pattern, American Patchwork & Quilting magazine. The blame lands squarely on me, and we’ll get to that in a minute.

It’s called Color Catcher, and it will look all right from the back of a galloping horse—which is a very old quilter’s mantra of unknown origin. I took a few lessons away from this project.

The Great Pumpkin Backstory and Giveaway

Written by Diane Harris on August 26, 2019. Posted in Blog, Giveaways, How-tos and Ideas

Last year I had this idea: Design a Christmas quilt with giant candy canes. The candy canes would be so big they’d cover the entire quilt. I nestled them together and topped them off with a Starlite™ mint.