Scrappy block tops

These are some of the blocks I was in the process of putting together into tops when I showed my collection yesterday - three small tops (12 blocks each), all of which will probably get some sort of border around them to finish them off a bit. There will be another top as well, as I had 17 blocks leftover, I think.  Something like that! All these will eventually go in the Project Linus bag, but not until they've been bordered (or I've decided not to border them).

Blue & Cream

Another small set of bordered scrappy log cabins - not sure how many are left to deal with, but here's another group one step further towards being something productive. Hoping to get lots of time over the Christmas holidays to put some of these newly padded out sets into tops, and get them one step closer to Out of My House...

A possible layout (though there are 12, not 9)  - not sure if I will go for this or something else. We'll see when the time comes.

More altered blocks

And yes, it's even more blocks which I've decided to add borders to, instead of just assembling into tops. Which means that they are still hanging around, but they are more interesting. And of course, use up some small scraps of hand-dyes as well, which is good...

Blocks out, blocks in

Here's another instance of my "using blocks up" by turning them into other blocks. I know it's not really using them up, but I tell myself it's a step closer to getting them used. And it probably is...

Blocks with Black

Still (always) working my way through the basket of block sets which want to be assembled into tops. I go through periods where I am really good about thinning them down, but then I get tempted into making tons more blocks, and I'm back where I started.  Not that it really matters, except to me!  Anyway, here is a top from some blocks I made a while back to use up small pieces of hand-dyed fabrics.  There were more blocks, so there will be another, smaller top at some point.  This one is fairly good size as the blocks were (I think) 10" blocks. Not sure if it will get a border or not - probably not, but I haven't decided for sure yet.

Panda-monium

This scrap piece of fabric which has obviously been fussy-cut at some point in the past was the starting point for this little starter, along with some other panda fabric I had knocking about:

I'm not sure what will happen with it next - perhaps some solid (or at least single fabric) rows top and bottom before some more scrappy blocks? There's no more of either panda, so they can't make a comeback...

Last of the 16s

Of the massive pile of 16 patch blocks I had left, this is now it. I bordered the last of them in two different prints from my stash, and at some point, will join these blocks together. Haven't done that yet, mind you, but it's getting there.

Some more 16s

Another bunch of 16 patch blocks, put together into a top. Unfortunately, I didn't have enough of this fabric to go around the other sides of the blocks, so I need to find some sort of border which will balance it out. (Yes, these were trimmed "wonky" before being put back together - it's not your imagination.)

Last of these strip blocks

Yes, this does look a lot like the piece I posted a couple of days ago - it's essentially the same, although the fabrics in the blocks are different. Or some of them are, at any rate. There are officially no more of these blocks to use up, though you might be seeing some of the tops again - particularly the little ones - if I put some borders on them!  In the meantime, one for the Linus box.

More of those blocks...

This is another top - this one a lot smaller - made with the same blocks as a larger top I showed the other day. I have only 12 more of these to use up, and then that's another stack of blocks gone. Of course I'm sure there will soon be more to take their place!

Still clearing blocks

...but at least the type of blocks has changed for a little while. I decided to have a go at getting rid of these rail fence variations - or maybe they are a Chinese Coin variation?  They are a strip block, with a wide strip sewed down one side, perpendicular. Whatever you call them, they work pretty well as scrappy blocks. Of course, I have 20 more of them! (I think they are 10" blocks). At least this one doesn't really need a border.

Scrappy 16s, take 3

And yes, still trying to work my way through all those scrappy 16 patch blocks. This variation uses mostly the 16s, with some blocks of single fabrics - again, from fabric which was donated to me and which isn't what I want in my stash, but which works well in a  charity quilt top.  There are more 16s, but I'm giving them a rest for a little while, while I get rid of something else in my basket of quilt blocks.

Variation on a theme

Yes, this does look remarkably similar to the one the other day, except in place of the rose fabric, this has some beigey fabrics. Again, it will want a border before it goes off to Project Linus, or anywhere else.

Using up those scrappy blocks

Here's another small top to use up the scrappy blocks, as well as use up some donated fabric. It's roses, which are nice, but the fabric is not great quality, so it's not something I was to put into stash.  Of course this starter top will get some borders to make it a bit more interesting, and a bit bigger (the blocks are 6" blocks), but that's still to come. 

Another scrappy top

What I really need is a catchy title, I know, but that's what this is - another scrappy top. This one using some rather interesting fabric for the border - one of those "what was I thinking" fabrics, really. But it makes a good border for a scrappy quilt top.

Yet another scrappy top

And yes, it's another little top from scrap blocks and a border. I made a lot of these - good way to use up a big pile of scrappy blocks!

Ugly flowers...

Another in the series of quilt tops from small scrap blocks,with border fabric to use up odd bits from stash. Not sure where this fabric came from - probably a sale, used as backing, and this is the leftover piece. Doesn't work too badly as a border...

Scrappy with ice cream border

This is another top made from scrappy blocks, which I decided to make small and border with a novelty.  I'm not running out of scrappy blocks just yet, whatever you might think. The blocks themselves are 8" blocks, so the whole quilt top is maybe 40" wide or so. It will go in the Project Linus stash, and head off to be quilted by someone who enjoys that part of things as much as I enjoy the piecing part - or it will go to a Linus Day or whatever.

Choo Choo

This is another instance of a small top put together using scrap blocks, with a border added. The border fabric is a re-use; it used to be on a pillowcase in Alex's room, but he's outgrown it and the fabric was still in good shape, so after a wash, I used it as a border for this. Thrifty!

Cats & Cabins

Another exercise in using up some accumulated scrappy blocks. This time, I tried to use some small pieces of fabric with cats on it as sashing. It's very busy, but I think someone who likes cats will like it. It needs an outer border, perhaps red to echo the red cornerstones. But it's a step closer to being something useful.