long term scrap projects

as i was going over my wips and taking stock of my to-do's, i thought about some projects i've been collecting certain types of scraps for but don't consider active wips because i'm mostly collecting for them rather than working on them. this is why they don't appear on my wip page. in order to fully disclose what i have around to work on (except those fabric pulls with plans not yet cut into), i'm reporting these scrap projects here and adding a page about them to the blog header. 

i love fabric. it's one of the main reasons i quilt. i want to hold onto and make use of every little piece i can. from the beginning i've kept all the tiny pieces hoping to find a use for them. some quilters don't keep anything smaller than 2" or even larger. but i will keep anything at least an inch square. over time, i've found a few projects that make use of the littlest crumbs of fabric and some other regularly discarded cut-offs common to quilting. this page is a look at my longterm scrap projects, those i collect scraps for and will work on over time as the pieces accumulate.

binding triangles

i save all my little triangle cut-offs from my bindings. the idea is to create a scrapbook sort of quilt with them, a scrapbook of my bindings. i plan to add them to corners of charm squares, either one per square or on each corner for a "tiny tiles" look. after nearly 70 quilts complete, i should have enough for a quilt or two by now.

selvages

i cut my selvages with 1/2" to 3/4" of the fabric print included and set them aside to someday make an epic selvage strings quilt. by now i probably have enough for two or more of those quilts. maybe when i get some wips knocked off the list i'll get around to starting some selvage blocks. i love the idea of having these as a record of my fabrics over the years. selvages are often very stylish in their own right these days as designers make them to appeal to people interested in selvage projects. a quilt that showcases these fun bits is very appealing to me.

 

mimi log cabin heart blocks

pattern from jen kingwell's "quilt lovely" book

i first played with this cute little block in may 2015. i was so excited to find something that made use of 1.5" wide scraps. value contrast is key to seeing the pattern: high volume pieces for the heart portion and low volume pieces for the background.

ticker tape

a mosaic- style pattern of small scraps seen at stiched in color by rachel la bour. this is a pattern i found early on for use of small pieces. since it looks a little labor-intensive (as any tiny piecing will be, actually), i think i might have options i like more now to use these for. i'll keep it in mind if i get tired of some of the other projects.

"birch"

scrap pattern by crazy mom quilts

uses small scrap pieces

i think i'd go for a more neutral background that what amanda used, but i do like the simplicity of this pattern.

it has always seemed to me a good idea to know where the pieces will go and have a project in mind for what i'm saving. having them recorded just might help me move them into the active stage.

looking forward in 2026

on the pressing table

this is the ultimate wip wednesday post! i’m going to take a look at all my wips and make some plans. warning - it’s going to take a while. there are a lot of them. which just means I have a whole lot of fun ahead of me and there's a long read ahead for you if you choose to stay.

i ended up just doing a recap post and not really setting my quilting intentions for the year as i intended on january 1st. so now i'm going to look at my extensive wip list and talk about what i'll be working on. this is a deep dive as i have about 25 projects currently in the works, or at least that many that i'm counting/claiming at the moment. there are a few more piles of fabric that haven't been cut into that i have plans for. i'm not counting these fabric pulls with intentions as wips yet.

my handwork project - just around the corner from completing this one

but let me say first what my year is anticipated to look like as of now. in 2022 we bought a home on a street where we had been house-hunting for five years. three of my 7 siblings live on that street and i really wanted my kids to spend the latter half of their at-home years on the same street as their cousins. it didn't work out that way. and even though we finally found a property to purchase, it has been nothing but changing plans ever since we bought it. our family dynamics are continually in flux right now and our housing "needs" are evolving constantly. this has kept us from nailing down a remodel design and plan to this point. however, we feel ready to proceed now. so my number one job until construction begins is to get our design plans finalized and in motion. one upside is that the parts remodeled by the previous owners have some super cool quilt-like tiles. i just need to get the add-ons and extensions planned out. it's going to be a full-time project for me and has to take priority over everything else in my life, quilting included. i may not have any quilting time at all for the foreseeable future. or if i do, i may not have time to post about it. but everything i do to move the project forward benefits my quilt life in the end because the new build portion of this house will have a beautiful new quilt studio for me, full of natural daylight, storage, design wall space galore, and increased circulation room. so i really need to get it done! working on the house will only enhance my future quilting even if it delays it for a while.

my design wall at the moment - several projects and some orphan blocks

right now, i am trying to spend my mornings working on house design and giving myself quilt time in the afternoon for one hour when d5 is at her math tutoring service. once she gets home, i start making dinner. so far this year - all 7 days of it - this is working. we'll see if it continues.

assuming i do get to quilt, what am i going to do? my main interest and intention at the moment is to finish up many of the wips i have in various stages. to take stock, i cut-and-paste from my wip page and will add notes below. projects are grouped in categories according to what phase of construction they're in.

piecing queue

robin nests

pattern: quarter log cabin blocks

fabrics: solids scraps, mostly kona cotton solids

collaborator:  my grandson r

companion quilt: 

started: nov 2025

this recent start is a project with my grandson. we have 6 of 16 blocks made. this will be worked on randomly when he's visiting and feels like sewing. that will determine the pace of its piecing. i need to find a light blue sashing for it. not a high-priority finish.

wensleydale

fpp pattern by jen kingwell

started: september 2025

oh, i love this one. i was on a roll with it in the fall doing a block a day until i joined the single girl sewalong. i think i can still stomach the color palette right now. the last few years, i really like working with in-season colors. but this one is so fun i might be able to keep at it for a while. there are a couple other projects above it on the list, so it might end up waiting until fall rolls around again.

yellow hst star quilt

started: july 2025

pattern from "scrap quilt diary" book by jolene klasen

this was an experiment; i just wanted a taste of making these blocks. i intend to add in more deep golds and some browns, too. not a high priority at the moment, basically at the bottom of the list.

"pinky stinky edna" 

started: may 2025

pattern: edna by jennifer jones of penelope handmade

collaborator: d5 (she's doing the 16 patch blocks)

this one is mainly waiting on d5 getting the 16 patches done. she has very little time to sew these days, so progress is sporadic. we have one full column of 6 pieced and she has about 10 of 30 16 patches done. i have no control over her availability but would call it high priority if i wasn't waiting on her.

lemonade at sixes

started: may 2025

pattern - petite crossroads, my variation of the treehouse crossroads pattern

fabrics - ruby + bee “lemonade” and “pink petal” with green denyse schmidt prints

high priority! top 5. i've been working on sets of three or four fabric combos at a time because that's what i can cut together. when i get one set pieced, i cut the next. i'm maybe a 1/4 done with piecing.

most of my stats for how far i've gotten with a project mentioned here are my best guesses. if i were to stop and actually count each one, i'd be doing this forever! 

liberty courthouse steps #2 (twin quilts)

started: march 2024

liberty + chambray church lap quilt

i have a lot of church lap quilts completed and in use. this one is not high on my priority list - middling. i do love it and look forward to finishing, but i need to complete some of my other handquilting projects first.

liberty christmas stars 

liberty + crossweave “star hollow” blocks by jolene klassen of blue elephant stitches

started: Dec 2024

this one will wait until christmas comes again. low priority.

cute liberty betsy hearts

inspired by mary warren

started: feburary 10, 2024

fabrics: liberty tana lawn "betsy" print in pink and blue colorways with low-volume from stash

very cute but low priority right now. come february i might want to make a few more. 

spinning elizabeths

started: january 2023

pattern: modified "spinning around" from quilt lovely book by jen kingwell

fabrics: anna maria horner and other from stash

i'm either going to pull this one out soon or leave it til fall. once i get my highest priority makes done, i'll see what this still needs and think about when to do it.

bright forest

pattern: patchwork forest by amy smart of diary of a quilter

started: dec 2022

fabrics: kona cottons, leftovers from shelter in place quilt

argh! i got pretty far on this one this holiday season. two rows are joined of seven. this might be my next priority after the one i'm piecing at the moment just so i can remember what i'm doing with it. but i might not like it now that christmas is over.

heather ross log cabin

started 4.27.2021

fabrics: orange, green, and low-volume heather ross from various collections

this one is sitting on my cutting table at the moment. it could be a quick finish. i think it's priority no. 3 (behind "bright forest"). if i remember correctly, there are 10 blocks done. i need to finish the other 2 and complete the top with sashing.

shelter in place

pattern: stay home by allison harris of cluck cluck sew

started: march 2021

instagram: #shelterinplacequilt

fabrics: kona solids from my last fabric order placed before the pandemic shutdowns began

i just want this one done already. kind of like how we felt about the pandemic and lockdown. but i'm not excited about it. middling priority.

olmstead’s geese

flying geese, own layout

origins collection by basic grey for moda and coordinating stash

companion quilt: grellow garden geese

started jan 2020

top 5 priority? pretty high, but just below items on my design wall and cutting table. i like this one better than it's recently finished companion. i think at least half the geese are done. i looked in the box recently but don't remember for sure. would want to be doing this one in march maybe if not sooner. and the there are all the leftover hsts from both quilts that will be worked up together, but let's not think too hard about that right now.

giant swoon

pattern: upsized single "swoon" block by camille roskelly

meadowdot by sandi henderson, picnic bouquet by heather bailey, and essex linen

started: january 2017

this has been decorating my design wall for far too long. as much as I like looking at it up there, I also want it done. it should be quite an easy finish so it’s pretty high priority. 

"gypsy child"

3" hst patchwork quilt

started march 2016

ah, this one is nearly a flimsy! i've been working on it this week. if i hadn't spent so long blogging tonight i could have put it all together. i'm very excited about this one. and i have some loose plans for the 290+ remaining hsts that didn't go into it! but i'm not sure i'll use those up until after some older projects are completed first.

gypsy wife

started jan 2014

participating in quilt along schedule

pattern: "gypsy wife" by jen kingwell

recipient: self

this is either my no. 2 priority project or i'm saving it til next year. my reasoning?  i have two other gypsy wife quilts i want to make. this one hase 3 or 4 sections of 10 complete. i could just keep going at it OR i could plan to work on it along with the other two versions starting next january. i would do a quilt along if i decide to do it that way. i'm undecided!

sugar block club 2014

started jan 2014

pattern by by amy gibson of stitchery dickory dock

recipient: self

this one is problematic. it's part of block-a-month club from 12 (!!!) years ago. i checked my email a few hours ago and i still have all the emails. but . . . none of the photos or graphics are loading in the emails. amy gibson's website and blog are gone. i guess she doesn't really quilt anymore? i found her IG page, which is active, but it's all just family now. i was able to locate a photo of 9 of the 12 blocks on her older IG posts. but as some of them are fpp, i don't think i can wing them without the printout i can no longer access from the emails. i think i might use the fabric pull i have for the project and just make up my own sampler of traditional blocks from some of the books i have.

 hst diamond quilt

started: may 2013

own design

fabrics: spring house by stephanie ryan for moda

recipient: play room

this is a charm pack hst project. i was going to make radiating diamonds from and offset lower right point. it's an idea i dreamed up in my early quilt days. it never got off the ground. i still have all the charm packs and several hsts made up. it's been a long time since i used just one fabric line in a quilt. these days i prefer to mix in stash with precuts. that's an option here. middling priority. i would definitely like it off my wip page and out of stash.

class projects

sometimes i take a class to learn a new skill or technique. it's more about the class experience than actually finishing a project, although i do come out of the class with projects in mind and a few starter pieces complete. these are not high priority finishes for me at this time.

string star

from a class by tara faughnan

started february 2023

i made one small sample star and will likely make a giant star block as a quilt top. undecided.

scrappy dotty dresden plates

from a class with louise hailey

started may 2015

alternating dresden points of red polka dot and scrappy points set on pink swiss dot fabric. one set of points formed but not joined. planning for maybe 12 total with sashing and cornerstones.

leaders and enders

bonnie lass

started dec 2022

pattern: bonnie lass from "quilt lovely" by jen kingwell, upsized

fabrics: all from scrap

bonnie lass

started 2024

pattern: bonnie lass from "quilt lovely" by jen kingwell

fabrics: all from scrap

these are leaders-and-enders, so they aren't meant to be finished until they accumulate enough blocks. i'm pretty far on the larger one but need to revisit my math again before i know how far i am. middling priority for the larger one, no time scale for the small one.

epp

"london wardrobe"

an english paper piecing (epp) project, all done by hand

traditional ferris wheel pattern inspired by Katy at i'm a ginger monkey (here)

started: july 2013

i took this one out early december to have a look. it needs to be done! my original idea is not going to happen, but i have a few ideas how to make use of what i've got. however, there are no quick and easy fixes. this is middling priority, behind top 5.

frosted forest star

started: may 2021

pattern: stella grande, own design

i got backing fabrics i like (finally!) for this one in december. next batching party i have, this one is getting basted and quilted.

handquilting queue

groovy liberty

started may 2025

pattern - half square rectangle pinwheels

this one is middling priority. it's backed and has been stabilized with some basic machine quilting. but it still needs handquilting and there are other handquilting priorities.

quilting queue

twelve south

pattern: single large improv log cabin

started: march 2021

i got held up on quilting this one because i was trying to branch out in my fmq, be a little adventurous and try new things. bad idea. or at least not a sustainable one for me. if i can figure out how to simplify that idea and get it done, i will be doing this in the next batch party.

improv in an afternoon

started january 2023

pattern: improv

taking the quick and easy route here, too. i'll do some straightline quilting or some such basic design and just get it done at the next batch party.

trimming queue

binding and handquilting more queue

 binding queue

sunny crossroads quilt

started february 2023

pattern: treehouse crossroads

fabrics: various yellow and low-volume from stash

next time i'm batch making binding, this one will get it's turn. and i might add some handquilting someday. but probably not.

bound, but still handquilting queue

cheery (easter) quilt

improv frames, own design

started: feb 2019

still a lot of handquilting to add to this one. the eternal spring break project. but it's going to take priority in the handquilting department soon. like, at spring break and thereafter til done.

free-wheeling single girl

pattern by denyse schmidt

fabrics: liberty tana lawn prints in autumn colors and a brown crossweave background

started october 2025

bound and in use this fall, this one is getting put in the handquilting pile but it's not priority until fall again.

liberty christmas cabin

liberty + crossweave log cabin quilt

started dec 2024

i got the initial handquilting complete and it's now bound, so useable (although out of season). to me, it feels like it needs more handquilting. this is one of those psuedo-finishes, half-done things. i still want to add more handquilting to it after all. it's middle priority for handquilting.

that's THIRTY-ONE projects. (three are bound and in use but not fully finished with handquilting.) i have work to do, don't i! which would you do first or like to see finished most?

a new helper

my little granddaughter, who just turned two, saw me handbinding and offered to help. her big brother does this all the time, but this is a first for her. i love sewing with them! i think part of the reason she was interested in helping me was she’s recently learned to thread with a toy i gave her for her birthday. it’s a hungry caterpillar threading toy that has the caterpillar attached to a thin rope that you thread through wooden pieces of fruit with holes in their centers. she had a hard time with it at first, but i walked her through how to do it a few times and after several attempts she not only got the concept but was doing it on her own. so she now knows about pulling a thread through and i think that translates to her being able to pull the needle for me as i worked on handbinding.

i finished handbinding “farmer oak’s flocks” january 2nd and am nearly done with this liberty courthouse steps quilt, too. i do love starting the year off with finishes. 

before 2026 starts

happy new year, everyone! this blog was inactive for the month of december, but here i am ready for the new year with big plans in my head. i'm the only person awake in the house, which is quite full for the holidays. i've done my basic morning routine and find myself ready to dive into quilts. but i think i'll scheme and plan a bit first.

on occasion, i have done a end-of-year recap post, but i find myself more in the mood to look ahead this year. perhaps i'll do a little of both. for starters: what happened to december? when i left off blogging in november, i was deep into finishing fall quilts. but as december opened, it was time to pull out the christmas quilts. i resumed handquilting on my liberty christmas log cabin quilt and got out "bright forest" to see about finishing up.

i had a few trees to complete, but it looked promising for a finish. until the morning i sat down to join the blocks and decided i wanted to add sashing and cornerstones. it just felt like it needed a little something extra. so i gave up on the finish idea and started working on the long game. i cut some strips and did indeed like the look of the sashing and cornerstones. long game it is, then.

i delegated the colors i was already using to specific spaces: i chose a consistent cornerstone color of red for some continuity, 6 colors for the horizontal sashing, 7 for the vertical. knowing what was going where helped me mix randomly but with a small amount of order. 

but as i began to add the new pieces i realized my block widths were not consistent. shoot. i forgot that those varied by up to an inch, which wasn't a problem when there was no sashing. originally, the idea was it would keep things a little loose and less structured so i didn't have to match up seams. now i have to find a consistent width and trim to that. ugh. been doing it, which has reduced the quilt width a little and added to the long game's length.

for several days the first week of december i worked away at this. i have 2.5 rows complete. our family took an early holiday trip together to new york city dec 15 - 20th, so my sewing stopped and i haven't resumed since. we have everyone but the married daughter at home - that's 6 kids - for the holidays and they have been full, full, full. the married daughter with her little family, a fiancé, and a girlfriend have also been here constantly. it's been fantastic and i am enjoying it so much. just not quilting. not even the handbinding i have left to do on 3 liberty quilts that are in the opening photo up top: liberty courthouse steps, farmer oak's flocks, and liberty christmas log cabin (which i put the binding on and took with me to new york, finishing the handquilting on the flight there). more than one morning i've gotten up before everyone else and considered sewing, but just haven't picked it up. meh.

one more item of note - i bought myself a quilt from my friend, jennifer, of penelope handmade, during her black friday sample sale. i love this one so much. it's beautiful, cozy, and so squishy. 

it's a lovely courthouse steps quilt in colors that work for the current holiday but aren't strictly christmas fabrics. it's perfect. i don't eve mind for once that it's square, which usually bothers me. that - and a whole lot of fabric we won't mention yet - was my quilty christmas present to myself.

so that was december.

i guess this is turning into the recap post after all. i just can't resist.

here's the quick recap of the year by way of my instagram "top nine" collages.

i blogged a whole lot more than i insta-posted this year and interactions with my posts were low. that's fine. i'm actually thinking of going blog-only this new year and see how i like it. but i'm getting ahead of myself. this collage is my top nine insta posts by likes. it covers some of my favorite projects for the year: bathsheba, my make for the free wheeling single girl sewalong, lemonade at sixes, wenselydale, the controversial "grellow garden geese," and sunny crossroads making it to the flimsy stage.

what's not represented here is our time in california this spring while our son underwent medical treatments that saved his life, nor some other prime moments and projects for me. 2025 really was a great quilting year for me.

usually i make my own "top nine" of my favorite photos of the year, but this time i went a little less aesthetic and picked my favorite memories that weren't already represented in the "top nine" likes. aaaannd i just realized i didn't include a single photo of my grandson sewing with me, which we did a lot and was definitely a highlight of the year! well, darn it. nine squares just wasn't enough for 2025. what did make it in?

1. groovy liberty, a pinwheel quilt incorporating a lot of the groovy-er liberty prints from my stash and a funky grunge crossweave sashing

2. farmer oak's flocks - the companion quilt to "bathsheba"

3. liberty courthouse steps quilt for my dear friend, tamsen, that i worked on handquilting this spring by the ocean

4. some finish photoshoots in the california agricultural fields close to us, a great outing with d5

5. living and sewing on the PCH represented by a sunset photo shoot with my husband for "fall paint lake"

6. our quiet little stretch of beach and the coordinating location fabric selvage

7. doing a lot of quilting with d5 as she stepped up into partnership with me on quilt this year

8. the nine patch blocks for "pinky stinky" edn d5 is working on

9. meeting denyse schmidt at quiltcon and then getting to interact with her throughout the year through instagram and over online meetups for the sewalong and her patchwork panel club. she's a lovely person and i thoroughly enjoyed getting to know her a bit.

well, that's a long enough post already and i haven't even gotten around to what my upcoming plans are. here's the quick version:

1. i want to focus on finishing wips this year. i have 25 listed on my page here and i'd like to clean the slate a little as well as enjoy these projects as finishes. i'm not fully committing to anything or forcing myself to stick to a plan, but at the moment i'm fully wanting to finish these projects and not start any new ones.

2. blog and not insta this year? i'm considering it. we'll see what happens.

i suppose i should do the end-of-year stats, too.

2025 stats

finishes - 5

starts - 8

start to finish - 1

tops completed - 3

machine quilting completed, not bound - 4

handquilting - 3 completed, worked on 1 other