An oldie but a goodie - first published in 1999 as a Community Quilt pattern. Find it on Bonnie Hunter's blog/freebie tutorial site: Quiltville's Quips & Snips!!: Free Patterns!
Quiltville's Quips & Snips!!: Free Patterns!
SCRAPPY TRIPS in Bonnie's tutorial are 6 strips turning out a 12" finished square.
I’ve made this pattern in 6 step trips and it turned out well – the picture is on the guild’s Facebook page!
However, I had a hard time keeping the sequence of the strips in order so that I ended up unsewing and resewing far more than the pattern called for. Therefore I am offering the following advice. This won't make much sense if you have not read through Bonnie's free pattern linked above but if you are thinking of making this quilt with your leftover 2 1/2" strips it might prove helpful.
Today I am trying it in a 5 step version. I have learned a few things about making this quilt that might be worth sharing. I have found that keeping the strips in order so that removing the correct seams in the right sequence is more challenging than I thought it would be.
I have found
a method this time around that is working really well, so I’m going to share it
here (and with a link FaceBook as well as our website) to help others avoid the
confusion and resewing that I did on my first effort.
1st - Alternating lights and darks works best – it doesn’t
matter what color comes out on the full diagonal. Variety is good!
2nd – I use a slotted ruler to cut the strip sets – saves so much time! I place colored stickers on the correct slots – so easy!
3rd – once the sets are on
the cutting mat, don’t disturb the sequence!
Place a pin within the seam allowance at the top of the first strip.
take the next strip and move the top seam allowance down one fabric and place a
pin in that seam allowance. Continue along the strips inserting pins in all of
the seam allowances that will be removed.
4th – stack the strips IN ORDER and clip them all together in the middle of the stack so that the intended seam allowances are all in a line.
Now it is safe to remove the stitches in the designated seams.
Just unfold them - lay the strips on your design board and sew your block!
 |
| Strip sets bundled by block with stitching in top blocks removed - total of three blocks. |
I use a plastic scrap box to keep my blocks flat until I have enough for a quilt top.
The strips are cut at 2 1/2" so the blocks finish at 10" square.
The version with 6 strips finishes at 12" square, but that size is too big for this box!
That's all for today.
Thea
