Scrap Vomit: The Bridal Shower Edition

I admit it's quite odd to gift someone something with a name so putrid when you're wishing them well on their upcoming nuptials. BUT I'm quite odd anyway, so I thought it'd be hilarious. 

I made a second scrap vomit quilt (because goodness knows I have enough scraps to make several more...) and halfway through, I decided it'd be a great gift for the hub's cousin Colin and fiance Joanna. They're one of my favourite couples... Always so funny and they make family get-togethers a bit more fun. So I figured they'd appreciate the crazy things that go into a scrap vomit quilt. This particular one had garlic, Twizzlers, teddy bears, Halloween candy, balloons, artichokes etc. I left the clowns out because you just never know if people think they're funny or just plain scary! 

The lovely hubs is holding up the quilt because he has quite an impressive wingspan, and also, it was too damn cold to go outside to take pictures of it. 

Strangely, when I was thinking about colours for block B, I had no idea what colours they liked and I bravely went with Kona Peacock and Crocus. I found out today that those are two of their favourite colours. I am a mind reader, apparently. 

I was so nervous giving them a quilt without finding out their colours first, plus it obviously wasn't on their registry haha! But Joanna loved it, and she told me today that her mother tried to leave with it lol! (That's her mum on the bottom left checking the quilt out.)

In my card to them, I asked if they'd like a wedding quilt made with colours of their choice. She wrote me today and said YES PLEASE. She loves handmade things and it's always so nice to make a quilt for someone who appreciates them :) And today, she sent a picture of her on the sofa under the quilt... and their dog Ziggy trying to steal the quilt. I told her that quilts are basically animal magnets and you just have to keep an eye on them!

Joanna and Colin, we wish you many blessings and years of wedded bliss :) Can't wait for the wedding in May! Love you guys!

Scrap Vomit Gold

While piecing my Scrap Vomit quilt, it quickly occurred to me that I have enough scraps to make an entire second quilt. Perhaps even a third. And then here I go, adding to that pile. But can you blame me? I thought it'd be funny to inject some odd bits that I've always wanted to use in a quilt but could never imagine using. 

Enter Scrap Vomit. 

I got a bunch of veggie prints, donuts and Twizzlers, and an animal print. There are MANY other veggie prints I would've loved to use but they were big prints, so chopping them up into 2.5" squares didn't make sense. Pity.

And then there's these clowns. When they're left uncut as a whole piece of fabric, they don't look too terrible. But then you fussy cut them so it's just their little faces grinning at you, and suddenly they're pretty creepy hahaha! I'm looking forward to being frightened every time I spot one of them smiling at me. Pretty hilarious hehe :)

Trying to decide what I'm going to use for the centres of Block B on the second quilt. Hmmm what if I flip the teal and tangerine so the teal's in the middle? Thoughts?

Scrap Vomit Quilt

I finished my Scrap Vomit quilt!!! I love it so much, even though it's all made of scraps. But I think that makes it more special. So many memories everywhere you look. 

1,225 squares of memories. Oh yeah, you heard me. 1,225. Sounds daunting, and I'm kind of glad I didn't do the math beforehand haha!! 

I'm so pleased with it. And I finished the top in record time because there was almost no thinking involved in piecing them, especially Block A. I came up with a system of chain piecing them that was most efficient for me, and didn't require me to cut my thread very often at all. I did the same for Block B but I did make a couple of booboos here and there hehe I'm only human! I did scribble a little diagram that sat beside my machine to keep me in check afterwards though. That did the trick, for sure :)

I took a couple of days to think about how I wanted to quilt this. My initial thought was straight line, but I didn't want to fuss with the solids in Block B. So I did free motion flowers ala Elizabeth. I didn't do anything in between them because I liked them just on their own, plus it'd keep the quilt nice and soft. I used a 50wt Aurifil thread because this quilt was so heavy with all the many, many seams, and I thought the lighter weight thread could only help. And thankfully, my machine likes it!

One of my favourite squares is this blue, white and orange one. I got it from a scrap bag I got at one of Denyse's sample sales. Don't know what it is, and I'm fairly certain it's not quilting cotton, but I love it.

And this guy. This cross-eyed bird. I got it as a little scrap when I bought something, and I'm sure it's a Christmas fabric. I just keep thinking that it'd be what Isobel would look like if she were a cartoon bird hehehe

For the backing, I used a fabric I got from Denyse's sample sale too. Almost 8 yards for $10. It wasn't my colour but it oddly appealed to me. And is slightly vomity, so it suited this quilt, I thought hehe Somewhere in the quilt are little squares in the green colourway of this fabric. Much less vomity too.

Scrap Vomit Project: It's Only Just Begun

Look! I made my first scrap vomit block! Looking at it, there's not a whole lot of vomit but I think once the quilt top's together, it'd be fun to pick out the real vomity ones. 

And I still love scrap quilts for the simple fact that they remind me of past projects and it's amazing how I remember where I got it from, what I used it for etc. No wonder I can't remember much else...

I took a look at my cut squares in the paper bag I'd been dropping them into and decided they needed to move to a plastic container because the cats think paper bags are an invitation to play. I have several severely crushed paper bags to prove this.

I don't know how many squares I'd cut but let me tell you, they're heavy. I did manage to free up one tiny scrap bin to put these squares in. And by free up, I mean that I shoved the scraps into the other bins and they don't quite shut anymore. Ahem.

Sewing the 2.5" squares together for Block A is a piece of cake, especially with chain-piecing. Whoever discovered that bit of wonderful should get some sort of medal. Or giant bottle of wine.

I've worked out that if I sew 21 pairs of squares together, then pair up the first 14 and add a square to the latter 7, it makes piecing these rows of seven squares SO quick and simple. If you're completely lost, then I apologise. No, wait, I don't apologise. You shouldn't make crazy people apologise for their lack of logic or clarity.

I'm still deciding on what solid to use in the centre of Block B. I think the beauty of Katy making so many scrap vomit quilts is that I've decided I like the solid in the centre as opposed to using same-coloured prints. I might go with Kona Pomegranate or Tangerine. Or something completely different like Ochre. We shall see!

Randomness

Just some thoughts and things going on around here...

If I wrote a cookbook or food blog, I think it should be called "Put An Egg On It" because I kind of like putting a couple of fried eggs on things. And now I can't stop singing If you like it then you shoulda put an egg on it / Don't be mad once you see that I ate it. 

I really shouldn't be allowed to rewrite lyrics or sing.

I've been cutting scraps to make one of Katy's scrap vomit quilt because I have SO many scraps. I mean SOOOOOO many. I've cut many 2.5" squares and it doesn't seem to have made a damn bit of difference to my scraps. Mortifying. There are a lot of happy fabrics in there but there are a few vomity and ugly ones. It only adds to the awesomeness of the scrap vomit.

And I started working on a 16-patch quilt with Hello Luscious before I left for NYC. I think I like it. It's all prints and no solids (I'm fine, I promise) so it ends up being a little busy but I really like it. So girly without being sickly sweet. Love.

What's everyone working on or up to these days?