Wednesday, April 13, 2016

Scrappy Piecing

Some people call it "free piecing", or "liberated piecing" or "wonky piecing" or "crumb piecing" or "improv piecing".
Whatever you want to call it, it involves picking scraps and sewing them together with no pattern to follow, and no plan in mind. 

When I am sewing like this, I have no idea how what I am creating looks as I'm going along. 
When I put it on the design wall I see what I made. I just love Nemo in the middle of the V!!
When I am sewing scraps I put on my favourite music and I get into a scrappy trance. It's a lovely and relaxed state to enjoy. It's my "fabric yoga" and some stretching is involved walking back and forth from the iron to the sewing machine! And at the end of the session, I just feel so relaxed.
How does this look on the design wall?
Hmmm...don't love this.
I was reminded that when sewing letters, if your letter fabric is light, it's best to not put any light fabrics around it, or your eye gets confused. It's hard to see the letter here when your eye is so confused by the other light fabrics. For sure I will take out the lime green strip beside the top left of the E and maybe that polka dot yellow on the right. 
Scrap happy fun going on over here!

13 comments:

Shelina (formerly known as Shasta) said...

Scrap Love! I think the purple floral fabric on the left is also pretty light. Instead of taking apart the block on the left of the E, I would turn it so the red is against the E.

The Cozy Quilter said...

You could call your quilt "Finding Nemo"...

Deanna W said...

Although sewing is relaxing...sometimes like last night, I should've just left the darn machine...I couldn't do anything right!! arggg. But then I sat down and did some hand quilting and that for me is relaxation!!!

Quiltdivajulie said...

Excellent way to describe scrappy piecing! I, too, love the process and the rhythm.

Kath said...

Good advice! I think it applies to all blocks. I just unpicked a pale square that "blurred! the shape of my block. I have never tried letters, it's on my "must do" list!

Mary said...

Looks good. Keeping the scraps under control. Çhanging those pieces out will require that Froggin tool, lol

Mary said...

Looks good. Keeping the scraps under control. Çhanging those pieces out will require that Froggin tool, lol

Julierose said...

Love your scrappiness on this--you actually will remove that piece? Hmmm, pas moi--I just let 'er fly--and that's probably why yours look so good when they are done...lol hugs, Julierose

SandraC said...

I really have to give this type of piecing a try sometime. I don't know why I haven't. A friend of mine does something like this and calls it poverty piecing.

Diane said...

I love scrappy piecing without a plan, and adding letters makes it even more fun! Nemo made me smile.

audrey said...

It really is a great way to play with scraps! No pressure.:)

Alycia~Quiltygirl said...

That's cool - your framed Nemo!

Kate said...

Lots of fun scraps. I have some of that Nemo fabric, what a great way to use it. Hope you were able to get in lots of Zen sewing this week.