Using up Some Leftover Cutoffs!
You will remember that recently I showed this quilt - which was on point.
I ended cutting off blocks along the edges like this:
But this left me with all those cut off pieces.
I decided to make what Karen Brown on You Tube calls an “After-quilt”. Hint - it’s really just a quilt backing using the leftovers from making the top.
Here’s her video explaining her method.
I decided that this little top I made from the leftover pieces which I made into half square triangles or HST - would be the basis of a quilt backing using a lot of leftovers from the top. I didn’t have a whole lot of extra leftover pieces - so I’m adding some yardage that goes with these pieces.
I don’t want to use up all the leftover larger pieces because I want to just put them back into the stash since I have a limited amount of some of these - especially the oranges. I find my stash sorely lacking in this color.
I ended up with 22 of these HST blocks - would have loved 24, but that’s just how it goes!
The individual HST once I had trimmed them down to 8.5”
I cut 9.5” squares from the yellow and and then sewed the cut off pieces to them. After putting one of these cut offs on each side of the square, then I trimmed it down the middle to make hst. I ended up trimming those down to 8.5” and sewing them together in the layout shown below. This makes this little top only 32”x48”. The backing I need will need to be about 100”x115” or so. I failed to take a photo of a single block. Sorry about that.
Here’s how it looks on the EQ program. I drew them out so I could play around with possible layouts.
I first added a yellow border - a small one. I will now work with this to make the whole backing.
I really wanted to make a quilt top out of these HST pieces. I thought I could just add borders and use it as a charity quilt. But, I have so many charity quilt tops already ready to go and I do need a backing for that top shown above. So, I decided to attempt to do this. I will use up the big piece of amazing fall fabric shown on the left below and try to use up these smaller ones which were leftovers but I don’t feel like I need or want them in my stash.
I also had the corner setting pieces and was able to get these little squares out doing the same thing as I did with the side pieces I cut off. This time I used green squares instead of yellow.
I will trim them down to about 6” and go from there.
Then I will just make a backing. It can be a hot mess - just has to be flat. I’m thinking of using that piece of a top sideways but we’ll see. Nothing is set in stone yet. A top that is 100”x115” actually takes a fair bit of fabric - and I’m not at all sure I have enough here.
Since it is just going to be a backing - I just need to make sure it is the size I need but it doesn’t have to look any certain way. I’ve not finished it yet - as I just decided today to do this. I will trim those little squares and then start using pieces and put it together. I really don’t have a whole lot of miscellaneous things to use because I already put those pieces where they go - any leftover 1.5” strips were put in the 1.5” basket.
I put leftover 3.5” squares into a pile that I’m keeping in hopes of using them in a quilt in the future. But I’ll see what I can do. I can always go and find some more coordinating fabric to go with these things. Having the backing ready would be a nice thing to have.
And that’s it. I’ve got a cold right now and just trying to stay rested.
Have a great day wherever you are reading this! Thanks so much for coming along with me on this journey.
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