It’s a finish! The I-Spy Puzzle quilt was constructed using the Scrap Vortex technique shared by Amanda Jean Nyberg of Crazy Mom Quilts. I always enjoy making Scrap Vortex quilts. Each one grows slowly as a ‘leader and ender’ project running alongside my regular patchwork sewing. I keep a bin of odd shaped scraps next to my sewing machine. As I’m piecing patchwork blocks together I just reach down into the bin, select two scraps with edges of similar lengths and stitch them together as and when I need a leader or ender. These stitched pairs go into a little basket. When that’s full I press all the seams and then stitch the pairs together…. After a while I set to, stitching together the mini scrap blocks into larger blocks which can be joined together to make a quilt top.

I introduced lots of novelty fabrics into the making of the I-Spy Puzzle quilt. All the images, some obvious others quite hidden, could be used in a game of I-Spy or a game of ‘find the picture’.

The backing is pieced from several fabrics I had lurking in my stash. I often buy bolt end fabrics with pieced backings in mind and keep them ready for the appropriate project.

The label was made using my usual method; computer print out, to light box, to fabric. The triangular label fits neatly into a corner of the quilt back. Two sides were stitched in with the binding (you can see how I did this in a little video I posted on my Facebook page) and I hand stitched the longest edge of the label to the quilt back once the binding was stitched in place.

The finished quilt measures 47″ x 60″ and is listed in my Etsy shop, AllisonsPatchworks.

There are already some fresh pairs of scrap fabrics in my basket – I guess there will be another scrap quilt made before the end of 2021 😀 What’s your favourite way to use up fabric scraps?

Linking with Kelly who is sharing a lovely gallery of quilts from last weeks Needle & Thread Thursday link up. Also linking with Pat for Stitch Sew & Show – she’s pondering ‘upcycling’.

Allison