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Bits of left-over binding are ideal for this scrap quilt. Nancy used leftover binding strips from previous quilts to make "Bound for the Bed" (54" x 66"). She played with the block placement until she achieved this twisted ribbon effect. I love stitching the binding down on my quilts because I am very close to enjoying my finished piece. Since I never know exactly how much extra binding is necessary to turn the corners and finish off, I always make more binding than I really need. So I have a basketful of left-over 2"-wide strips in various lengths. Being frugal like most quilters, I just can't throw them away. Ideally, I would use them to make bindings for my scrap quilts, but that just doesn't happen. It got to the point where I decided that my basket wasn't large enough to contain any more leftovers. In fact, I had accumulated enough for an entire quilt made with nothing but binding scraps, and that's exactly what I made! As a rule, I cut binding strips 2" wide on the straight of grain, but for this quilt, it really doesn't matter. Throw those bias strips in too. For a really scrappy look, you may use a variety of strip widths. If you cut your strips for binding wider than 2", adjust the size of the finished blocks accordingly. The number of strips needed depends on the size of the finished quilt you desire. If you don't have enough binding scraps, how about using the fabric scraps that are leftover from strip-piecing projects? A lot of those pieces are also 2" wide. Usually the binding strips will have been folded and pressed in half lengthwise (in addition to having been crammed in a basket for so long). So the first thing to do is press all the strips flat. As you do this step, separate them into light and dark piles. Then cut the binding scraps into 7" lengths. If necessary, shorter pieces can be stitched together end to end to make useable 7" lengths. Strips that are stitched together do not have to be the same fabric. Just make sure they fall into the same value group - either light or dark. Next, stitch the 7" strips right sides together, along their length, to make pieced panels. Make the panels with four fabric strips or however many are necessary to make the panels 6 1/2" to 7" wide. You may choose to stitch them in a light-dark-light-dark pattern or gradate them from light to dark across the panel. Press the seam allowances toward the darker fabrics.
Making panels in identical sets of two gives another option as you can use them to construct chevron blocks. When making identical sets, press the seams in one direction for the first panel and opposite directions for the second panel. Using a square-up ruler and rotary cutter, trim the blocks to 6 1/2" square.
Cut along the drawn line, to yield 2 finished blocks.
If you've chosen to make chevron blocks, position the squares so the same fabrics lie on top of each other before stitching the diagonal seam.
Depending on how the pieced panels are paired, any number of other patterns for these blocks is possible. Check out these examples:
Play with your blocks on the design wall, or simply mix them up while stitching them together into a quilt. Quilt as desired and, if you still have leftover binding scraps, use them for the binding!
About the Author: Nancy Hinds is a freelance writer who lives in Covington, Louisiana. She is currently working on a book about machine quilting designs. For more information about her lectures and classes, call (985) 893-3954, e-mail nancy@fiberartsstudio.com, or visit her website at www.fiberartsstudio.com.
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Bound for the Bed
