Making Scrappy 3-Yard & 5-Yard Quilts - Fabric Scrap Strategy

Got scraps? Of course you do, we all do! What's better than rediscovering fabrics you love in your stash? It's like a sewing room shopping spree and we're here for it! Making the most of your scraps has always been a fun challenge. You have enough fabric to make "something," but you're not sure if it is enough to make a quilt. The good news? Scrappy quilts are one of the best ways to turn your fabric stash into a beautiful finished project while making the most of every treasured fabric.

You are familiar with our fabric strategy for 3-Yard and 5-Yard quilts. If you would like a refresher, see our blog on Fabric Strategy. Well, we have a Fabric Scrap Strategy too! The fun begins with sorting your scraps. Don't be overwhelmed, have fun! This is the best way to set yourself up for success in turning your 3-Yard or 5-Yard quilt into a scrappy masterpiece!

Start by putting all your scraps together in a pile so you can begin sorting. Don't overthink it! We're going to sort into three categories of scrap fabrics, and we'll explain how they correspond to our 3-Yard quilt method.

• Pile #1 - Large Scale - can be light, medium, or dark background, but a larger-scale print. These will typically be used for the Fabric #1 focus-fabric position in the quilt pattern.
• Pile #2 - Light Value - a supporting role for your quilt, most often the background and creating contrast. These are used for the Fabric #2 lightest-fabric position in the quilt pattern.
• Pile #3 - Dark Value - adds the pop and anchors the quilt. Usually used for the Fabric #3 darkest-fabric position in the quilt.

Notice in the picture above, there are two piles in each category? Because you'll have different sizes of fabric scraps, and that's OK, when sorting, separate large pieces into one pile and smaller scrap pieces into another pile. It will come in handy when following the pattern later.

For scrappy success, think of your scraps as substitutes for each fabric position in the 3-Yard or 5-Yard method. Color, value, and scale become even more important because they help maintain the balance and visual impact of the original design.

TIP: It's important to understand color and value when working with scrappy quilts. Because you want the same lively and harmonious results that you get by using one yard of each of the three or five fabric positions in the quilt pattern, you should understand how to create balanced and intentional selections.

Using this color wheel as a reference, you'll see there are different color families. A hue is simply the color itself: red, yellow, blue, green, and so on. Each section of the color wheel represents a color family made up of variations within that hue.

Taking the green slice as an example, there are colors like Forest, Kelly, Fern, Sage, and Emerald. Color families have different values of the same color - light, medium, and dark. They can also be more or less saturated, brighter, or muted.

Using colors in the same color family will help harmonize the quilt, as they share the base hue.

When you follow the 3-Yard or 5-Yard fabric selection strategy and pay attention to color families and value, your scrappy quilt will feel coordinated while still showcasing a wonderful variety of fabrics.

Once your fabrics are sorted, choose a pattern. Before selecting your scraps, review the cutting instructions to make sure each scrap is large enough for the pieces required in that fabric position. Then consider how many blocks you'll need to make and whether your selected scraps coordinate well enough to create a balanced quilt.

Above you'll see an assortment of fabrics for the focus position for the quilt pattern Twirl from Make It Scrappy with 3-Yard Quilts . These are all in a blue/purple color family. They are not all exactly blue/purple, as you'll see there is some black and aqua in there, but the general look is blue/purple. A good rule of thumb is to squint and check to see if anything pops out visually in the bunch.

Repeat this process with the Fabric #2 lightest position and Fabric #3 darkest position for the quilt pattern. Have fun!

Some other key considerations for a scrappy quilt approach include:

• Follow cutting instructions for the pattern by fabric position. Cut all the pieces for that fabric position.
• Label each fabric position and what it's used for, including borders and binding.
• Start cutting with your largest square first and work your way down in size.
• Once finished with blocks, add the strips for your borders for a scrappy border.
• Assemble blocks first to ensure your scraps are distributed evenly and the fabric positions remain balanced.
• During quilt assembly, arrange blocks so colors and values are evenly distributed throughout the quilt.

Here are a couple of examples of the 3-Yard quilt pattern shown with the traditional method and then with the scrappy approach. Below: Flair from Make It Scrappy with 3-Yard Quilts .

Left: Jumble from Make It Scrappy with 3-Yard Quilts .

Think of making a scrappy quilt as a fun puzzle of color, scale, and value! Flex your color and design muscles and have fun! You are putting together the pieces, and the result will be a beautiful quilt with your unique aesthetic.

Videos Related to This Topic

If you're enjoying fabric-swapping, these videos explore the concept even further and show the transformations in action:

• Fabric Scrap Sorting 101
• Use ALL of Your FABRIC SCRAPS with this NEW 3-Yard Quilt Book!
• Quilting BOLD with Fabric Scraps!

In our next Behind the Seams blog, we will investigate going big! Bigger quilts, that is, by enlarging a quilt. There are different ways to enlarge your quilt beyond doubling the kit.