Improv scrap quilt (2/3): Quilt back complete!
I've been hard at work on my improv scrap quilt over the past few months. For the back, I went even scrappier than the front.
The concept
The quilt back is an homage to the "crazy quilt" — but more orderly and less embellished.
Lately, I've been thinking a lot about consumption and consumerism. At the start of COVID, I cleaned up my social feeds (aka, my main connection to the outside world) so I wouldn't be advertised to all day from businesses and influencers. I'm definitely on a kick where I'm trying not to buy fabrics and patterns. Instead, I want to use what I already own, and experiment instead of mindlessly copying what everyone else is doing. 🙃
So this quilt stems from my desire to put the fabric remnants I already own and love to good use. And to just play with fabric and see what happens.
I have a bunch of super tiny cotton/linen pieces from the two animal quilts I put together, as well as oddly shaped remnants from garments. Riffing off the quilt top where I made diamonds/squares of coordinating colors, I did the same for the back, except in strips.
Maybe someday I'll make a stellar patchwork garment, but in the meantime, these little pieces are perfect for quilts!
Evolution of the idea
My plan for the back didn't have as many twists and turns as the quilt top.
I started with strips the full length of the back (over 2 yards). These were long and unwieldy, and it was difficult to find enough coordinating prints for a full length strip, especially for brighter colors. (Most of my scraps are from garments, and I wear drab stuff! 😊)
I cut each strip in half — target length was ~38" — which made the process much more enjoyable. I created a whole bunch without thinking much about the colors, but became more intentional about my selections towards the end so I had an adequate range. Here's my roll of finished strips before I pieced them together.
I added a few pieced solid strips to highlight the radial symmetry of the design. (And give myself a break from coordinating colors!) Initially I had some solids on the edges as well, but I didn't love it, so I swapped them with additional scrappy strips.
Overall, it's a perfectly adequate quilt back. And now, on to the hand quilting stage... just as it starts to get hot.
The cats started fighting over the back when I laid it out to take pictures. So glad they love it too. 😉
