Strip Your Stash Quilt

Last week in a moment of boredom, I went to Craftsy , to see if there was a quilting class that might interest me.  I ended up on the 'Sale' page and found the perfect class, Strip Your Stash with Nancy Smith.  I have so many scraps, and many I've already cut into 2-1/2" strips.  I generally do the 1600' technique to make sheets of fabric to use as backing for wall hangings or backgrounds for appliqué quilts.  I've also made aprons out of pretty batik strip sheets.  Nancy Smith's class offered a different technique for making sheets of fabric from strips.

I thought it would be fun and it was.  Nancy is very thorough in her explanation of the techniques she teaches.  She also explained one interesting strategy for picking out fabrics for strips.

Her strip technique uses 2-1/2" strips, and it also uses 3-1/2" and 1-1/2" strips.  I had some fat 8th's left over from a quilt I made a couple of years ago.  Rather than use Nancy's strategy for picking out strip fabric, I decided to try to match these focal fabrics.  I found these fabrics at Kapaia Stitchery in Lihue on the island of Kauai about 5 years ago.  If you ever go to Lihue, you must stop in this shop.  There are lots and lots of fun Hawaiian fabrics.

I rummaged through my scrap fabrics and found some fabrics to use with the Hawaiian prints.

 I ended up with this long sheet of fabric.  It's pretty lopsided isn't it.  I think next time I will use my walking foot for the entire process.

 I cut the sheet into strips and auditioned them on background fabrics.  I liked this tan color the best.

I sewed the strips to the background strips. 

And put a border around it.  

 Again, I will use my walking foot next time.  I think this top is a little dull yet but I bet with quilting, this could be a nice looking quilt.  Nancy Smith gives great directions for 4 different quilts made from these strips.  This is not one of them.  The class was really fun and I recommend it for anyone who has scraps to burn....and what quilter doesn't.

Linking To:
Fabric Tuesday Linky Tuesday WIP Wednesday Let's Bee Social I Quilt Needle and Thread Thursday  Can I Get A Whoop Whoop No Rules Weekend Blog Party Fabric Frenzy Friday #28 Sew Darn Crafty Scraptastic Tuesday