What Can You Do With a Quilt Block?
Do you find yourself with a bunch of left over quilt blocks? Whatever you do, don’t throw them away! There are many things you can do with left over quilt blocks. Here are 10 ideas for projects using your extras:
1. Make small tote bags or purses. Add a pre-made wooden handle you can buy at your local craft store.
2. Make covers for special scrapbooks or photo albums. The are also great scrapbook page backgrounds.
3. Quilt your leftovers individually and make potholders and trivets. Use thinner batting, cut the quilt block down a bit and glue a thin piece of cork to the back to create a coaster.
4. Stitch or fuse a couple together, then use it as fabric from which to cut a Christmas stocking.
5. Make a small wall hanging.
6. Dress up an old jacket or cardigan by heat bonding a block onto the center backside. Use fabric paint to trim out the edges of it or add an anti-fray product to the edges. If you are accustomed to sewing, add a zig zag or satin stitch to secure the edges and add a nice finish.
7. Create dining room decor. Use single blocks for placemats. Piece several blocks together to make a table runner.
8. Make pillows. Single blocks are the perfect sice to create toss pillows for your sofa, loveseat or chairs. Make pillow shams for your bed by stitching several together to fit your pillows.
9. Quilt just one block and finish the edges. It will make a nice quilt for a child’s stuffed animal or dollhouse comforter.
10. Make bookmarks. Cut the block into strips about three inches wide. Fuse them to another piece of fabric cut the same size. Hot glue rick rack around the edges for a no-sew finish. Crafty people comfortable with sewing may use a zig zag or satin stitch to finish them out. If hand stitching, use a blanket stitch to complete the edge.
In addition to the ten ideas for creating other items from your old or extra pieced blocks, you could consider donating your extras to charity. Local senior centers that offer quilting or sewing classes might welcome the gift of some prepared blocks.
If you are interested in keeping the money yourself, you can sell your extras. Advertise them in a local paper or in online classifieds. You should also consider an online auction. Try selling them in a yard sale.
If the 10 crafty ideas listed above have inspired you to make a few of those items, you can piece blocks specifically for these projects, or look around to find someone who has extras lying around. Check garage or tag sales, thrift stores and online auctions and classifieds to find spare quilt blocks.
If you will be piecing your own blocks from which to craft, experiment with some new patterns. You can find a library full of quilt block patterns online. You will find quilt block patterns for all levels of quilting, beginner to highly skilled. If you are new to quilting all together, look for quilting tips from a how-to-quilt website or find an online quilting coach if you do not have someone locally who can teach you the art of quilting.
About the Author
Penny Halgren
http://www.QuiltBlockLibrary.com
Penny has been a quilter for more than 27 years. She enjoys exploring all aspects of quilting and sharing her knowledge with others. A new endeavor is http://www.QuiltBlockLibrary.com which provides hundreds of traditional patchwork quilt block patterns.
Butterflies Cause Lullabies – A Baby Quilt for Sale
|
|
Double-wedding-ring Quilt / Full/Queen, , Full/Queen Quite possibly one of the most famous designs in quilting history, this romantic motif actually dates back as far as the 4th century, where it was used as a decoration on Roman cups. Our elegant quilt is beautifully stitched in rich tones of red, tan, green, and black set against a warm cream-colored background. In red multi. Pure cotton. Washable. Imported…. |
|
|
American Quilts ~ 4 Tile Square assorted coasters Drink Coasters ~ code 446 $10.99 Made of a textured bisque tumbled tile, this beautiful assorted coaster set of 4 will last for years …. |
|
|
Down in the Delta: Music from and Inspired by the Miramax Motion Picture $6.22 … |
|
|
Liz Claiborne Natalie Quilt $134.00 The Liz Claiborne Natalie quilt features floral prints, seersucker stripes and embroidery on soft 100% cotton. The warm blues and cream tones make for a relaxing feel. This quilt also features a reverse print. Buy the matching shams to complete the look. Full/Queen Size 86″ x 86″…. |
|
|
Calculated Industries Quilter’s FabriCalc Quilt Design and Fabric Estimating Calculator $16.50 -Create quilt designs using Block functions with or without Sashing; solves Diagonals. -Find total Yardage, including Backing, Binding, Borders and Drop for any quilting project. -Calculate the total yardage for Squares, ½ Square Triangles, ¼ Square Triangles, 45° and 60° Diamond. -Reverse the calculations: find the number of Squares and Diamonds that can be cut from fabric. -Store fabric yard… |
|
|
Hot in Cleveland: Season One $8.79 All 10 episodes from the debut season–including the “Pilot,” “Who’s Your Mama?,” “The Sex That Got Away,” “It’s Not That Complicated,” and “Tornado”–are featured in this two-disc set. 3 1/2 hrs. total. Widescreen; Soundtracks: English Dolby Digital 5.1, Dolby Digital stereo; featurettes; bloopers; extended pilot; bonus “Retired at 35″ episode. **10 episodes on 2 discs. 3 1/2 hrs.**… |
|
|
The Quilt $1.99 … |
|
|
Blue’s Clues – Blue’s Big Holiday [VHS] $4.99 If sleuthing, not Santa-stalking, is the name of your 2- to 5-year-old’s game, grab your scarf and settle in for Blue’s Big Holiday, a festive double feature that doesn’t dissolve into folkloric fluff. The title episode arranges itself gently around December’s gift-giving trifecta. Steve and Blue, off delivering presents, pick up on some peculiar goings-on at the homes of their pals: At Wynon… |
|
|
Aspen Bay Capri Blue Signature Jar Blue 20 oz Aspen Bay Capri Blue Signature Jar Blue 20 oz is a soy blend wax candle made with all natural ingredients. Made from recycled handblown glass, this best selling product features Aspen Bay’s signature Volcano fragrance that smells of tropical fruits and sugared citrus. Each candle is hand-poured with exotic fragrance oils and topped with a recycled steel lid…. |
|
|
Delta Carbona 431 2.6-Ounce Color Run Remover $1.50 Did that red sock make it into your load of whites? No problem. Add Color Run Remover in your wash to remove dye and streaks from mixed-wash accidents…. |
