return Visit

This summer I am working through my scraps.  Not only because it's incredibly satisfying to make something from leftover bits and pieces, but also as a sort of deep cleaning.  I've had some of my scraps for... a long time.  Do you know scraps actually get dusty just sitting in a drawer or basket?  Yep.  And you can't wash them without creating a massive unraveling mess, so here's to putting them to use and then washing them!

I designed the Lake Cabin quilt to target a particular scrap population, used up my pieced scraps in Love in Butterflies and cut up some larger scraps for our Rainbow Picnic Blanket.  Now I'm making a return visit to Lake Cabin for a baby quilt.  And - good news - I'm writing a pattern for my Lake Cabin quilt at the same time. 

This time I'm starting with an inspiration print.  This Mod Corsage print by Anna Maria Horner has a soft, sophisticated palette.  I see mint, one of my current color crushes, plus dusty blue, aqua, golden yellow and a soft lavender.  I rarely use lavender, but I have this cut of Freespirit Designer Solid in Orchid that would be a lovely and bold choice for sashing.  It feels right!

With my color palette clearly established by the inspiration print, I pull a great big pile of coordinating scraps quite quickly.  I'll have to narrow these down to my favorites!  I want the inspiration print to be loudest in the quilt, so I start by cutting a variety of pieces.  Mod corsage will make an appearance in most of the blocks.

This Lake Cabin design cuts and sews up so fast that I was tempted to make a larger quilt.  But I'm holding back since I only have enough lavender for a baby size and I'd like to add that quilt size to the pattern. 

Oh, how lovely!  I could stare at these pretties all day.  I think if sewing were a sundae, scraps would be the whipped cream and cherry on top.  They make the process that much more delightful!