Fleece quilts from scraps

I have a really hard time throwing away scraps. I just think I need it some day. Especially when it comes to scraps of fabric. I have several boxes of just scraps. And to my credit, I have used those scraps for different projects. Remember the bags we made while my nieces were here? From the scraps box...but that could be a completely different post...things I've made from scraps.

This weekend I got the crafting itch. It's been a while since I've spent some time in my craft room. We've been spending most of our time working in our backyard getting it ready for sprinklers and lawn and a better garden area. I wanted to make another fleece scrap quilt. I made one exactly 1 year ago and something in me needed to do it again.

Several years ago (probably 5 or 6) my sister picked up some fabric scraps from somewhere, maybe the DI, I'm not sure. She kept them for a couple of years, then she passed them onto my mom who kept them for a couple of years. My mom was cleaning out getting ready to move and she gave them to me. I packed them up and moved them with us to CA and them moved them to CO. As I was unpacking and settling into our new house in CO, I went through all my fabric boxes to see what I had and to pick out some projects. I looked in the big bag of fabric scraps and decided I was never going to use these, I had no idea what I could even make out of this weird fabric. It was a fleece of sorts, but a bit like carpet (but really soft). I finally gave up and threw the bag of scraps in the trash. Not even 20 minutes later I ran to the trash to fish out the scrap bag. I just couldn't do it. There must be a use for these. I finally decided to make a blanket for us to use to while watching TV on the couch. I cut squares out and it was not as big as I wanted so I added some flannel squares from the same flannel I used for the backing to make it a little bit bigger. This has ended up being the warmest quilt in the house. We love it!


After a church service project last year, there were scraps of fleece left that were about to be tossed into the trash when I asked if I could take them home. The bright blue plaid and circles fleece I got free from Craig's list last year. The grey squares came from a failed fleece jacket for sewing class my sister did in school. My mom didn't want to waste the fleece as it was expensive so she had my sister unpick everything and then she stored the fleece for however many years and finally cleaned out and I took it. I knew at some point I would have a use for it. And the other squares are scraps from projects I've worked on.


For the back, I used some navy flannel I've had kicking around for years and didn't know what to do with it. I stitched it all together this weekend and then tied it. I'm thinking of giving it to my brother for a wedding gift for when they are too poor to heat their house and need a cuddle blanket for the couch. I'll have to see when the time comes if Ryan will actually let me part with the warm fuzzy blanket.

Raggedy Ann and Andy

I love Raggedy Ann and Andy. Several years ago they made a comeback in popularity and there was a plethora of cute fabric to buy. I bought up as much as I could find with future plans of a Raggedy Ann and Andy nursery. But as time went on, I found other fabric for a nursery and then another idea as well.

My sister decided she wanted a Raggedy Ann and Andy nursery. Now I could put my boxes of fabric to good use for her.

I made these Raggedy dolls for her birthday. It was a pretty simple kit. I bought the panels for the bodies and the panels for the clothing. Everything was pre-printed so I just cut and sewed.

The best part is I made a set for me and a set for her. Everybody needs a set of Raggedy dolls.

Levi Quilt

When I was about 12, my madre helped me make a levi quilt. I still have that levi quilt today and more amazing, I still use it. It is like a right of passage in my family. All of my sisters also made a levi quilt. It's just something we had to do. So several years ago my madre gifted me some supplies. She had already cut out enough 6 inch squares to make a quilt, then she decided she didn't really need another levi quilt. Lucky me - I got out of a lot of the hard work.


I really wanted to make this for my brother-in-law's family. He and his wife have 5 adorable girls so it was only appropriate to find some cute girl flannel for the back. Then I found the perfect flannel with a rainbow of pastel colors, but it all stayed boxed up for a couple of years. But I finally broke it out this summer and started on it. I got the denim part sewed all together and ready for the girls to help me tie it.

Laying it all out

Denim part on the quilt frames with Tessa hiding beneath

With the flannel on top ready to be tied


The four center squares have pockets from a pair of my old jeans and from a pair of my hubby's.

Finished product :)

The girls helped me get it on the frames and then they helped me tied it as well. I finished binding it just in time for it to go in their suitcase for the trip back east. I loved how it turned out. I still have enough squares for one more quilt. Now I'm looking for some more cute backing for another quilt for another sister-in-law and her cute family.

Watermelon and justice for all

I found this fabric panel a few years ago for $1. I panel had all the different pieces printed on it, all I had to do was cut it out sew, it together, add batting and hair. Super easy. Well I finished a few years ago, but never had a place to hang it up during July. I was finally able to bring it out for July and put it up. Super easy and very inexpensive!

Blanket-a-thon 2009 Part II

This one now one of my favorite baby quilts ever. Ryan bought this fabric for me when we were living in Provo when we first were hoping we were pregnant (8 years ago). I must have commented once while we were in a store that I liked it, because he bought the panel for me a while later for my birthday. I put it away in box and kind of forgot about. In my continued effot to finish 1 project every 6 days, I dug it out and fell in love with the panel and immediately had ideas on how to finish it. I quilted it with cotton crosheen in a variegated orange around some animals and around others I used blue. I loved how it turned out. Definitely a keeper!

I love Strawberry Shortcake (the old one) and when I found this fabric a few years ago, I couldn't pass up. Besides, one can never have too many baby quilts right? Although with no kids, it makes a little less sense to have so many...

I found this panel on clearance a few years ago while shopping and fell in love with it. So simple and girly. And so far, most of the stuff I made was boy stuff (I just didn't find girl fabric I liked as much).

I quilted it with pink cotton crosheen and then used some pink satin binding I picked up for free somewhere. The next step caused me grief and pain. I sewed one edge of the satin binding down and then proceeded to pin the other edge down so I could hand stitch around the rest of the quilt. Oh how I regretted the decision to use that satin binding. I took it to work to hand stitch on my lunch break. The first day I only got about 6 inches done. I was frustrated. this was going to take forever. After a few more days, I got the hang of it and managed to finish it quicker than I thought. I'm not sure if I'll ever use satin binding again. Once might just be enough.

I picked this panel up at a clearance table back in Provo. But there was only 2/3 of a yard and not enough to make quilt. I cut some strips to put at the top to enlarge it to a yard and then turn it into a baby quilt.

I picked this panel up the same time as the previous one. It is a cute rag doll pattern. I tied this one with cotton crosheen as well (can you see my pattern for quilting and tying with cotton crosheen?) I wish I could keep them all!

Not by me, but wanted by me

Isn't this the cutest quilt? My creative brain just can't think this way, but I love that others can.

Someone I don't know (but I adore her stuff) is having a fabulous giveaway. Head on over to Pigtails and Snails to leave a comment to put yourself in the running. Wouldn't you like to have this?

Harry Potter scarf

Ryan rarely asks me to make things. So when I asked me to make a Harry Potter scarf, I had to say yes. Well, I wanted to say yes, but I was a little bit overwhelmed. I don't really knit and I have only ever in my life knitted one thing. Dishcloths. The same thing over and over again.

I searched the Internet and found a pattern and instructions I liked. I had my craft friend, Joan, help me start.

I had never used a circular needle and I had never switched yarn in the middle of project before. She helped me get started and I set off. I worked on it every day at lunch and at night. By the time Christmas came, Ryan opened up about 40 rows of knitting and a skein of yarn. I vowed I would finish it in January. Well, things happen and I almost finished it. We moved and moved again. I finished the scarf in June 2008...18 months after I started it. Then we moved a few weeks later and the scarf was lost. I was devastated. I was not looking forward to making him another one.

I opened up a suitcase to pack for a trip and there it lay...the Harry Potter scarf I had worked so hard on. Ryan was ecstatic! And I was relieved.

Winter crafts

I've been lugging these items around half finished since 2005. So one week, I made it a winter craft week and finished these up. The Santa and Snowman with arms going on a holiday basket that I fill with differnt things (I also have a witch) and the other snowman is for a door or wall hanging.

Now that we live in an area where it gets cold and snows, I'll actually get an opportunity to use display them next winter.

Baby Blankets galore

My sewing machine was in the repair shop again. It turns out, they didn't fix the real problem last time it was there just two weeks ago.

So in order to keep up on my goal of 1 project every 6 days, I had to find projects that didn't require a machine. I dug through boxes and decided to use my fabulous quilting frames that my Padre made for me for Christmas. I have an addiction to making anything baby related. I know, i don't have children (why won't my body cooperate?) But I can't help falling in love with baby fabric each time I go in a store.

I tied four of the baby quilts in two nights and then started quilting the other two. I love quilting using cotton crosheen. It goes so much faster and I love the look of it. I got my machine back and was able to finish the edges of the quilts. My hermana came for a visit and fell in love with a couple of them. I snuck one of them to the car for her to find when she got home from her visit.

For Mother's Day when we were in Provo, Ryan bought me the Zoo fabric. This was when we first decided it was time to start a family and I had no idea that 9 years later, I would still not have any kiddos.

After this quilt was finished, I fell in love with it even more. It now resides in the box labeled "Our Baby Box". One day I hope to have a reason to open this box.

Little Einstein's Quilt

Ryan fell in love with Little Einstein's while we were staying with his brother's family. I found this Little Einstein's fabric and decided to make Ryan a blankie. We needed a lot of blankies as we were adjusting to the cold Colorado winter after living in Southern California for the past 3 years.

I backed it with blue fleece and we tied the quilt. It is soft and warm and perfect for using on a cold winter's night.