FO: 100% scraps throw quilt

The quilts I've sewn over the past few years have had lots of tiny triangles, points and little pieces. I'd finish them and then I'd give the quilts away, then start something else with lots of little points and pieces. This scrappy throw is a huge departure from that. It's scraps cut into big, plain 4-1/2" squares that I collected in a plastic shoe box. Sometimes I'd sew a 4-patch block and toss it into the box too. There was never a plan on exactly when it would get done. My normal project MO is to plot and plan and wrangle a quilt project to death with a feeling of urgency to reach the finished object deadline that loomed over my head from the get go. This throw happened on it's own peaceful time.

This is the most fun I've had sewing in years. I'm not a 'completely random sewer' so I played around with the layout to keep the same fabric pieces from ending up side by side and I spread out the white pieces.

There's an excellent tutorial (and many others) on binding quilts at Amanda Jean's incredible blog Crazy Mom Quilts for the same method I use to bind my quilts. Amanda Jean is always inspiring and TALENTED!

The finished throw is 40 x 60 inches: 150 squares cut to 4-1/2". I squeaked it onto the beige & red backing fabric with only a centimeter to spare on the width and maybe 3 inches on each end for length. I didn't want to piece more fabric into the back since my goal was to be as simple as I could make it. It's quilted in the ditch, not beside the seams a touch like normal in the ditch machine work, but literally in the seam.

We love this throw. It'll be well used, washed and worn. My husband doesn't want me to gift or sell this one. I've never felt as rewarded as I did to hear him say this one's a keeper. He's never said that about any quilt before. It's changed the sort of quilts I'm going to sew in the coming year(s). The reaction to this quilt when people see it tossed over the backyard deck rail or folded in the truck has been surprisingly positive. It's about colour and comfort, not skill or style. I'm going to enjoy the pleasure of simplicity in my quilts more now. More rustic and homey. More 'use-me' than 'be careful' with me quilts. I have 2 new shoe boxes on the go ~ one is a collection of 3" squares and the other is 4-1/2" again. I'll sew plenty more quilts like this one in the future.