It’s time to use all those “useless” strips and pieces that pile up over time! This was such a fun project, I have plans for more colors 🙂 It was quick too, so if you need an afternoon project, this might do the trick!
I am plagued by my addiction to making something out of nothing. So I save everything, knowing I will eventually find a use for it! I have an out-of-control pile of the smallest strips and scraps in various shades of light pink. I once made a throw pillow out of (220) 2” triangles from these very scraps, and I still have some left, can you believe that?
I decided it was time to make another dent in the pile. I sorted out all the strips I could find in various widths and lengths. I sewed them together into little chunky strip sets that measured at least 4½” across.
I used the Creative Grids Large 60-degree Diamond Ruler to cut 4½” triangles. The first cut is from the bottom of the strip, then rotate the ruler 180 degrees to get the next cut from the top of the strip.
I kept making and cutting scrappy strip sets until I had a total of 42 scrappy triangles.
Here is the layout for one scrappy heart! It requires 14 triangles for one heart. I decided I'd make a table runner with three hearts, but these would make the cutest placemats on their own.
Now for the background. I cut three large rectangles 8½” tall x 5⅝” (if you are using nonsolid fabric you will need a fourth one to pair up for a mirror image cut). I also cut six 4½” x 3⅜” rectangles.
Place two of the large rectangles right side together, and align the 8½” dashed triangle line along the bottom edge of the rectangle and the left dashed center line along the left edge. Cut along the right angle of the ruler and trim the outside tips off flat.
For the smaller rectangles, make pairs of two rectangles right side together. Align the dashed 4½” triangle line along the bottom edge and the left dashed center line along the left edge. Cut along the right edge of the ruler and use the flat tip to trim the outside points off flat.
Lay out these background wedge pieces along the top and bottom of the heart pieces.
Sew these together into units like little rows or columns. The first and last rows get three scrappy triangles and one wedge background at the top. The two middle rows get four scrappy triangles and one wedge background at the top. Press all seams open.
Join the rows on the right half together and press that seam open. Repeat for the left half, then sew the bottom wedge background to each side and press those seams open.
Join the two sides together and press the middle seam open. This block came out 12” x 16½”. Maybe add a little border and that would make a perfect placemat!
I decided to make this a table runner, so I made two more hearts and turned the middle one the other way, so it would look good from both sides of the table.
I added a 12” x 1½” sashing piece between the hearts and on each end to “float” the hearts away from each other a little.
Quilted with my typical straight line quilting about ¼” apart.
And here it is all ready for the candy bowl ;) I used another scrap of pink stripe for binding. The whole table runner came out 12” wide by 52” long. You could also turn the hearts in the wide direction to make a wider but shorter table runner too!
Happy Sunday everyone,
Krista
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