Playing in the scraps

 With a couple of hours of sewing time, it was a no-brainer for me to just play with the scraps.

Beginning with the Rainbow Connection project that is going to become larger, I added the setting triangles to 2 more of the string sections.  Then I squared up both blocks to 11.5".  The black block still need several inches of strings added before it gets triangles.  Doing these string sections have been good Leader/Ender sewing in between other projects. 

These blocks really could be done in a variety of sizes.  My string sections get trimmed to 7.75" by 17" before adding the triangles.  And my triangles are from a 7.25" square cut once diagonally.  With a little fairly simple math this block could be bigger or smaller.  

One very interesting - and easy - scrap block that I've been seeing online recently is the Chaser block. This block goes together just like the Zipper block, only shorter (8 x 8).  The Zipper is 8 x 12. 

Check out some fun examples here: https://cathyscrazybydesign.blogspot.com/

Again, Chaser could be done any size, but I have a whole box full of 2.5" squares already cut from scraps.  I've been using squares from that box in the Boxed Squares blocks with the black and white frames.  So, now I sorted out 8 of each color (green, pink, orange) to experiment with the Chaser block.  I got the green block sewn together.  The black and white scraps will fit right into this plan too.  

The newest edition of Quiltmaker magazine has another interesting scrappy block.  In each edition Bonnie Hunter has a column called Addicted to Scraps, and this new block is called Whirling 9-Patch.  Her instructions call for 2" strips and squares, but since I already had the 2.5" squares out . . . it just made sense to test it out using those.  The block features a partial seam in that outer border, but it's still an easy block to make.  This just might see some future play too.  

I could have kept playing in those scraps all day.  Some progress was also made on the Quilts of Valor blocks that were cut out and laying next to my sewing machine.  Maybe more sewing time will happen today, and I'll have those finished - or something else scrappy and fun could happen.