Wednesday, March 13, 2013

WIP Wednesday - Precuts Save the Day!


I am a little ambivalent about pre-cuts. I like a bargain and precuts rarely seem like a bargain. 

A couple jelly rolls, layer cakes and a handful of charm packs have come home with me over the years when they were a screaming deal, as well as a couple of fat eighth bundles and one fat quarter stack.  I used up most of the bundles in two quilts with minimal leftovers, so I felt good about that. As for the rest- they kind of sit there, getting 'less current' by the day. 

Today may have been turning point!

I was hoping to finish another donation quilt to take to guild this week.  I looked through the stack of juvenile panels and fabrics that I pulled a few weeks ago, but nothing really spoke to me.  I didn't want to take the time to dig through fabric to find coordinating solids etc., and make a plan. 

Then I remembered that I had an alphabet panel of Punctuation by American Jane for Moda and a coordinating Jelly roll that I bought in a deeply discounted kit.  I cut the letter blocks apart and sashed them with some of the strips. The blocks are rectangles, so 'squaring' them up was a bit of a challenge especially since panel blocks do not usually print exactly on the grain. I hope to get them sewn together tomorrow, but the quilting will probably have to wait a few weeks.

(Please excuse crappy phone photo...)





























I only used about two thirds of the strips, but I think there are enough left that I can whip them into a great scrappy trip quilt.  

It was nice to be able to jump into a project with minimal cutting and make some blocks quickly.   

I might be a convert!

5 comments:

Sharon said...

I love Punctuation! I'm sure this quilt will be very cute.

Mareenchen said...

This is cute! I'm on the fence about pre-cuts because of the price, too. But the few I've got have proven useful so far. Getting them on a deal or as a gift certainly sweetens it. :)

Sharon M said...

Great donation quilt. A fast one too! I seem to gravitate towards layercakes. Bigger pieces??

Vic H. said...

I'm a precut addict....I buy them because they are so pretty,then I'm afraid to cut into them!! I'm glad your project is going well...

OPQuilt said...

This is brilliant! I too have some precuts, but have to discipline myself with buying them, as they tend to sit on my shelf, all together as I hate to break them apart to use them.

You've given me encouragement!

Love the quilt--
Elizabeth E.
opquilt.com