QM Scrap Squad: Cathy’s Caribbean Vacation

The QM Scrap Squad is a select group of seven QM readers. They take one pattern from each regular issue of Quiltmaker and create their own scrappy versions to inspire you.

This quilt is found on the cover of the Jan/Feb ’13 issue of Quiltmaker.

It’s Caribbean Vacation, designed and sewn by Denise Starck, QM’s Graphic Designer. It was quilted by Hatty Brown. The fabrics are Dear Stella.

Today’s featured quilt was made by Cathy Buel from Clinton Township, Michigan. You’ll hear from Cathy in her own words below. You’ll find Cathy’s quilt blog at Big Lake Quilter.

Cathy Buel from Clinton Township, Michigan

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I write this post feeling bittersweet. This has been the most remarkable year. I have met some great friends, learned some new techniques and saw my name in print….lol. I am so sad to see this year end. With that said…

I have a question for you. Have you ever bought fabric that you liked but didn’t have any idea what to use it for? I know you have. That’s what I did. I bought some fabric a few years ago with no specific project in mind. Every time I started a new project I would pull it out and audition it. It never quite worked until now.

After choosing the red floral above as my focus fabric, I pulled reds, blues and off-whites from my scraps.

I learned a long time ago that if you are going to make scrap quilts you need to sort your scraps. I use 2 gallon storage bags to do this. It really helps when you are looking for a specific color.

You may notice that I am ending my year the same way I started…with a red, white and blue quilt.

I made a practice block and I liked how it looked, so I began working on the rest.

You can see that I chose a smaller version of the quilt. Mine is 5 blocks by 6 blocks. I thought about adding a smaller border first but I didn’t like how it looked so instead I used my focus fabric and cut 6″ borders.

So this is my final quilt. I want to tell the 2013 Scrap Squad to have a great time. Don’t stress out when you receive a difficult pattern…just breathe and have a ball.

Congratulations, Cathy, on finally finding the perfect use for that red fabric! Didn’t she do a great job on this piece? This quilt proves a couple of important points:

• You can mix neutrals of white, cream, beige and tan and it will all work together. It’s much more interesting than using all one neutral fabric.
• Auditioning different fabrics is important. Don’t just start sewing. Put fabrics up on a vertical surface and stand back. You’ll be surprised what a different this makes.
• Don’t give up on a fabric after one failed attempt to use it. Cathy kept on trying with this fabric and eventually it was just perfect for a project. That being said, it’s also important not to try and force fabric to work where it won’t. If your heart tells you it’s wrong, it’s probably wrong.

Please join me in thanking Cathy Buel for a job well done on the 2012 Scrap Squad. We’ve enjoyed the quilts so much!