Friday, July 19, 2013

Spools Link-Up at Quiltville

Last summer Bonnie Hunter over at Quiltville inspired her quilting fans to try the spool block as a leader/ender project - click here for the tutorial. Well, I already had a number of leader/ender projects on the go (like this one and this one) and was able to resist making spool blocks for quite a while. 
But then some of the Rainbow Scrappers started making pretty scrappy spool blocks and showing them every Saturday, until finally I couldn't stand it any more...I had to try one.  
I thought I'd sew just one little block to see what all the fuss was about.

And they were fun! 




Spools are great stashbusters for using small scraps, which I hoard collect. I even have sewn some blocks in a scrappy manner when I don't have enough of one fabric to complete a block. This yellow block has bits from three different yellow fabrics, and from two background light fabrics!




So I was late to the join in on the spool challenge, but still have a fair sized pile of spools to share. Here is my yellow spool collection that I sewed in June. 



I am part of the Rainbow Scrap Challenge, so when Angela announces the colour of the month, I go to my scrap bin of that colour and start cutting for my spools.
Then over the course of the month, I use the pieces as leader/enders between whatever else I am sewing. It really does work great and no thread is ever wasted!

This is the layout I am leaning towards right now ...four blocks of the same colour sewn together in a 4 patch block, then sewing 4 of those into a large block, then putting them together scrappy style when I have enough.
This week Bonnie is hosting a link up for anyone sewing spools to show their collection, so hop over to the Spool Review and see the amazing spool quilts being created.
A big thanks to Bonnie for yet another great addiction idea!

10 comments:

Missy Shay said...

I like your layout, I can't wait to see the finished project!

Lesley said...

What a great idea! I have been seeing all those colorful spools every month and was very tempted too! Yours are so sweet!

Mary said...

Love your Rainbow Spools! I didn't make any spools, so I don't get to Link up this time.

Judy D in WA said...

This post made me smile right from the start. Cute little spools, Kathy couldn't resist. LOL
They all look great!

carol fun said...

Oh I LOVE those yellow spools! I wish I had seen this last summer,but it is never too late to start another quilt now, is it? LOL I would love to have a scrappy yellow spool quilt on my bed, gotta get sewing!

Helen in the UK said...

These spools are so cute. Love your layout idea :)

Deb@asimplelifequilts said...

I love your layout idea too... isn't it amazing how those leader enders add up?

Deanna W said...

Happy happy happy!!! That is how I feel looking at all your scrappy projects. Oh to be able to just go to the sewing room and sew scraps together. I started some of those slab blocks for Calgary but they soon got set aside for some deadline quilts I have to finish...oh darn!!!Enjoy your scrappy time!

Andee said...

Your spools are looking great! I enjoyed doing them with the color of the month too, helped me have a goal to get more done!

Kate said...

I love Bonnie's leaders and enders approach to sewing. Your spool blocks are looking great. It will be a fun scrappy quilt when it is all finished.