My top tips for scrappy quilts

How much "scrappy" makes you happy?

Do you like every color and type of fabric thrown together in a glorious explosion of colour or are you happier with what some us like to call a "controlled" scrappy look?

Quilter's Scrapbook

While I appreciate the glorious scrappy explosions, as a maker I find this kind of project makes me anxious.  There are just too many possibilities and I overthink the choice and placement of every disparate scrap.  I need to reduce the chaos.  

If you also need some way to narrow your choices, consider one or more of the following strategies.

1. Pair your scraps with constrasting background or sashing.

This gives the eye somewhere to rest and helps the scrappy bits stand out.  Keep scrolling to see multiple examples of this.  Also, keep in mind that though most of mine use a light background, you don't have to.  Just focus on contract beteween your scraps and your background or sashing.

2. Choose scraps from just one colour family.

While you might think a single color would lack variety and make a bland quilt, selecting a range of values adds visual interest, as does using a variety of print designs and scales.  

Half and Half

3. Repeat a single fabric for a particular element across the whole quilt.

In this scrappy version of Shining Lace, I used a single fabric for the tips in the starburst and the floating squares on point.  Just one constant element across the quilt can help anchor the design.  

In the pattern as written for yardage, there was a definite distribution of fabrics in the starbursts, but in the scrappy version I chose to let different values and prints fall randomly.  The one repeated element returned some order to the design.

Shining Lace - scrappy version

4. Choose scraps mostly from one colour group but add a small pop of a different color.  

Scrap Garden was meant to free up space in my bin of green scraps.  Adding just a touch of warmer colors (red, orange, yellow) in the cornerstones livened up the whole quilt.

Scrap Garden - similar to Hovering

4. Choose scraps from just a few color familes that play well together. 

Trimmed scraps for Starlit Picnic

I originally planned to use ALL the colours for Starlit Picnic, but once I had them out of the bins I found the variety overwhelming.  Narrowing them down to just three colour familes seemed more manageable.  I picked three because things tend to look good in odd numbers.  One was too few, five were too many, and three fell into the perfect middle. 

Starlit Picnic

Hmm.  I guess I should count that white accent fabric too.   In my mind I considered the white a neutral and not part of my scrappy selection.  In addition to illustrating the limited color scrappy palette, this quilt is a second example of using a single fabric for a specific element in an otherwise scrappy quilt.

5. Choose different colors for individual blocks.

Grouping scraps of each color into larger elements lets you use multiple colours while still imposing some order on the design.

 Butterfly blocks from this tutorial

This one is still in progress.  It stalled out, partially quilted, when I fell out of love with the setting and borders, but I still love the scrappy blocks.  Each block uses many scraps in a single color.  These blocks will be rescued and repurposed into a different quilt!

6. Pair super scrappy color explosions with a regimented setting.

Quilter's Scrapbook

Careful, orderly sashing is an effective counterpoint to the busy, colourful and radomly pieced hundred-patch blocks in Quilter's Scrapbook.  In this quilt I chose a fancy pieced sashing, but plain, tidy sashing would be equally effective.

7.  Embrace a scrappy backgound.

You don't need to limit yourself to yardage for the contrasting background.  You can see the background in my scrappy Shining Lace is made up of assorted white tone-on-tone prints.  The variety of prints adds subtle interest to this background.

Using a variety of values and prints in a scrappy background adds an extra design element.  I love the way the grey scraps in the quilt below add interest to the background of this quilt while still letting the sunflower block pop.

Adapted from the pattern Soak Up the Sun by
 Sew Kind of Wonderful in their book Mini Wonderful Curves. 

I'm thinking about writing a few words about how to tackle a pattern written for yardage when you'd like to use scraps instead.  Let me know if you would find this useful.

In the meantime, I'd love to know how much scrappy makes you happy.  Drop your thoughts in the comments!

Happy quilting,

Joanne

Shining Lace Quilt

I channeled very traditional vibes when I designed Shining Lace.

Shining Lace quilt by Canuck Quilter Designs

The starburst design came first.  It's a fairly substantial, sturdy design.  After playing with various sashing and setting options, I eventually decided the blocks needed some breathing room to make the quilt design lighter.  Option 1 was to simply float the blocks on the background, with no other elements.  Option 1 was bland.  

Option 2 was to add light, airy, but not blank, blocks between the starburst.  These new blocks added extra interest between the starbursts without competing with them.  Option 2 sparkled!

Shining Lace quilt by Canuck Quilter Designs

Straight set, no borders!

The resulting design has strong diagonal elements and even the starbursts seem to be set on point, but this is in fact a straight set, with blocks in horizontal rows.  Easy peasy.  It doesn't even have separate borders added.  The background "border" area is built into blocks in each row.

Shining Lace quilt by Canuck Quilter Designs

Piecing Techniques

Don't panic about those those 208 1" finished squares in the chains.  There are no individual tiny squares to cut and sew.  Strip-piecing really is your friend in this case! It reduces the number of cuts you need to make and individual pieces you need to sew, and really speeds up block assembly.

As for the 45 degree angles in the starbursts, if you're familiar with my patterns you have probably guessed that I used stitch-and-flip corners (AKA snowballed corners or lost corners) to make those.  

Don't forget to greet your trimming monster after you trim those lost corners!

Also, there are no inset seams here, though the points of the starbursts might tempt you to think otherwise.

Color Inspiration

My quilt was made with fabrics from the Rosy Blooms collection from Island Batik for Lumin Fabrics, but I submitted the design in alternate collections as well.  What do you think of the light versus the dark versions mocked up in Countryside Charm?  I find it interesting that the starburst in the dark vesion looks more like a blossom to me.

Shining Lace by Canuck Quilter Designs
in Countryside Charm from Island Batik for Lumin Fabric
Fabric arriving in stores in spring 2026

Shining Lace by Canuck Quilter Designs
in Countryside Charm from Island Batik for Lumin Fabric
Fabric arriving in stores in spring 2026

Pinks and spring greens lend springtime charm to the design.

Shining Lace by Canuck Quilter Designs
in Posy Twist from Island Batik for Lumin Fabric
Fabric arriving in stores in spring 2026

For a more muted, elegant look, try a monochromatic palette leaning more heavily on values than colors.

Shining Lace by Canuck Quilter Designs
in Twilight Realm from Island Batik for Lumin Fabric
Fabric arriving in stores in Feb/March 2026

This pattern is also a fabulous canditate for a scrappy version.  I may have dug into my overflowing bin of blue scraps...

Stay tuned for the blue scrappy version!  

I hope all is well in your quilting world. Let me know what you're up to during these cold winter days (or warm summer days in the Southern hemisphere).

Happy quilting,

Joanne

The Shining Lace PDF pattern download is available in my Etsy shop 

or you can ask for the printed version at your favourite quilt shop.

Shuffled Stars

I love designs that are easier to assemble than it seems at first glance.  Shuffled Stars fits neatly into that category.

What's simple about the quilt?

• There is just one block design in the quilt, using different fabrics for variety.  
• Though blocks seem to overlap, there are no inset seams or partial seams, just straight rows of blocks. 
• There are no triangles or other special shapes to work with.  You only cut and sew squares and rectangles, with every point achieved using stitch-and-flip corners.

Make sure to make a trimmings monster
with your stitch-and-flip trimmings!

Technical Stuff 😊

Besides the stitch-and-flip tips you can find here, I have this tip to add: pay close attention to the direction of the seams when you sew those diagonal seams.   The pattern shows you how to make the two units below.  Notice the seam leans in a different direction in each unit.  If you sew in the wrong direction, just turning the unit will not fix the issue.

It's not hard though. If you just follow the directions then double check that your unit matches the diagram before you trim away excess fabric in the corner, everything will be fine :)

My cover quilt was made with fabrics from Missing You by Terri Vanden Bosch for Island Batik, shipping to shops in March.  Terri was inspired by old love letter and designed fabrics with hearts, endearments in morse code, X's and O's, postmarks and envelopes.  It's a sweet story you can read about starting on page 55 of this catalog, but what drew me to this collection were the colors.  The deep reds an blue greys play so well together.

More Color Inspiration

Of course, there's no reason to limit the design to that collection or those colors.   Here's a bit more color inspiration for you.

Shuffled Stars by Canuck Quilter Designs
pictured in Countryside Charm from Island Batik for Lumin Fabrics
(Shipping to stores April/May 2026)

I like the yellow mixed in with blue above, but monochromatic works as well, as you can see below.

Shuffled Stars by Canuck Quilter Designs
pictured in Twilight Realm from Island Batik for Lumin Fabrics
(Shipping to stores Feb/March 2026)

Shuffled Stars by Canuck Quilter Designs
pictured in Twilight Realm from Island Batik for Lumin Fabrics
(Shipping to stores Feb/March 2026)

Yes, the last two both used fabrics from Twilight Realm, as it has a lovely range of both blues and teals.

I have more recoloring in the works.  I'm loading up Connecting Threads' newest Fench Vintage inspired Jolie Maison into EQ8 to see how it plays in Shuffled Stars.  I'll post again with an update :)

I'd love to know what colors you would choose for Shuffled Stars. Would you incorporate some prints?  You're not limited to the options above, and not even to fabrics in a single collection!  Please drop your inspiration in the comments.

Happy quilting,

Joanne

You can find the Shuffled Stars PDF pattern download
 in my Etsy shop or ask for the print version at your favourite quilt shop.