Category: String Quilts

I completed another string quilt last week, and I’m really happy with the result.

I do need to make few quilts that are almost entirely strings to use more of them. I’d have been able to use double the amount of strings had I just pieced the 9″ blocks together. I used 12 blocks rather than 24 that I would have otherwise.

It is fun looking for ways to incorporate string sections into other patterns! I figure as long as I’m being intentional about using them often, rather than let them accumulate it’s all good. 😉

I took some photos while making the blocks using grocery store ads on newsprint paper.

Once the blocks were trimmed and the paper removed, I cut each 9″ block into 4 1/2″ squares. I forgot to take a photo of that step.

Each time I sew a string to the blocks I stop and iron them before adding the next string. Not everyone bothers to iron as they go but the extra step seems to make my blocks lie flatter than I think they might otherwise. It’s also a good opportunity to make sure the paper is easier to remove later. I to that by folding it back, sliding my thumbnail across the crease to sharpen it, then folding it back in place so it’s ready to add the next string.

Rocky (our cat) has his own little piece of batting to lie on and nap, watch me, or look out the window. I know people have cat allergies so I’m careful to keep the rest of my batting covered.

Today I’m cutting 2 1/2″ strips from Kaffe Fassett scraps for my next quilt. I didn’t think I had enough until I laid them out!

Any leftovers and narrow pieces will go into my next string quilt. It’s better to use them now than save them for Ron. (Late R On ;-))

That’s the name of the Fabric Cafe pattern I used for this string quilt. It’s from the book Easy Does It. The pattern requires three one-yard pieces of fabric but I chose to substitute string blocks for the 6″ x 9″ rectangles in the design.

I love browsing patterns and thinking, “I can add a string block here!”

These strings came from several jungle animal quilts I’ve made in the last year or two and you can see those quilts here.

There’s also a separate page for string quilts now so they’ll all be in one place for my string-loving friends.

The print used for the snowballs (octagon shapes) is one I picked up on the de-stash table at the guild’s June meeting . It was just what I needed to use with this strings.

I had a couple of coordinating 2 1/2″ strips so I used those to make an offset insert for the back.

When I need to increase the width or length of the backing fabric, my goal is to start being a little more creative rather than just stitching an extra piece of fabric on.

The goal will be to use a design element that coordinates with the front whenever possible. For this quilt, I used the same narrow black strips that were also placed between the animal print strings on the front.

I originally used this fabric for the border. The design matched the jungle print, but it did absolutely nothing for the quilt. I decided to replace it with the green border and I’m happy now that I did.

The brown pieces will get tossed in the binding drawer for a future quilt.

These are the beginnings of the next string project. A year or so ago someone gave me the teal fabric on the right. If you look closely, you’ll see she had cut it diagonally to make a bias binding. She was going to toss the leftovers away when I spoke up and said, “if you’re going to throw it out, can I have it?”.

Bias cut fabric is tricky to work with but, it won’t be a problem here. I’ll be able to cut around it for the pieces I need.

Teal, aqua, and turquoise are my favorite colors. I used to prefer green but somewhere along the way that changed and I was drawn to the cooler coastal colors. I’ll be using shades of green and teal together in this quilt..

We’re had rainy weather here this afternoon. A perfect day for either napping or sewing. (Yep! As tempting as a nap sounds… I think I’ll go sew a while. 😁)

I’m working on my latest string quilt today. I plan to hand-stitch the binding, so it might be a day or two before I can take a photo of the finished quilt, along with five other string quilts needing photos.

It’s made with animal skin prints leftover from quilts I made in 2023 and 2024.

I wanted to try making these first 3 quilts after seeing photos from a blog where the quilter had made similar ones in a class. (I’m sorry but I don’t remember the blog.) The method was to use the same strip strata in 3 different layouts. I never saw the last quilt, so I had to guess. It’s the first quilt below. While the class made smaller baby sized quilts, I decided to make adult lap-sized quilts instead. She had chosen animal skin prints for the class. I fell in love with her quilts the minute I saw the photos and remembered I had a yard each of these prints still on my fabric shelves. I gave them to my 3 step-grandsons: Robert, Matthew, and Joseph.

I had extra fabric, so I tried the pattern Simply Serene from Pleasant Valley Creations based on a photo of the pattern. The pattern description suggests using a charm pack or 5″ squares, but I used 3 1/2″ squares, making my quilt a bit smaller. I like this one so much I’ve kept it – for now. 😉

I obviously like working with jungle animals prints because I came across photos of these quilts I also made in 2023 & 2024.

The pattern I used for the panel is called Call of the Wild Leopards by eQuilter.com. It was free when I downloaded it, but I searched and it seems that it no longer exists.

Someone gave me a yard of this animal print. It took a while to decide how to use it. I decided to go with one of my favorite 3 Yard Quilt patterns called Town Square by Fabric Cafe. It’s a great one for showcasing large prints that you don’t want to chop up too small.

I followed this block tutorial to create my lone star wall hanging, but I used 2 1/2″ strips instead of 1 1/2″ it shows in the tutorial. I wanted mine to be a bit larger in order to qualify for a little quilt swap..

I had a lot of short pieces in the little drawer of animal skin prints. I usually save the shortest ones to use last, but not this time. I had an idea I wanted to try and two pieces of leftover backing that would work to get the woven effect I wanted.

After sketching it on graph paper, I used 3 1/2″ wide adding machine tape to create the needed string lengths. The tape was from our local Resource Depot, a non-profit that sells donated office and craft supplies. I used partial seams to avoid cutting and matching sections. Despite being a simple quilt, it took longer than I thought.

My first animal print quilt was the one above. I made it several years ago when feeling angry after seeing the disturbing barbaric photo on the right that was all over the news. Creating quilts have always helped me find calm amid anger or sadness. Although to this day, that photo still stirs a revulsion that I’ll probably never shake completely.

This is what I’ve been working on this week. I hope to have the finished quilt photo ready to share by Friday or Saturday.

Most of my animal skin prints came from Marshalls Dry Goods. You don’t need a wholesale account to shop that section of their website so I often buy wide backing by the bolt there too. I’m a fan of their great prices, big selection and good customer service.

We’ve had frequent showers the past few days, but I did manage to get outside and take a photo of the string quilt I finished a couple of days ago.

I added some of my short strings, mostly kid bright print, to the pile of little solids left from the quilt I finished at the end of May.

It’s a contemporary take on an old favorite, the log cabin quilt block. This version was inspired by the pattern Stacked Logs from Quilted Sunshine.

My little drawers of strings are beginning to overflow so I need to spend a bit of time making a few quilts to get them back under control.

I keep my strings sorted by color in a little cart I purchased from Michaels. Well, I’ve actually expanded to two carts now. Not because I wanted to store more fabric, but I did want more separations so I could break out a few by type (patriotic, batik, bright kid, reproduction prints,low volume, etc) and also have a drawer for leftover binding to occasionally be able to make a scrappy binding.

My husband had an old street sign in the garage he’d found in the ditch while walking one morning. He loves up-cycling things and finding new uses for them. He riveted the sheet metal to the backs so they’re a lot more stable and don’t wobble when I wheel them around.

Thinking about some of the things he’s recycled, I can’t wait to share the turkey protest signs he made for his Thanksgiving yard decorations when he takes them out in a few months. They’re from abandoned political campaign yard signs he got tired of seeing at the corner of our street. 🙂

This post was set to publish on July 4, 2024. I plan to share updates each Friday night if I have something to share. During the week, I’ll review previous posts, make edits if necessary, and republish them. I had another patriotic string quilt to add to the original post. It’s the first one you see below.

String quilts are among my favorite type of quilt to create. I enjoy transforming leftover fabrics that many quilters discard into something useful and beautiful.

I have several friends online who have been making them for years. My interest sparked when a local friend claimed, “string quilts are ugly!” Gauntlet dropped. Challenge accepted! In the process I discovered how much fun they are to make and unlocked a new realm of creativity. I’ll let you be the judge on whether or not she was proven wrong. 😉

My latest string quilt features blocks that finish at 8″. I use old phone book pages as a foundation for stitching the strings when I have them. For this quilt, I used our local grocery store (Publix) ads, as they provide large newsprint pages that allow for various shapes and sizes. The strings often aren’t straight or even, and often cut on the bias. Paper foundation helps stabilize them.

The stars were made using a free pattern from Urban Elementz called Fast No Match Stars. I like how easy it makes piecing the rows without worrying about clipping off the star points.

This star quilt was made by piecing 8″ string sections for the centers, stitched horizontally rather than on a diagonal. The finished block is 16″, with 1″ sashing and cornerstones.

My smallest strings are stitched to adding machine tape and trimmed to 2.5″ wide. I replaced the pieced squares in the pattern Star Trails by A Bright Corner with strips of strings.

I have friends who avoid paper foundations because they don’t like removing them. I prefer paper because fabric left in the block makes the quilt too heavy for our warm South Florida climate.

I actually enjoy removing the paper while watching TV in the evenings. It’s not a bother for me and keeps my hands busy when I’m not stitching a binding by hand.

I’m really happy with how the three quilts turned out. I still have many patriotic strings left, so I’ll look for my next idea to use them after I finish the million other projects on my quilt bucket list!