One of the things I love about blogging is hearing from people who comment and share their ideas. Here are a couple of ideas that I thought you might enjoy, too.
When I blogged about some household items that are useful for quilting, Peggy commented that she cuts up her old calendars and uses the numbers to label her blocks and rows.
It was the perfect time of year for that handy hint, so I promptly cut up an old calendar. The numbers worked great for labeling pieces for a complex project. I clipped them to groups of fabric for the various sections of the quilt using binder clips–an idea I got from Judy Niemeyer’s class years ago.
Another friend, Claire, responded to my post on making single-color slabs by asking what I do with fabric that is a mixture such that no one color predominates. I had been cutting out sections based on the predominant color, and that seemed to work. But…
When I came to this piece, I realized I had NO desire to cut out chunks small enough to be mainly one color. Then I started looking and saw that I had a number of prints from which I would NEVER be able to cut single-color pieces of any size.
So I made a block of multi-color pieces. It is pretty wild, but so were some of the fabrics that went into it. I’ll see how it looks with the single-color blocks when I assemble a quilt. What do you think? Make more of these or give up on the truly multicolored fabrics for slabs?
Zippy Quilts 
Seems to me they could make some cute small items but maybe be too much for a whole quilt…..just my humble opinion😊
Hi Kathleen! Thanks for the idea 😀
I need to run to the dollar store today and buy a calendar. Haven’t had a paper one for ages, but love the idea.
Wow! Your calendars must be all digital! I can’t get over the advantages of the paper ones despite the equal advantages of digital.
Hmmm, now that is a good question. I think I would save them to use in log cabin quilt strips, pair them with a matching solid color for patch blocks, and/or use them to make very colorful houses and landscapes for a neighborhood quilt.
oo! oo! Yes, so much fun for houses and such!
Oooh! I like all those ideas!
My favorite tip from the internet….save the plastic bread ties. Have your friends save them for you and in no time you will have enough for alphabet and numbers. A homemade version of fatquartershop’s alphabitties!
Haha! I love it!
I have never been a fan of this sort of a block, makes my eyes spin, but I think cut into strips and used in a log cabin or a strip quilt would work nicely. Glad I do a lot of appliqué and use up my scraps in those, I also just do a scrappy quilt when they start to overwhelm my storage system.
Sounds like you’ve got a good plan!
I love the block. I’d use them alternating with solidish blocks of that great blue, orange, and purple. They could be small projects as suggested above — placemats, lap mats, tote bags, tablet/laptop covers… Still, very fun.
And who knew there would be so many good ideas for using them!
My vote is for making more multicolored blocks. ✔️
What type of fabric would you use to put these blocks together?
I think any sashing or alternate blocks would have to be solid or almost solid. Black might be good.
I have some mixed colored scrappy blocks and I had thought of either black or white sashing. Thanks for the input.
I love it! What a fun block!
And fun to make, so win-win!
I like the multicolor block pieces! I have some fabric in my stash like that plaid and I have wondered what I am going to do with it (and occasionally – why did I buy it?!?!) Thanks for sharing the ideas!
Oh yes, I have some “why did I buy it ” fabric, too!
That looks like a good solution. I remember a time when the blended look was in for mixing prints, and that seems to be what has happened here. And I also notice that though you color coordinated the palette (if not the individual color); that may be the basis of the success of this block. And an answer to the question.
oops. Take “though” out of that last sentence. Editing at one end without coordinating the other end of the sentence, my bad.
Haha. Gotta love spell checking by clueless computers!
Calendar numbers— genius.
One of the many advantages of blogging is getting other people’s ideas!
I am in the “love the loud block” camp! It would be good cut up itself…strips or HSTs or whatever…as well! Thanks for sharing!
Thanks for visiting and commenting 😀