Scrappy quilts are a wonderful way to breathe new life into your leftover fabrics, creating a beautiful, cohesive masterpiece from what might otherwise be forgotten scraps. In this blog post, I’ll share my journey of making a scrappy quilt using the Bonnie’s Beehive pattern from the book Bonnie and Camille’s Quilt Bee. This quilt showcases the magic of coordinated scrappiness, as I used leftover fabrics from a Folktale fat quarter bundle by Lella Boutique, supplemented with white background fabrics and a border from the Lovestruck collection.
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Scrappy Quilt Supplies
- Pattern: Bonnie’s Beehive from Bonnie and Camille’s Quilt Bee book
- Fabric: Leftover pieces from a Folktale fat quarter bundle by Lella Boutique
- Background Fabric: Bella 200 White fabric
- Foundation Paper: Triangles on a Roll
- Additional Fabric for Border and Backing: Lovestruck collection by Lella Boutique
- Quilt Label: Custom label from the Sweetwater Fabric Co. Tagged Club
- Pantograph: Fast Feathers Edge-2-Edge by My Creative Stitches
Steps to Make a Controlled Scrappy Quilt
Step 1: Sorting and Planning
The first step in creating this scrappy quilt was to sort my leftover pieces of fabric from the Folktale fat quarter bundle. I grouped the fabrics by color, which helped me plan how many blocks of each color I would make. This planning stage is crucial for ensuring that the quilt maintains a balanced and harmonious look, even though it’s made from scraps.
Step 2: Making Half Square Triangle Units
Using Triangles on a Roll foundation paper, I made 32 half-square triangles (HSTs) for each quilt block. This method ensures precision and consistency in the HSTs, which are the building blocks of the quilt. I then cut the remaining print fabrics into the correct sized squares needed to complete the star blocks in the Bonnie’s Beehive pattern.
Related Post: Making Precise Half Square Triangles for Quilting
Step 3: Cutting and Piecing the Quilt Blocks
I cut each fabric to get as many blocks as possible with the sequence of 32 HSTs and 16 squares. After cutting, I began piecing the quilt blocks together. The controlled scrappy approach meant that although the fabrics were leftovers, they were still coordinated, giving the quilt a cohesive and intentional look.
Step 4: Assembling the Quilt Top
In total, I was able to make 25 quilt blocks. To add a border, I searched for coordinating fabric, but since Folktale was out of print, I chose yardage from the Lovestruck collection, also by Lella Boutique. Often, fabric designers maintain a consistent style across their collections, which made this substitution work perfectly.
Step 5: The Finished Scrappy Quilt
The result is a beautiful scrappy quilt that looks intentional and cohesive, thanks to the coordinated fabrics. This project is a fantastic way to use up leftover fabrics, and the Bonnie’s Beehive pattern lends itself well to both controlled scrappy and fully scrappy approaches. You can easily adapt this pattern by using like-colored fabrics from different collections to complete each block.
Final Thoughts on Controlled Scrappy Quilts
Making a scrappy quilt with the Bonnie’s Beehive pattern was a rewarding experience, showcasing the versatility and beauty of leftover fabrics. Whether you’re using a coordinated bundle like I did or diving into your stash for a true scrappy look, this pattern is a great choice for creating a stunning quilt.
Happy quilting!
