WIPs February 2021: Scrap quilts and iMac G3 cat tree
Welcome to WIP Roundup! Handicrafts are just as much about the process as the end result. The projects I work on can take anywhere from days to months to years before they are finished. In 2021, I’m writing a monthly series where I take a look at three WIPs and give a quick snapshot of how things are going.
For February 2021, let’s look at an ongoing project and two new ones: the improv scrap quilt, an Apple (Cat) Tree, and some QAYG chair cover repairs.
Improv Scrap Quilt
Lots of progress on my improv scrap quilt this month!
First order of business was to figure out how the small blocks would fit together. I tested several orientations/combinations/variations... and nothing really stood out. Ultimately decided to start by sewing together 4 coordinating blocks to make a diamond shape and then go from there. Kind of a non-decision, but at least it was a way forward.
I matched blocks and made new blocks if I didn’t have a matching set of 4. That was fun and made me choose some color combos I wouldn’t normally have to complete the diamonds. Overall, I had 12 diamonds. Here they are together.
The end result is chaotic. And unfortunately, while the individual diamonds looked great on their own, I didn't think they looked awesome together. Before I made the diamonds, I created a similar layout where I randomly distributed the small blocks so they were deliberately not grouped by color — it looked much better.
I decided to add spacers to give some breathing room. Continuing on with the smaller block design, I added coordinating triangles to the sides of the diamonds, to make larger square blocks. Here are the first two.
I don't have a ton of large scraps. So I pieced the spacer triangles from smaller scraps... sometimes the same fabric, sometimes different.
Added spacers also had major advantage — they greatly expanded the surface area of the quilt. It's settling on its final shape. Here are the 12 blocks I have. Current plan is to add 4 more so the overall quilt shape is a square. Overall, it's looking good, especially for something that was completely improvised. And the best part is that each of these fabrics has a story. I know where they came from: what project they used to be a part of, or were leftover from.
iMac G3 Cat Tree, aka the Apple (Cat) Tree
My cats are constantly near me as I work. If they aren’t sitting on lap, stealing my chair, or lying next to my computer, they are sprawled on my yoga mat or hiding in the very top corner of my closet. Since they spend so much time in my “office,” I’ve contemplated getting some kind of cat tree for that room.
Someone was selling 2 iMac G3 cases on Nextdoor, which felt like an opportunity I couldn't pass up. People make cat beds out of these... I figure I can design some kind of stand and combine these into an Apple (Cat) Tree.
So far, I've just cleaned them up. The plastic is yellowed, but otherwise seems to be in good condition, especially given these are 20+ years old.
QAYG Chair Cover Repairs
This technically isn’t a WIP because it’s finished, but I did work on it this month. :)
Ghostie developed a hilarious habit of sticking her head through the bars of our dining room chairs. She’d do it, panic, pull her head out, and then immediately forget all about it and do it again. It was funny…. until the time she got stuck and nearly hurt herself in the process. So I placed pillowcase covers over our the chair backs until I came up with a more long-term solution.
Enter quilt-as-you-go (QAYG) and pieced chair back covers. This was my first scrap project and also my first time using the QAYG technique. It was fun, and the covers served their intended purpose, but over the months they began to droop. The top ties weren’t optimally attached, causing the covers to shift and sag.
I used leftover quilt binding from my Lana Lemur quilt to add a tie in the center-top of each cover. I also tacked the top-side ties lower down on so there was less wiggle room.
Love this little collection! I have 5 total, but only 4 fit in the shot.
