Rainbow Scrap Challenge Sampler - Ticker Tape

Full disclosure first. This block is totally NOT original. I saw a tutorial on on Crazy Mom Quilts. She did a whole quilt though, and it was a quilt as you go technique.   I was thinking about this block for next years Rainbow Scrap Challenge and thought I would try it out.

You will need a 7 inch square of background fabric and a stack of scraps. This will give you a little wiggle room to square up in case your block gets frayed during the sewing process.  Use a water erasable marker to draw a 6 inch square inside.  This will give you a framework to make sure your scraps will all fit inside the seam allowance of the finished block.     I always seem to have a stack of leftovers after a trimming session.  These tiny scraps are too small to be cut into useable sizes, but too cute to throw away.  They are just perfect for this block.

Starting in one corner of your block, making sure to stay inside your marked line, start puzzling your scraps together.  Feel free to trim pieces down to fit in empty spaces. Play with your scraps, leaving a little border around the scraps about a quarter of an inch or so.  Arrange them until you are happy with the finished look.  Now go grab a glue stick.  I like the disappearing purple school glue and use it all the time for quilting projects.  Just put a little dab on the back of each scrap to hold it in place until the sewing is done.  If you don't like the idea of using glue, you could also pin these, but I really do try never to use pins unless it is absolutely necessary.

Starting in one corner, and using the eighth inch mark on the inside of your quarter inch foot, sew just inside one edge of your first scrap.  Using the needle down position in the corner, pivot and continue around all four sides.  Use two back stitches to secure your stitches when you get back to where you started and neatly trim your threads.  Move to the next square and continue to sew just inside the edge of each little square of fabric.

Look how cute that it!  At this point you may gently rinse your block to remove the glue residue and erase the water soluble marker.  Press and square up to 6.5 inches unfinished.  I really could see a whole quilt of these in all the colors of the rainbow.