The Slippery Scrappy Slope

Earlier this week, I posted about my compulsion attraction to those tiny bonus triangles that many throw away and the improv quilt with pinwheels I made from some of the ones I generated last weekend when I was making violet blocks.

But there were still more bonus triangles calling my name ...



In the way that one thing leads to another, I was playing with a setting idea for the Block Lotto this month and thought about the traditional block, Clover Blossom (also sometime known as English Ivy) and decided to make some of these.

For each 4 1/2-inch block, I used 9 tiny triangle squares (3/4 inch finished size) made from 9 different purple batiks and added a 10th purple batik to make the rest of the block.

Since the light half of the bonus triangles was also scrappy, I mixed up the fabrics in the background of the block.

I had enough of those bonus triangles to make these nine blocks.

I had thought to add plain fabric alternate blocks and setting triangles ... but I just couldn't do it. 

I thought these low-contrast 9-patch blocks would continue the mottled feeling of the background of the blocks.

Still, after I made these alternate blocks, I thought I could add plain fabric setting triangles ... but I was on the slippery slope of scrappiness and so I made a simply pieced triangle to audition the idea ...



But, it didn't feel scrappy enough, so I found myself making more of the 1 1/2-inch 4-patches.

I also made scrappy pieced corner triangles and here's the result.

This little quilt now measures 19 inches square.  I'm letting it rest on my design wall while I think about borders and quilting design. 

Also on my design wall is the block I designed for the current Modern Quilts Unlimited Magazine challenge, Everything Old is New Again.  Follow the link to see all the designs and note for your favorite.

The traditional inspiration is rail fence.

It's an unassuming block,  but I like it's simplicity–there are only two shapes in the pieced background.  Ad like those itty bitty bonus triangle squares, it has charmed me and I have some scrappy plans for it beyond the challenge ... come back tomorrow for more.

I'm joining Angela's party for ScrapHappy Saturday. Check out what everyone else is making from purple scraps this month.