Let The Scrapping Begin!

First of all, I want to wish all of you a very happy Easter!  Second, today's the first Scrap Basket Sunday, and I want to welcome all of you who are joining in making scrap blocks or just looking for something to inspire you to use your own ever-growing scrap pile.

I have two large scrap bins--one full of Thimbleberries fabrics and one full of non-Thimbleberries fabrics.  I seem to use the Thimbleberries scraps now and then, but not so much the others.  I'm hoping to change that, starting now.

I've looked through several block sources:  Quilters Cache, magazines, and books.  I finally settled on this book by Kim Diehl and the quilt on the cover called Pie in the Sky.

The blocks finish at 8", and there's what looks like a 2" sashing between the blocks so I think I probably want to make somewhere between 49 and 64 blocks or more (more for a little more flexibility in positioning the blocks, even if I do end up with extras).  I thought if I make between two and six blocks a week, I'll have enough to make the quilt in a few months.

My plan is to work on my blocks on Sundays when I can, but if Sunday isn't possible due to other activities, then I'll make them during the week.  In any event, I'll post photos of what I've made on my Sunday post (which I write on Saturday nights).  Here are my first four blocks:

Of course, if you want to join in, you absolutely don't have to make the same blocks I'm making.  On her Pink Pincushion blog, Sinta said she was thinking about making a quilt from the Kim Brackett's book, Scrap Basket Beauties.   And you don't have to make your blocks on Sunday, either.  Whatever day of the week works for you is great!  But it would be wonderful if you would post photos of your blocks on Sundays and then add your name to the Mr. Linky list that I'll post on my blog every Saturday, so everyone can pop over and visit you to see what you're working on.  And please include the source for your blocks, so if others are inspired, they can find the pattern and make blocks too.

I found this past week that making these blocks are addicting--I really wanted to keep making more just to see how they'd turn out.  Potato chip blocks:  because you can't make just one!

If there's a lot of interest and participation in this Scrap Basket Sunday idea, I may organize a scrap swap in the next couple of months and there may be a few random prizes now and then.  We'll see how things develop.  But I hope you'll join in making scrap blocks or at least enjoy looking!

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P.S.:  I was thinking about how I use my Thimbleberries scraps, and I realized I often use them in smaller projects.  If you want to join us in making things from scraps, it doesn't HAVE to be blocks to make a larger quilt--please feel free to make something smaller from your scraps.  Just as long as you're playing with scraps, you're more than welcome to join in!