One of the best things about quilting is how two people can use the exact same quilt pattern to sew two very different quilts.

This is my version of my Scrap Magnet quilt, with each block sewn with similar coloured scraps.

The fabrics (solid or patterned), the colours, the values (dark vs light) and their placement are all choices that a quilter has at their disposal to create a beautiful quilt.

I love having people test my patterns before they’re launched. Not just for error-finding (although this is very important) but to see what each tester makes from the pattern. It’s so much fun to see what a pattern becomes when another sewist puts their creative spin on it.

So let’s check out what the Scrap Magnet testers got up to!

Cynthia was the first tester to sew her block up and photographed it. I sent the pattern out late one night and by the morning she had it done (international time zones did help, but she really was very quick :).

Cynthia sewed up the jumbo block in these sparkling emerald greens and will be turning it into a baby quilt for charity. It makes for a great uni-sex baby quilt in these colours.

Susan sewed up the small block – four of them to be exact. She plans to add a border and turn it into a baby quilt as well. I really love the warm colours Suz chose to create a very pretty quilt, which while scrappy, is very coordinated. You can see more of this quilt in a post that Susan wrote up on her blog, Patchwork N Play.

Lyn also sewed up the jumbo block for a charity quilt. Lyn is a long arm quilter and finished her quilt up in style (love those swirls)! The dinosaur print fabric will make a small someone very happy, I’m sure.

If you’re in Australia you can find out more about Lyn’s quilting services through her Facebook page.

Kim has sewn up a gorgeous version of the smaller block. She auditioned her options for the centre patch on Instagram Stories and the stripes were the winner. (I was glad because it was my favourite!) You also have to check out Kim’s blog, Leland Ave Studios (she has a creative series where she interviewed me last year).

Kalynn sewed up the larger block to make this sweet baby mat flimsy. I love the western theme – from the colours to the vintage-style florals, to the cowboy print in the centre.

Joanne’s jumbo block is also destined to be a charity quilt. There’s not a kid in my household that can resist the Minions so I’m sure this one will be a smash hit. You can find Joanne’s blog over here.

And last but not least, Deb sewed up a delightful version of the small block.

Deb made her block into a gorgeous cushion – I really love the denim-style background fabric and how the reds pop.

There you have it. A parade of beautiful projects that show how one block can make many different quilts. Thank you to all the Scrap Magnet testers!

If you’d like to create your own version of Scrap Magnet, you can find the pattern over here in my shop.

If you’d like to read more about the throw sized version I sewed (including details of quilting and binding) you can find that blog post here.

Happy sewing!

I have a new scrap quilt pattern for you today called Scrap Magnet.

This pattern will hopefully get you rifling through your scrap pile, looking for gold.

A good scrap pile rifling is like a stroll down memory lane. It’s fun to remember all the projects those fabrics featured in, and to know that they’ve still got plenty of life in them yet.

The Scrap Magnet pattern is a downloadable PDF pattern that will help you find a new home for your scraps.

Scrap Magnet throw-size quilt pattern

Scrap Magnet features a 16-block, 66.5″ square throw quilt.

The colourful centres of the blocks in this quilt are made from scraps. However the background (grey here) and accent (white) are sewn from yardage and put together with strip piecing. This makes sewing up all the background pieces for the blocks much quicker and easier.

A single 17″ Scrap Magnet block

For those who aren’t ready to commit to a full quilt, not a problem. I’ve also included instructions for a single block (17″ square). This can easily be turned into a table topper, a mini quilt or a cushion.

I sewed up this one in all the purples I had. I’ll be turning this one into a cushion later this week.

When cutting your fabric for the 17″ blocks you can either choose to cut individual squares from scrap, or where you have large scraps, cut strips for strip piecing. The instructions have you covered either way.

A jumbo 44″ Scrap Magnet block

For those who want instant gratification, the pattern also includes instructions for a single jumbo sized block (44″ square). This block uses yardage rather than scraps and is perfect for whipping up a baby mat. Multiple blocks could also be used to create a larger quilt in quick time.

Shoes included above to give a better feeling for the size of the block. I’m standing on my sewing table. This block’s a big ‘un.

Choosing fabrics

For my Scrap Magnet throw size quilt I decided to go heavy on the rainbow!

I sorted all my scraps into colour groups.

Then I pulled out little piles of 3 coordinating fabrics for each block. I’d already decided to use black scraps for the points (corner stones?) of each block. Using the same colour there would help tie all the blocks together.

I chose the centre colour for most of the blocks as I was sewing them. I found it easier to audition my fabrics once I had my block pieces laid out in front of me.

Once I had sewn all my blocks I spent a bit of time rearranging them until I found the layout I liked best.

Quilting my Scrap Magnet

When it came time to quilt I couldn’t say no to a good old cross hatch. Given all the squares in the quilt top this quilting design was so easy to do without marking a single line. I just went from one diagonal to the next all the way across the quilt.

I may have gone a little overboard as I ended up quilting every square (to create a 1″ square cross hatch) but the texture is really lovely.

Even though it took a while, I find straight line quilting to be quite relaxing. A glass of wine, some music and a few nights of quilting are quite therapeutic!

Binding

To finish off the quilt I used a black print to echo the black fabric in each of the blocks. I did consider a scrappy binding but I felt the single colour calmed things down a bit and framed the quilt nicely.

I did a machine binding for my Scrap Magnet quilt using zigzag stitch in black thread. If you need a how-to on zigzag stitch binding, I have a tutorial on this method over here.

I really like the way it turned out. It looks like my binding is wearing false eyelashes!

The Scrap Magnet quilt pattern

If you’re ready to attack your scrap pile and turn it into something pretty, you can find the Scrap Magnet PDF quilt pattern in my online shop right here.

You can sew your own throw quilt, a jumbo block baby mat or just a single block cushion or mini-quilt. Your scraps will relish the opportunity to shine again!

Happy sewing!