Easy Breezy Leader and Ender Challenge by Bonnie Hunter

I LOVE scrap quilts and was introduced to Bonnie Hunter’s website “Quiltville” and her blog when I owned my store by a couple of customers; Bic and Dorothy. They attended a monthly class I taught called “Scrap-Busters” where I introduced a quilt block each month designed to use scrap fabrics.   I’ve read about and followed Bonnie’s journey ever since.  Last month she announced a stash-busting new project; “Easy Breezy Leader and Ender Challenge“.  

Her timing was perfect, I needed a mental distraction as well as a gift quilt, and I was IN!

I have a fabric stash.  A substantial fabric stash.  Actually we can call it 2 fabric stashes.  One stash is my quilting cottons, the other one is garment fabric.  As a result of being raised by immigrant parents who grew up in war torn Holland, it was ingrained in my head to never waste anything.  Whether it’s food, fabric or time.  My scraps are “organized”, lol.  The larger bits by colour, and the small bits by size.  These are my “small bit bins”.

Instead of doing this project as a “leader and ender” I chose to chain produce blocks in the finished 6 inch size. The cutting and the sewing began.

160 blocks complete!  Enough for a 60 inch by 72 inch couch quilt.  The next step was assembly. 

It screamed for a border, so I cut a bunch of 2 inch strips together longways and used that as my border. 

Chain piecing again, and loving the little orange cutting tool.

Because I want to quilt it myself, but have “old shoulders”, I chose to piece it in two halves; 10 blocks by 6 blocks, then I’ll join the 2 sections together. (Like I did with this quilt.)

I quilted each half with a large meander, leaving the area where the haves will join together unquilted for now.  My Epic2 with the large throat area made it easy.  It was my first time free motion stitching on my new machine, and it went without a hitch.  70 weight bobbin thread underneath in a cream colour, and beige in the needle.  Then I’ll join them, finish that last bit of meandering, trim and bind.  I’ll bind with a single strip of “some dark colour”, then my “gift quilt” will be ready to give.

This project came up at just the right time for me, and I love the result.  How are YOU doing?  Stitching through a stash?  I’d love to hear from you.