"Scraps Rule"

(I MQ on a DSM).  This is the 3rd, finished project from the gifted, never ending box of scraps.  Projects 4, 5, and 6, are in process!!!  

DONE - I used my "stuck-in-the-house" time well (2 blizzards), finishing up this quilt, called "Scraps Rule".  I used rulers on the lights and free-motion quilting on the dark.  Opinion on ruler work ... ??? this is new to me, and it did slow my progress considerably, altho I got faster.  I bought one thick ruler just for this project, but used a traditional 2.5 x 6 in. ruler for the most part.  The MQ foot that I use glides, does not hop, so my traditional quilting ruler (thin) worked well.  I actually broke my expensive MQ ruler somehow, didn't break the needle, just the ruler!  ARGH !  I glued it back together and still wonder how it happened.  The machine quilting foot apparatus somehow came into contact with that thick ruler and WHAM BAM!!! so I'm guessing I put the thick ruler in the wrong place at the wrong time.  

The large triangles are 60 degrees, and the smaller triangles are made with the Tri-Recs ruler.  The quilt measures approx. 70" x 80".

The finished product is visually pleasing, altho my ruler work leaves much to be desired - no quilt show winner here, yet I consider it's completion an accomplishment, considering the lengthy practicing, rethreading, unsewing, sighs of frustration.  I also learned my machine does NOT like to sew in a backward direction when machine quilting.

Here's the back, again making use of stash fabric.  It's "almost" perfectly square. 

This was inspired by Quiltville.com, a free pattern, altho I always end up going in my own direction, once I get "the bug".  Thank you Bonnie Hunter for her fabulous, never-ending ideas. 

Tip on making a backing like this.  I used MSWord to make a graph with the required visual dimensions, then print it out, color in what squares I have to verify I have enuf of each value.  It's worthwhile to consider half squares around the borders. Of course you can just lay them out where they fall but I wanted a defined pattern.  Alternating lights and darks would also be cool, or a kind of Trip Around the World or .... and remember you can piece those backing squares as well, or use leftover blocks or ...