(nicknamed Willy Nilly because of its very scrappy nature)
You can find Tonya's 2011 Legos tutorial HERE.
(credit for the name "Dumpster Diving"
goes to our younger son)
Quilted by Chris Ballard
* * *
I loved the labor-intensive process of making DD1
and had no idea I would end up creating
a series of quilts using this scrap-eating method
let alone that I would be able to quilt them myself.
You can see a summary video of the series by clicking here.
You can also read more about each quilt
by following the links included with
each individual quilt below:
* * *
was initially begun as part of my
Great String Reduction Project of 2015.
After countless edits,
I settled on a color-controlled approach
inspired by a vintage quilt.
After a very long waiting time as a top,
I quilted and finished DD2 in 2018.
was pieced using the leftovers
from making Dumpster Diving 2.
Because they were already color sorted,
the rainbow layout happened
without excessive struggle.
Started and completed in early 2018.
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| (double click to supersize image) |
And because there were still pieces left,
I used those to make a runner.
At first it hung on the wall (L)
but now it hangs off the end of the bookshelf (R).
(aka 'Tis the Season)
was started and finished in late 2018
to use up smaller pieces from my
overabundant stash of holiday fabrics.
was started in early 2018
and finished in October 2019.
(Catharsis: the release of tensions,
especially through art)
Dumpster Diving 5's cut off corners then
became the focus of a vintage quilt inspired
(Lagniappe: a little something extra, a bonus)
This quilt was gifted June 2024.
The increasingly smaller and scrappier
leftovers from Dumpster Diving 6,
have become Dumpster Diving 7 (Respite).
(Respite: a delay or cessation for a time
or interval of relief)
The very last of the scraps were incorporated
into Respite's scrappy back -
click here to read about it.
Completed March 2021
During the 2019 Davies Manor Quilt Show
I shared the first six Dumpster Diving Quilts
and worked on the next project in order to explain
the liberated scrappy process with show visitors.
Dumpster Diving 8 (Bella)
was started as a demo during that show.
Click HERE for the finished quilt post
Dumpster Diving 9 (Blue Springs Road)
Click HERE for the quilt's finished reveal.
Dumpster Diving 10 (Do Tell)
Click HERE for the quilt's finished reveal
Dumpster Diving 11 (Mischief Maker)
Rainbow Scrap Challenge 2020 project
January - light/bright green
February - orange
March - teal/turquoise/aqua
April - light/bright blue
May - sage green / salmon
June - bright pink/lavender
August - red violet and blue violet
September - red and warm brown
October - yellow and gold
Finished quilt reveal post HERE.
* * *
Dumpster Diving 12 (Confetti)
* * *
Moving beyond this series of Dumpster Diving quilts,
I created a new series of six quilts to use up
the leftover DD strips/segments/and snippets.
* * *
If you want to make your own version,
in addition to Tonya's tutorial above,
here is a link to my mini-tutorial from 2019.
Now, if you don't want to use your lego scraps
to make an entire quilt top like the ones shown above,
consider making smaller projects like mug rugs,
table runners (shown hanging on wall below)
sides for tote bags, pillow covers,
placemats (photo above), or journal covers
(there's a link to my favorite journal cover
tutorial in the sidebar on the right of this page).
You could also sew your pieces together
into strata or made-fabric yardage
and then cut (or die cut) as desired
(see WIP photo below).
Finally, HERE is the link to my Dumpster Diving Pinterest Board
with lots of visuals for ways to use your 1.5" bits.
Start looking around -
there are SO many possibilities!
