illinois

I have inherited a stash of Thimbleberry fabrics that are already cut into various widths from 1 1/4" to 2". Thimbleberry seems to have exhausted its popularity but, if you remember, they were mostly darks. I could sure use some ideas on how to use those and get them into something besides a box. Quick and easy would be appreciated--just so they are usable.

QuiltnNan

string quilts are always a good way to use them up. I sew them into a big piece of fabric and then cut the blocks out of it.

Charleen DiSante

Sew the 2 inch pieces together with a background piece and make 4 patches, etc

Tartan

Go to Bonnie Hunter’s Quiltville site and click on her Free Pattern tab. Look for her Basket Weave quilt pattern to see if that would work for your strings.

feline fanatic

There were lights in the old thimbleberry lines but if all you have are darks I would supplement with light neutrals and make offset log cabins (also known as curved Log Cabin). When I made mine I used 1 1/2" and 1" wide strips but you can easily do them with other sizes.

Dunster's Log cabin star pattern uses two different width strips. You can sort the strips into like sizes and use all the same width strips in loads of different block designs that use strips like Courthouse Steps, Pineapple, Spiderweb and regular Log Cabin.

You can make "strata" fabric out of many strips sewn together then recut into other shapes. 2" strips can be cut down into 2" squares matched with a light and make HST. If you sew one diagonal seam you will get one 2" UF size HST but if you sew a 1/4 on either side of the center diagonal line you will get two 1 1/2" UF size HST.

If you have a lot of 2" x WOF strips you can try making a bargello.

ekuw

I too "inherited" quite a lot of thimbleberries fabrics. Lately it has occurred to me to use them in place of civil war fabrics as those are usually quite dark. I found a Thimbleberries book at a thrift store and have made (1) quilt from the book and intend to make others as well. So my suggestion is look at civil war patterns, and I think the log cabin suggestion is a good one as well.

Iceblossom

Seconding what Ekuw said, thimbleberries in general work very well with civil war fabrics/designs.

One of my small group ladies just finished (last stitch last week!) a hand quilted scrappy civil war fabric quilt. She had 9-patches inside a churn dash, with dark triangles at the edges, it came out lovely. Problem is with your collection would be the triangles, but maybe you have something to use for them.

Ariannaquilts

Are you saying that the pieces are cut like 2" square? Or 2x6 for example? I have some of the Thimbleberry books and I think her fabrics are more autumnal than dark. I definitely use them in place of civil war reproduction fabrics.

illinois

They are mostly leftover strips so only a few that are wof. There was one posted “somewhere” recently that was somewhat similar to Stacked Coins with varying lengths of light between the darks. If someone knows what I might have seen, please tell me what it is or can find it, please.

Jordan

Maybe you could find some lighter neutrals to go with the dark fabrics you have.