Ripple Wave #1

I hope you get out your basket of scraps and start your Ripple along with me.

I can't give you yardage estimates for this quilt....all I can tell you is you will use lots of scraps and left over strips. It doesn't matter the size or shape, everything will work. Your strips do not have to be cut straight either.

You will also need background fabric. I am using a bolt of white cotton I already have. You could also use a mixture of white backgrounds....it just isn't going to matter with this Ripple. I am estimating you will need approximately 8 yards/meters of background, depending how big you make your quilt.

I have no preconceived plans where this is going....but that is the nature of a Ripple! It starts with one tiny pebble and ripples out from there into infinity.

I often like mindless sewing where I can just sit and quilt while my mind wanders and works out the problems of the day.
I also try to always have something beside my machine to just pick up and put through the machine when I end one row of stitching so that I don't have to cut my threads....saves time, thread and before you know it you have another pile of finished blocks.
Some people call these "leader/enders". I call them my "turtles"....slow & steady wins the race.

Here is what I am starting with....leftovers from other projects, endings of strip sets, scraps, scraps, scraps!!!
Some people call these "Crumb Blocks" as they are made from the crumbs of other projects.

I've decided to rename my block. The "Ripple Block"....was else could it be called?

I just start sewing the units to a random strip.

Keep adding, keep adding...until that strip is used up. Don't think about color...as long as it fits I sew it on.

Here's mine with the strip pressed out. I always press my seams towards the strip. 

This is just like making a Log Cabin Block.

My sets pressed and trimmed apart.

Now just keep adding rows of strips around your center until you have "Ripple Blocks" that measure at least 7" square.

Here are some I have finished. Aren't they just so pretty? They don't need to be square, any old shape will work as long as it is at least 7" square.

The next step uses your white background fabric.
Cut a bunch of squares 7"x 7". I cut 60...I'll probably need more later.
You can't see it well in this photo, but I then drew a line with pencil from corner to corner diagonally. Yes...we are making Half Square Triangle units with your Ripples.

Lay your white square on top of your Ripple block...right sides together.
Now stitch a seam 1/4" on either side of that drawn pencil line.

Cut apart between lines of stitching on the pencil line as shown. Press seams towards white triangle. This reduces the bulk from all the seams in your Ripple Block.

Using a grid ruler that has a diagonal line on it, trim your pressed block to 6-1/2" square, lining up the diagonal line on your ruler with the diagonal seam of your block.

Here are the blocks I have finished so far hanging on my design wall.

My design wall is a piece of batting, so it is a little hard to see the units with the white background against the batting. 

That should keep you busy for a few hours. Make lots of these units.....I don't know how many yet....remember I am making this up as I go along.

I am starting with 60 blocks.....just seems like a good number to choose today.

So for 60 Half Square Triangle Ripple Blocks you will need 

30 white 7" x 7" squares

30 scrappy Ripple squares

Once you get a bunch of these blocks finished you can move onto the next step.

Cut a bunch of white background squares 6-1/2" x 6-1/2". 

Again I cut 60 of them.

I will post the next step tomorrow.

HAPPY RIPPLING!!!!!!

Wanda