Projects Using 1 1/2″ Strips
Posted on February 21, 2025 by prairiemoonquilts in Stash TalesI told you I’d be back with lots of ideas for how to use your scraps, and today is one of those posts — yay!
We’re gonna start out with ideas for using up 1 1/2″ strips. So if you have any honeybuns laying around, or if you process your scraps into precuts like I do, and 1 1/2″ strips is one of your common cut sizes, here are some ideas for how to use those up.
My drawer of 1 1/2″ strips is currently overflowing once again, so I need to start something new, but first, I’m gonna show you some of the ones I’ve already got going along with some tops I have yet to get quilted that use this size of scraps.
Log Cabin Blocks:
I made this quilt using a tutorial for log cabin blocks by Sherri at A Quilting Life, but it’s not on her site anymore. However, if you want to make Log Cabin blocks using your 1 1/2″ strips, just do an online search for “Log Cabin quilt block tutorials”, and you will probably find more options than you can shake a stick at.
In addition, once you get your blocks made, there are infinite possibilities for ways to arrange them. You could make log cabin blocks the rest of your life and never have to repeat your quilt top design twice! There are just so many ways to use these versatile blocks. And they’re super easy to make, too!
My rule for this quilt was to use only pink, yellow, and orange strips, which I put with a pale yellow background, and that pop of turquoise for the centers. Pink, yellow, and orange is still one of my favorite color combos!
I also used a honey bun to whip up this little cutie as well. I had a coordinating fat quarter to use for the center squares.
Courthouse Steps Blocks:
Speaking of Log Cabin blocks, the Courthouse Steps block is simply a variation on that theme. I’m currently very close to having this top finished, and for it, I’m using a pattern by Kaffe Fassett, from his book, Passionate Patchwork. For this one, I actually used larger scraps and cut my strips, but I had a lot of reds I wanted to use up.
Rail Fence Quilt:
Another super easy quilt to make. This one can even be strip pieced for faster construction.
I made this one years ago, and oddly, it’s been one of my best-selling patterns ever! It’s called “Forever Fencin'”, and the pattern is available in my Etsy shop in PDF format. My rule for this one was “no blue”!
I love it so much, I turned around and made one using an entirely scrappy color palette, just to use up more strips:
There is also this pattern, called Stripper’s Delight II, that uses 1 1/2″ strips or a honey bun, and it’s available on my Free Patterns page. This particular one was made by my friend, Rose Marie.
Moda has lots of free patterns using honey buns as well. Click HERE.
And of course, if you search online, you’ll find way more ideas than you will ever have time to deal with!
So there’s a start, and I’ll be presenting more ideas as we go along, so stay tuned!
If you have any questions, or want to see a certain type of pre-cut scrap quilt ideas, just let me know, and I’ll try to address that.
I’ll also eventually be setting up a page where all of these ideas can be gathered in one handy place, so when I get that ready, I’ll be sure and let you know.
Hurrah! Like those a lot. Thanks!
all of them are great quilts. Will keep these ideas in a folder. First I need to finish a couple of other things, but these strips would be good to have by my machine
Good ideas, sorta jealous you have favorite color combos; I imagine I will get there.
Not done courthouse steps yet. Looks great. But I do love the log cabins. Favourite photo – the kitty on the post tossing up whether to tightrope walk! LOL!
Great ideas there.
I like the courthouse steps and the scrappy design.
Bow tie blocks are fun.
Log cabin quilts in all their many variations are endlessly entertaining. I just came across as 5″wide WOF roll in (one of) a previously unpacked box. That was a precut totally new to me and it was a gift. I have yet to find any patterns for it. Any suggestions? The first place I looked was Moda as they pretty much invented naming precuts. Their rolls were both 5″ and 6″ wide
Great ideas. Thanks!
love scrappy quilts!
Thanks so much for showing mine! I wonder where it went!! lol. Quilts find new homes very often. It is a great art!
Oh Shelly! Thank you so much for sharing your quilts. I have a difficult time coming up with what colors to use together that would make me smile. Your pink, yellow, and orange absolutely is now at the top of the list and I’m sure I have plenty. I appreciate you sharing with us.