Are you looking for a simple pattern that can be done in any color combo? What about using lots of scraps? How about easy to put together? This Scrappy Tumblers quilt is the answer to all those questions.

I have been working on another tumbler quilt from scraps that will look totally different (hint: look at the very bottom of this post for current photo). Anyway, I went looking for photos of the Scrappy Tumblers quilt to share with you since it is easy, looks great in scraps, and is an easy one piece design to make.

I started this quilt back in 2015 as a way to try to empty out the scrap bin. I originally sewed all the tumblers together…..and just stopped. There was no where for my eyes to rest, and it made me a bit dizzy to look at it. I had no idea what to do to make it better. Disappointed, I folded it up and put it in the stack of UFOs (unfinished objects).

Then in the spring of 2016, I was in a quilt shop that had a tumbler quilt on display and I loved it. The only real difference between the one in the store, and mine was there were narrow white borders between sections of the tumblers. It made all the difference – there was a place to rest my eyes.

Going home, I took the rows apart and added the narrow brown strips to make three sections. Yes, such an easy solution. During June and July of 2016, I sewed on and completed the wall hanging top.

Pattern:

Here is a PDF of the actual size tumbler pattern I use for the Scrappy Tumblers quilt. It is also the same one I am using for my current project, Scrap Happy Tumblers.

Instructions:

To make the Scrappy Tumblers quilt I cut tumblers from scrap fabric. I just starting cutting up scraps meaning I did not count. The easiest thing I found was to iron the fabric, then stack it up 4 – 6 layers thick with the lightest color on top right side down. I traced around the pattern on the back of fabric on top of the stack. Cut out using ruler and rotary cutter.

Obviously, this could also be cut one at a time with scissors if so desired.

The brown cotton sateen fabric that is between the sections of tumblers is 2.5″ wide. The outside border is 4″ wide.

The finished size of the wall hanging is 56″ x 54″.

It was machine quilted in Dec. 2017 by RLM in a all-over stipple design. I chose to not hand quilt it for two reasons: I was ready to move onto another project, and I didn’t want to deal with all those seams when quilting.

I put the binding, hanging sleeve, and label on in Jan. 2018.

I found this really neat Thanksgiving toile in Paducah one year and used it for the backing.

Conclusion

This quilt is a super easy way to use up scraps. It also goes together easily. Best of all is that the finished size can be adjusted to your wants by using more or less tumblers and sashing between the sections.

Have fun with this simple project.

Other ideas for using tumbler pieces to build a quilt:

https://www.diaryofaquilter.com/2013/04/tumbler-quilt-tutorial.html

https://indianaquilter40.com/flowers-tumblers-or-scraps-are-taking-over-my-world-part-3/

And here is a photo of my newest tumbler quilt. I have used all the cut tumblers so will have to cut more before I go on. It is currently about 3/4 of a twin size quilt.

PLEASE NOTE: 
ALL PHOTOS AND WRITTEN CONTENT ARE MY OWN UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED.