When you have a lot of scraps left over from making quilts, you make a mile a minute quilt. When sewing, the seam allowance can be what ever you wish. It doesn’t have to be 1/4″. It just has to be straight. It is a good way to use up leftover bobbins and spools of thread. It doesn’t matter what color thread you use. The mile a minute is made by not looking and just grabbing the next piece of color, although some people like to match the colors or themes of their fabric. Either way is o.k. The color of the quilt is determined by the color of the sashing. For instance, if you use a blue sashing, it will pick up the blues in the mile a minute block and the quilt will read as blue.
The technique is easy. Sew small scraps to a strip. Cut the pieces apart, press and then add the pieces to a second strip. Keep sewing in this manner until there is a piece big enough to cut out a square that is the size that you want. I use a 6 1/2″ square ruler to cut the square. It is put on the diagonal, not straight. This 6 1/2″ block can be used in any block pattern that has a piece that size in it.
The easiest quilt to piece uses sashing and three borders. The mile a minute block is in a straight set. The middle border is a mile a minute piece cut 3 1/2″ and joined together to make a border long enough to go around the quilt.
Another option is to use a diagonal set. Oversize mile a minute blocks are cut in half for the triangles next to the border.
Every time I think I have finished my last mile a minute quilt and have used up all the scraps, I find bins of leftover scraps from other quilts. I still have a big bag of Christmas fabric. Some day, I will have a Christmas mile a minute.
Have a great day and happy quilting.
Miss Molly quilts 