I'm very much still on my kick to use up my scrap reclaimed wood. Like I said in the previous post (check it out!), I have waaaaaaaay too much reclaimed wood! It's spilling out of my shelves!
So, I decided to use up my scraps on a familiar project:
The quilt square!
If you recall, I made a BIG one of these for my Mother-in-law for Christmas (check out the blog entry!). I had a lot of fun making it, and I learned a lot along the way. That being said, I don't need to make one that big at this time. Plus, since I'm using scraps, I don't have extremely long pieces like I did for that first project.
The other thing I want to change this time around is to use more color coordination to make the pattern. My Mother-in-law's quilt square had a random configuration of colors, which looked really good because of the size of the final product. But, since I want to make a square that is approximately 1/4 of the size, I think it would look neater with a set pattern and configuration of colors.
Let's get started!
This is the same wood that I used for the reclaimed wood star (check out the entry!). Like I said in that entry, I have too much of it! So, this is one of the woods I'll be using for sure.
I'll also be pulling some different woods from my other scrap stashes that I have to get the different colors. The smaller pieces will be pulled from my "scrap bucket"...
And, for the larger sections, I'll be using some larger pieces of scrap.
But, like any good project, I need a solid plan to start!
I started with a 12" X 12" square of posterboard and I created a grid of 2" X 2" squares. When I was making my Mother-in-law's square, I used a grid, which made it extremely easy to lay everything out beforehand and make sure that everything fits the way it is supposed to be!
Now, to cut some wood!
I cut the planks into 2" strips to start with.
Then, I came up with the design by drawing it out on the template...
The smiley faces is where I intend to put the wood that I chopped into 2" strips. Each section of the square is a different pattern to coincide with a certain type of wood I'll be using for that section.
*Next time, I'll definitely color code the template using Sharpies or something. This was difficult to decipher at times because there's only so many patterns and shades of pencil I could come up with.
Now, it's time to start cutting and placing the wood pieces!
I started with placing the little squares first, since they are the easiest to cut.
Next, I moved on to the small triangles. Then, the large squares. Naturally, I left the inner "parallelogram" pieces for last because they are the most difficult to cut and fit precisely!
The above piece of wood isn't the one I used for this project, but I picked up some green painted barnwood from an antique show for almost nothing. The vibrant green is so stark, I definitely wanted to use it for the center pieces. I found some black painted barnwood to contrast the brightness of the green for the center as well.
After cutting, test-fitting,and riffling through scraps, this is what I got!
*NOTE: I cut the white "squares" too small, and I didn't check them before cutting all 4. And, unfortunately, I don't have any thicker boards of white wood to use instead. So, I decided to leave it how it was. There is a bit of a lip from the black wood in the center that masks it a little bit. But, a good lesson was learned that I thought I already knew: Measure twice, cut once!
I was also able to do a cool visual on the center design by matching up the molding. I just did it so it would look nice and uniform, but it actually gives that section a cool 3D pop!
Bonus!
Now that I have the square all laid out and how I want it, it's time to make a frame for it!
I went with a darker frame for this piece to contrast some of the light wood choices. I used some long strips that I bought as scrap from my wood guy in Sanford, approximately 2" wide. I cut them at 45 degree angles on the ends with the "inner" lengths at 12". This should accommodate the 12" X 12" square perfectly!
Now, to assemble the frame!
I used a combination of wood glue along with these flat corner braces.
I know, I'm cheating...
I could have just wood glued it and clamped it, maybe added some staples for additional support when it dried...But, if you've read any of my other blog entries, you know that I like for things to be strong so they can stand the test of time. So, using the braces is a must for me, just for my piece of mind.
Looking good!
Next was to add a piece of backer board to the back of the frame!
For this piece, I put the frame on top of a piece of backer board. Then, I traced the inner square of the frame (12" X 12") on to the backer board. Then, I went around the outline and added about a half inch around the whole perimeter before cutting. I did this because I want it to sit on the back of the frame inside of the braces, so it needs to overlap.
I cut out the backer board using my scroll saw, and I sanded down the edges manually with a small piece of 120-grit sandpaper.
Now, to secure the backing to the frame!
I decided on using 1/2" flathead screws to secure it to the back of the frame. Since the wood for the quilt square is going to sit on this backer board, I wanted to make sure it was super secure and not going to fall out with all that extra weight!
I flipped it over to check out how it looked!
Looks really good!
Now that the frame is done, it's time to assemble the puzzle and put the pieces into the frame one at a time!
I decided to secure the pieces to the backer board using wood glue. Then, I let it fully dry for 24 hours before moving it around.
Lastly, I added a couple "D-rings" to the back to hang it if desired.
And just like that, it's done!
This one was a lot easier than the last one I did; but also a lot smaller! I learned a lot once again. Next time I make a quilt square, hopefully it'll go even smoother with no mistakes!
Overall, this project only took about 3 hours from start to finish, not including wood glue drying time. I made quick cuts and decisions on this one!
I really like the design and the look of this piece. But, I don't really have a spot for it at the current time! I'll be putting it up on my Store page, so be sure to go check it out if you're interested!
The best part about this piece is that I used up some scrap wood from my stash, so I felt very resourceful and responsible making it. I enjoyed this project so much, I actually have another quilt square plan stashed in my head for next time!
Stay tuned!
-Kevin
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