Clearly I need to step away from the sewing machine and make a decision on what I’m going to work on.
Bottom left – Texas Braid; Top left – part of Oklahoma Backroads; Sewing table left – the borders to the 2nd baby quilt from my Carolina Christmas blocks; Sewing table middle – some of the bricks for Star Struck; Sewing table right – 2″ blue and white squares for Blue Ridge Beauty.
Anyone notice a theme here?
Over the years my scraps multiplied. I didn’t really use them — they just sat in boxes and bags. Then I found Bonnie Hunter’s Scrap User’s System.
Around 2008 I started cutting up my scraps into usable pieces per Bonnie’s system. I started off with plastic shoe boxes for my pre-cut pieces. After a year, I finally got all of my scraps into a single laundry basket. For the past 11 months this basket has seen it’s ups and downs.
This year I decided that one of my goals was to empty the basket once and for all. I’ve been piddling with it since the beginning of the year, but this month I set my mind to getting it emptied.
I actually do make quilts from my scraps. Last fall I started Oklahoma Backroads because I couldn’t get my 2 1/2 inch bricks/blocks box closed. As I worked with my scraps this month, I was inspired to pull red, white and blue 2 1/2 inch bricks for a Star Struck quilt.
One thing I have noticed is that I don’t have a lot of “light” scraps. With this last push to empty the basket my 2 1/2″ and 1 1/2″ strips got larger boxes and I pulled the lights out. They are still in the shoe boxes.
Here’s the tour:
Left – Top to Bottom:
Middle – Top to Bottom:
Right – Top to Bottom:
Now that my scraps are usable, I’m going to have fun playing in them.
But, to answer your question — No, I do not want your scraps — at least not until I make a dent in these!
🙂
Last week I had a simple goal — Get the packages in the mail!
I’m happy to report that 4 packages went into the mail late Wednesday night and as of Monday afternoon they had all arrived at their destination.
Also on the list was “something”. I did a bit of machine quilting on Dancing Flowers, completed another 10 or 20 blocks on Oklahoma Backroads and started 2 more braids on Texas Braid.
But the biggest accomplishment which is on my 6 month list, but not last week’s list was I EMPTIED the scrap basket!
This basket has now been hauled to the bedroom to be used for LAUNDRY.
Ok, I admit it, I still have a bit to cut, but it’s been pressed and some it simply needs to be sorted.
I got side tracked Tuesday tonight. Earlier in the week when I was cutting the red scraps. I thought “I could make a Star Struck quilt using red and blue as my dark.” So there was nothing to do but dig through my 2 1/2″ bricks box and my 2 1/2″ dark strip box and pull red and blue bricks and strips. I have enough red bricks pulled/cut for 40 blocks. I need to cut some more blue strips to have enough blue bricks, but while I’m cutting….
So my goals for next week are:
Now, if I could do as well on my Sylvia’s Bridal Sampler blocks and my Double Wedding Ring. Maybe they’ll go on my list next week.
See what others are up to by checking the links over at Bari’s.
I can’t make up my mind what I’m working on. All weekend I had the 50 blocks I’ve completed for Oklahoma Backroads on the design wall and I was quilting Dancing Flowers. Additionally, I’ve been working on my red scraps. In addition to my usual sizes, since I’m working on the reds, I’m cutting 1 1/2 inch squares to use as the centers of log cabin blocks. But sometime Sunday afternoon I decided I needed to work some more on my Texas Braid.
My original plan was to make this about 36 inches square, but I’m liking the way it’s turning out, so I’m going to aim for about 60 x 80. So, I’ve got some length to add to these braids and I need another 4 (one is missing from the picture.)
Hop over to Judy’s to check out other design walls and see if anyone else is having trouble staying focused on a single project.
This week I put the borders on Carolina Christmas, started two new quilts in workshops and started quilting Dancing Flowers. When I totaled it up, I used more fabric than I thought. Nearly 2 yards in the Texas Braid, and it’s not finished.
However, the total fabric count is up since I integrated the three fabrics from mom’s stash into my own. I have no idea what I’m going to do with these fabrics, but time will tell.
Too bad I can’t count my scraps as I cut them up for future projects. I’ve made my way through everything but the purple, pink and red in this picture and I dealt with the scraps from Carolina Christmas. The red is on my ironing board waiting to be cut.
Fabric Added this Week: 14.375 yards
Fabric Added to Date: 109.431 yards
Fabric Used this Week: 5.291 yards
Fabric Used to Date: 39.063 yards
Net Stash for 2010: 70.368 yards
This week I’ve remembered to actually report my totals before linking the report to Judy’s page.
The packages are in the mail!
Each one of the packages just needed one little thing before I could seal them up. Took care of that last night, weighed them, bought postage on-line (love that feature!) and then, because there were 4 of them, took them to the post office. I can now see over the top of my cutting table.
Now to find the top of the cutting table.
I’m posting this late because I went to a workshop yesterday and today, then came home and collapsed.
Last weeks goals:
This weeks goals.
That’s it. Well, not really. But the house is a disaster even by my standards, the laundry it piled up sky-high and I work this weekend. Then there is the issue of what do I want to make progress on — Dancing Flowers, Oklahoma Backroads, Blue Ridge Beauty or Texas Braid.
I think I’ll just watch this week and see what others are planning on doing by following the links at Bari’s.
