Design Wall Monday - 3/24/14

Other than a birthday party where we got to learn belly dancing at the local dance studio - it was fun and much easier than expected, but my hip is bothering me again  - I had most of the rest of the weekend at home to sew. And very little of that involved hexies. Amazing, huh?!

I started the weekend by making this mugrug, seminole piecing style, as part of my gift for the party. The gift was completed with a new tea cup, a couple tea bags, chocolates and white choco smores gooey cake bars.

Just the day before I was mentioning to Denise and a couple other people that maybe the new tea house in Mt Morris would be interested in selling some mug rugs. I was already in mug rug mode so I just kept going! Even if they are not interested, mugrugs make great gifts and you can never have too many on hand.

I pulled out the finished mugrugs from my inventory box to see what I had and then started pulling fabrics for more. Finding fabrics buried in my FQ boxes and scrap bins is fun; deciding which pattern to use and designing new ones can be a bit tedious. That's why I tend to make multiples of the same design with different fabrics...makes life easier...

Of course I had my little helper to keep some of the scraps in place. I didn't photo the messy pile of smaller scraps I need to clean up - I hope you'll understand! I will suggest you check out Chantal's posts over the weekend on how she deals with smaller scraps. I can't wait to get home and "clean up."

Of course I still have this pile of fabrics to work thru...which creates more scraps. LOL! It's a never ending battle but at least one we enjoy. Happy Monday!

Buying Scraps



1/4 of these fabrics are from a store scrap bin



I know it sounds counter-intuitive to buy scraps when we already make them while working on our quilty projects but buying them adds a lot of variety to the stash I already have. That and it's cheaper than buying FQs or even yardage to get that something-new fix!

Y'all know I like scrappy projects...most recently has been my hexie puzzle but what about Obsession, any of Bonnie's quilt patterns or about half of the things I have been making for the upcoming bazaar? Someone else's scraps add a lot of life to the scraps we already own.

Of the 6 quilt stores that I go to at least twice a year, 3 have a great scrap program, 2 are low key and 1 has no program that I'm aware of.

Two of the stores sell scraps buy the ounce - the variety and amount of scraps changes every time I visit. One of the stores has an overflowing bin to pick thru and you pay by the inch. The other two stores sell gallon zip lock bags full of scraps (and they are stuffed!) for ~$6. Some bags are themed and some are random. While I like being able to pick my scraps, the bags are a much better deal!

A couple weeks ago I bought 2 bags at the store farthest from me. This is what was left after I started cutting in to them and remembered I should take a photo. There are WOF strips, layer cakes and random shapes. I bet there was at least 3 yards of fabric when I started - not bad for $12.

Even better was this little surprise!!!! Woot Woot!!! I've never seen pear "dots."

Sew...tell me...have you succumbed to the scrap bins at your LQS for a fabric fix?

Design Wall Monday - 1/21/13

So it's after 4pm and we just got an internet connection here at work...it's been uber quiet with no customers (It *is* a federal holiday) and no internet radio. I'll keep this quick and easy so I can get back to work...

This is my version of a scrappy block that Bonnie shared last summer. I didn't quite have enough leftover HST to do all the central blocks so I doctored the corners. I actually think it gives it a little more zing. Now I just need to pick a backing. I am thinking of the purple again for the binding.


PS - Did you sign up for my Birthday giveaways yet? Add your hexie project to the hexie linky party for a chance to win an autographed copy of Pieced Hexies and associated supplies. You can also try the 4 ways to win at Feline Friday. You've got to be in it to win it!

Chop Chop Chop

I thought I would show you some of the fabric cutting that's been going on here at CasaGrande but I was feeling a little ADHD taking pictures for this post...

I've been cutting bricks from my collection of 1930's for a lattice quilt. I won't won't have pictures of the sewing for quite a while because I still have considerable cutting to do. After the bricks are done, I'll also need to cut squares from that solid purple as well.

 

I've made some progress on my itty bitty twister. You can see how much it shrinks from the original thru the cutting with the tiny template and on to when the seams are sewn. I am not enjoying these open seams. I like my seams flat flat flat and I just can't get these halfway flat. When I put the finished section up on my design wall I put it up front to the wall so it would stay attached - can you see how it sits up "above" the mat? This morning I sewed the 3 middle rows together.

While working on the itty bitty quilt and some bazaar items, I decided I needed another leader/ender project. I had saved a photo of a quilt online that used 4 patches and 16 patches, hence, my working title for this quilt is "4 + 16". Thought provoking, no?  I can't find the link right now but I plan to post more info on the quilt Thursday and I'll have the link then. I have a lot of blue in my strip bins from making a little boy quilt some time ago so I probably won't need to cut any more 2.5" strips but I will need more 1.5" strips since I designed a pieced border in EQ7. It looks great on the screen but it will take considerable cutting, sewing, subcutting and resewing :)

As I dig thru the recesses of my stash to find "new" fabrics, I also find more selvages. You may recall that I have also been gifted some selvages recently. I pressed them all this morning and I hope to cut the 7" sections I need tonight.

This pile is to be cut for making swags for the Bazaar...some of those fabrics I've been "saving" for who knows what. I'm happy to have found a reason to cut into them! It's hard to see but the top left fabric under the pink bias tape has lingerie and then some matching blue and pink batiks in the baggie. Wouldn't that be cute in the laundry room?

Oh wait...let's not forget that cutting fabric for projects means there is also a pile of scraps to cut to size for the scrap bins :)
 
I certainly have my work cut out for me. Oi, didn't mean for the pun but it's there so I'll leave it.
Happy Tuesday!

Almost Wordless Wednesday

Remember the scraps I bought during the shop hop a couple weeks ago and how I said I wanted to get them trimmed that weekend but I told you not to hold your breath? Well, anyone who actually did hold their breath can let it out now because I finished trimming them this past holiday weekend!

The strips are for my strip bins ala Bonnie. The squares are for my Scrap Therapy bins. The neutral 2" strips are for RollRoll Cotton Boll and the neutral 2" and 2.5" squares and 1" strips are for Omigosh. The neutral/gold/black chunks at the top are for various UFO's.

And this is all that I had to throw away...just a handful really.

I have a whole trug of scraps - I guess I need to just grab a pile every week and whittle away at them.

That wasn't so wordless was it?!