USING UP MY STASH

Just today on one of the sites I frequent - a quilting fabric site - surprise.  The question was asked.  

If your family and friends had to describe you and your relationship to fabric, what would they say?

There is no doubt.

They would say that I’m a mess. I love my fabric. I keep every bit and every piece. I spend hours organizing, pressing, admiring. I use it like an art medium. The more I have, the more fun I have…..so I’m organized. Why then would my friends and family say I’m a mess ( and they frequently do say, ahem). 

Pookie aka Dudley aka The Pooks

I’m in my sewing room now? I lift my head from my sewing and look around me. I’m shocked. What happened to my sewing room? Intent on finishing this one simple block.. .one block mind you…I must have pulled out every piece of scrap I have. What a mess. Just look at this mess! Threads and bits of fabric everywhere. Pookie (that’s my Westie-um his real name is Dudley, but he’s just a Pooks to me) is just covered in bits and pieces of whatever. The floor below my sewing machine looks like a vacuum cleaner dump. ..And I’ve been in this room for hours.. yes hours. The dishes need doing, the beds need made (too late for that- almost time to sleep again), grass needs mowing…but since this is all such a mess anyway, I’ll just make one more block.

MORE MUG RUGS

 I was going through some blocks I made for the Grandmother's Choice: Votes for Women weekly sew along and came across two blocks that didn't fit the requirement of 8.5 inch square.  They both came out short.  I did the blocks again and my second attemps came out fine.  They are the blocks from week ten (Block No. 10) and week one (Block No. 1)

I used these first attempts (now orphan blocks) to make mug rugs. Mug rugs are a great way for me to practice my hand quilting and my binding.  My binding and  my quilting are improving with the practice.  

The teapot was a block a made in the 90's when I wanted to work on my broderie perse.  

For Broderie Perse, one cuts out motifs from a large print fabric and then appliques that motif to a background fabric.  Here I cut out this spray of flowers and leaves with a quarter inch all around and appliqued it (using needle turn) on to the teapot.  The pot was then appliqued onto the pale background which was in turn appliqued onto the beige.   Now this made a fine mug rug or perhaps a small table topper.  It was quick.  I used up an orphan block.  I practiced my skills.  I have a nice table topper/mug rug to either give as a gift or keep for myself.  It will find a use.

I continue to use up my stash of fabrics and continue to make do.  I would love to hear from any other quilters who are getting into their UFO's and stash and making do with what they have.   

SHIPSHEWANA AMISH QUILT from SENTIMENTAL STITCHES

 I'm working along with a Flickr group making blocks every 3 weeks.  The end will be a quilt top created by Sentimental Stitches.

I'm doing mine in all reds and greens with a background fabric that will tie it all together.  All from my stash.  I'm making do.

 

 I hope to be finished with this by the end of the year and then put it together.  I will quilt it myself but haven't decided how.
 

I've changed some of the blocks.  This one I've 4 patched the center and added a heart.

 This is the only applique block in the project.  My favorite.  I love applique and it comes easy to me.  Piecing does not.

 My baskets.  Reds and Greens from my stash.  I really need to explain what I mean by stash.  Those bits of red came from my scraps.  Some from the trash basket.  Waste not.

 This is a 12 inch block.  The center fabric was purchased at a local quilt shop in the late 1990's.  Just have a bit more of this left.  I can't imagine what ever possessed me to buy so much fabric that I never used.

 Most of the blocks that are pieced I have foundation pieced.  I duplicate the block with my EQ7 software, and then print foundation pieces.  Once a section is foundation pieced, I remove all paper before putting the sections together.  I find this to be an easier way of making sure it is correct.

 I foundation pieced the log cabins and the half square triangles, removed the papers and then put all together for this block section.

For this one I didn't remove the papers first and it's all wonky.  I'll do this one over, which is not too much of a problem.

This is the same block construction, with my papers removed.  Not as wonky.








So I continue with my projects, using up the fabric purchased ages ago.