Joiner

I saw the Scrappy Trip Along way back at the beginning of the year and was very excited by it, so I became a joiner.  It took me longer to complete because I just worked on it here and there as I felt like it.

Last week it got sent to my sister-in-law for her birthday. 

The quilt is made entirely from my scraps/stash.  I didn't purchase anything new for it - not fabric, not batting, not thread.  I made sure to hammer that point home to my husband so he would know I am trying to use up some of my hoards of fabric (bought recently and long ago, inherited, etc.).  My goal for this year is to not buy fabric (unless it's charm packs of Fig Tree for my collection or diaper fabric or for a very specific reason), and I have done really well, only buying diaper fabric since before Will was born.  The  backing is from stash, and the binding is excess scraps from the backing after I finished the quilting.

I wasn't too sure of this concept as I made the blocks, because some of them were ugly, but I was determined to use fabric, cut strips off lots of fabrics in my stash, used from my scrap jar, and luckily at the end it looked pretty decent. 

I'll be making more versions of this quilt sometime - while I was cutting I went ahead and cut extras of each fabric, so I already have enough strips cut for a second quilt.

Tower o' Trimmings

Baby Hat #1

Okay, so it’s just a small finish, but I feel better getting something done.  Here is one of the baby hats.  Hubs asked who it’s for, and I told him I was just trying to use up the scraps from the Celtics and Patriots fleece blankets.  I added the pom-pom to the pattern.  It’s Simplicity 3582. 

 My model didn't want to cooperate.

And I basted 8 more clamshells last night while watching TV.  I had to do something quilty before my sewing mojo completely abandoned me.  Next up is Baby Hat #2, then Barbie clothes for Christmas presents.  I’m trying to finish some projects that have been sitting around, but it’s hard with Christmas coming and limited sewing time.  I’m going to tape a copy of my sewing/quilting list above my machine to try and keep myself accountable.

Projects, Anyone?

This pretty much shows what I've got going on at the moment (sewing-wise, that is).  Clamshells, crabs, sports, Farm Gal's Folly, a new project, and taming scraps while I'm at it.  Can you see my head about to pop off from spinning around so fast?!

Clamshell Club Update – 8/31/2010

This was my first month of the Clamshell Club.  I got off to a slow start, but I never claimed this would be a fast project.  I decided to use Christmas fabrics from my stash – this will bust over half of them.  I'll have to get some new Christmas fabrics to finish the quilt, but at least I did use from stash first (a big deal for me).

 

I spent most of my time cutting as my supplies started trickling in (mylar for the template, a book for the pattern, appliqué pins and straw needles, etc.).  So far I have this stack of cut clamshells . . .

This stack of glue-basted clamshells (some of them are coming unbasted, Yikes!) . . .

These sets of sewn clamshells . . .

And this set of pinned clamshells . . .

I like it so far.  I guess I am most worried about having the colors balance, since I am going for a super scrappy look.  I like order and planned and pretty, so random scrappy is a challenge for me. 

 

I was a little sad that I was only able to piece two sets of clamshells on our trip the other day, but I think it will go more quickly if I pin a bunch before we leave (pinning in the car is difficult).  We will be doing a lot of traveling this fall . . .

 

I wonder how long it will take me to accumulate fabric for, cut, baste, and piece and throw-sized top? 

Not Much Sewing Going On

around here.  I haven't sewn since I finished the Huskers blanket for Sis last Friday night.  It's just been too busy, first with her party, my son's baptism and picnic, then DH and I got a nasty tummy bug, and then working and attending to some other life business has left me beat at the end of the day.  And it's not just sewing, neither of us has exercised this week at all (that's not helping in baby weight loss department).  Tonight we are weeding the garden, cleaning, and packing for our weekend trip.  I'm hoping to sew at least a couple of seams tonight for some much needed stress relief before our busy day tomorrow.  I'm thinking I need to pack one of my cross-stitch kits for the car ride.  I haven't done that in a while.

Okay, off to get started, but here's a picture of some uneven four-patches I made from scraps of the play apron a few weeks ago.  This might lead to something . . . someday . . . when I have free time . . . ?

I've Been Cutting

Haven't sewn since finishing the burp cloth, except to add a selvage or two to my first selvage block.  I'm going to try a few and see how they go.  I'm not so sure of this first one.

Oh, and I did make up some quick sheers for our kitchen window (from an existing panel) so we didn't have to look at the construction going on next door (and so they couldn't see in).

But I've found a lot of stuff and cut a lot of scraps from the blue bin. 

There are still two grocery bags of scraps to cut, and I have lots of yardage that needs to be folded properly and organized, but that is not as big a task as controlling the scraps. 

 I definitely feel like they are more usable cut into strips and squares than the odd shaped pieces they start as (see below for an example - and it's not nearly as funky shaped as some of them).

 

From a funky shape . . . to neat 1.5", 2", and 2.5" squares and an odd triangle.

You might be wondering where I got these random scraps.  Well, some of them are from things I have made, but most of them are from an estate sale I attended with my grandma when I was a kid (probably middle school).  There was a big box of scraps along with a thing of buttons and other odds and ends that we bought on the cheap, and I've kept them for years because I  might use them (but I haven't in probably 10 years).  So I'm trying to get them in usable order.  One small step in controlling my ridiculous stash.

A Work in Progress

Well, I dragged out the big blue tub from the bottom of my craft closet and started sorting and taming.  This is the big blue tub that has been with me since high school and is full of scraps and random fabric.  It takes up the entire bottom of the single closet in the guest room (now my craft closet).

Bonnie Hunter says to cut for 15 minutes at a time, but I'm a bit obsessive and did probably an hour.  So far, I've found 5 fat quarters, about 4 yds of fabric (a few pieces from 3/4 of a yard to >2yds), several patterns, two partially completed cross-stitch kits, and tons of scraps and nice sized pieces of fabric that I can put with the FQs.  There was this lovely windmill print.  I cut it into small pieces - like Bonnie says "if it's still ugly, it's not small enough!"  For those of you who like this - the camera flatters it.  It's not even this pretty in real life.

And here is the burp cloth I finished last night.  It was just what I needed to get me going again.  A quick, easy project (especially as I had already cut and pressed the pieces).  If I ever get an Etsy shop up and running, it will be for sale.  I am making a baby quilt with the remaining fabric, eventually.

Well, it's late, and I have lots of cleaning to do in the AM, so I'm signing off.

TTFN