Patience - it just takes patience.........................

I don't know why, but I LOVE cutting. The process of sorting, pressing and cutting scraps is very calming!!!!!   I could do it all day!!!!

However after a while one must get to work and sew up some of what has been cut!!!   I used to cut pretty much all day Monday when we were still at the Hobby Horse. I have no idea what I cut!  Well - I guess all those half sewn projects!

Anyway - got to Julia's and got set up and then  READY, SET, SEW........................  (I went to Julia's house and ANOTHER Julia joined us!)

The GUEST Julia was working on this bargello quilt. It is gorgeous. She had purchased a kit. This piece above is what she has sewn together so far. She spent the day working on sewing the strip sets together. I think there were 70 or 80 strips to sew together. She was up in the 60s by the end of the day. Now she will have a LOT of cutting to do before she is ready to sew again!!!!

This is a quilt that (host) Julia made. It is beautiful!!!!

Host Julia was working on aprons for an upcoming craft sale. They are so much fun - adjustable strap at the neck, a big pocket in the front (that is fussy cut to match the print) and LOTS of extra fabric to wrap around our ample butts!!!!!    They are beautiful and fun. Makes a good gift. If anyone is interested, let me know and I'll pass on her contact info. 

I got busy sewing up my scraps.  By the end of the day - this is what I had accomplished.

Pretty impressive. FORTY FOUR blocks!!!!!!!!!!!!   I thought I had cut lots of fabric pieces and I had, but I was still short mostly of the dark. So it was time to come home. 

Of course, I had to run them down and put them on the wall to see what it looks like.

BEFORE (this is what I had already done before I went to Julia's)

After - ALL the blocks that I have done now. Oh yes - I am making it big - you know me - go BIG or go HOME!!!!

I had several choices - I could dig out those bags of 1 1/2" strips which is the easy solution OR I could dig through the existing scrap boxes to find stuff.

Who am I kidding???  I went for the easy option!!!!   I dug out the 1 1/2" strip bags and cut. 

And here are my dark strips. 

Now when I finished cutting and put the stuff away, I realized that I need DOUBLE the dark strips because each block takes TWO dark strips.

OH CRAP - pulled out the 1 1/2" strips AGAIN!!!!!!    At least there are getting used up!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

When I got home - I had time on my hands. HA!!!!!   But I wanted to get that cutting mat cleaned up. So I got out my cutter, plugged in the iron and started to sort, press and cut the remainder of those batiks bits. And when I was done - this is what I was left with.....................

TWO boxes of scraps. The one on the left is filled with larger pieces (I decided to NOT cut everything that I could into 2 1/2" squares). The box on the right is too small for 2 1/2" squares. I've got a couple of ideas for that box.  But NOT now. 

A box with all the strips that are less than 2 1/2" wide. YES - I have a plan for this box. 

The bits that went into the garbage

2 1/2" strips. YES - there were quite a few in the box and I decided to NOT cut up everything into squares. 

I decided to add these to my BOX of 2 1/2" batik strips that we had exchanged a number of years ago. I dug out the box and YIKES - IT IS FULL..............

Box of 2 1/2" batik strips 

 BUT I also found a number of patterns that I had stuck in the box that will make great ideas for quilts for these strips. AND..............

I found this tool which should NOT be in the box. It is going back on the shelf!!!!!!!!!!!!

And what did I finally end up with?????????????

I managed to cut 1,086 squares!!!!!!!!!!!!    I have shoved them all into a bag and I will pick out the lighter ones for my class on Saturday and then decide what to do with the ones leftover. 

So I feel very happy that the multi colour scrap box is under control, the two batik boxes are under control. It now means that I have about 5 new quilts on the go. And how the heck did that happen???????   I'll just blame Jackie!!!!!!


However these are the kind of quilts that I like and might as well make what I like and have fun using up those scrap boxes at the same time. (Now there are only 36 more scrap boxes to deal with!!!!)


Well - it is time to get to work so I best go!!


Have a great day!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


Ciao!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!