So much to write about - so little time! Well, it wouldn't make sense to write about everything on one day and I'm still working on the clean-up from Sunday. That Sunday was an extremely productive day. I almost got derailed yesterday. As I was quilting, I spotted a project from my UFO list that I want to take to our sewing retreat so I should get that prepped. It's not even on the worktables, it was under the long arm (we won't go there).
I pulled it out and opened up the pattern. Oh boy - there's a lot of prep work and I asked myself why I was working on that when there was all that stuff on the tables to deal with first. So the project went on the worktable as I really do want to do it to retreat and there really is prep work to do. Things like finish cutting the pieces, find the missing hardware although I'm pretty sure I know where it is.
Anyway - here's the final bit of what happened on Sunday. It was time to get those scrappy quilt blocks off the design wall. I decided to start with the green blocks and counted them. I counted them twice. Surely there's a mistake? Nope - I thought we had 67, but in fact, we had 77 blocks. That left three blocks to sew to have enough to make one quilt.
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| 77 green scrappy blocks |
I can definitely handle three blocks very quickly. So I opened up the bag of scraps and got three of the foundation squares (old sheeting) and away I went. I know this is my style of sewing as I love trying to fit the leftover scraps onto the foundation squares without wasting a lot. I know - I can't help it and I blame my Mom for every bit of thriftiness in me. It's all her fault!
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| Block one ready to be trimmed |
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| Block two ready to be trimmed |
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| Block three ready to be trimmed |
So those blocks got trimmed and the green scraps got put into a bag ready for the next project - whatever that will be.
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| The last three blocks for the green scrappy quilt |
I found a bag large enough for the 80 blocks and it now resides in the storage room along with the box of quilts that need to be bound or other kits that we're going to work on at the next charity sew day.
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| Prepped work for the next charity sew day |
Yes - it takes time to get the prep work done so I can maximize the time when the group comes to sew. I'm totally OK with that. I'd rather be able to give them a job than have them sit around while I sort out what needs to be done. And besides - it's my stash and I should be responsible for getting it organized and used up.
Then I took the blue scrap blocks off the wall. Recounted them and yes - there are 80 blocks here. Along with a piece of binding from the Quilts of Valour quilts that I had completed the week before. To make the binding, I'll go through my box of leftover binding and pull out enough blues to make the binding. Nothing to cut!
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| 80 blocks of blue |
I have some rectangular foundation pieces cut and I decided that they would work for the blue fabric. That all went into a bag which is now sitting in a laundry basket ready to take to retreat. That will be a perfect (no thought required) project to take to retreat. It's sitting on the other shelf on the bottom of the sewing table. Maybe I can even persuade the others to sew a block or two and we could get them all done at the retreat?
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| A scrappy project for the retreat |
Next up I counted the red scrap blocks. We have made 51.
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| 51 red scrap blocks |
We need 29 more to make a lap-sized quilt. I still had some of the sheeting and two more pieces of fabric that could be used for the foundation squares. I cut up 29 squares so we would have enough to finish the red blocks. I also found a piece of red binding so that went with the project. We'll have to dig more out of the leftover binding box when the time comes to make the binding.
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| 29 foundation square, and 51 red scrap blocks |
It all got placed into a large plastic bag, ready for the next scrappy charity sew day.
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| The red bits in a bag |
I still had two large pieces of fabric that could be cut into foundation squares. They are now completely cut up. As I was going through the remainder of the scrappy squares, I kept a tally of what I needed. I had to piece every last bit of this blue fabric and I was short by ONE block which I just cut from a hunk of muslin that I had in my stash. I could have found an ugly print, but I was too tired by then.
By the way, this blue fabric was the backing of the SECOND quilt I ever made. It had seen better days and I took it apart on a road trip. Going to salvage the blocks that I can from it and remake a smaller quilt. I know - I can't let things go, but that quilt (or the blocks) holds a lot of memories for me. I want to save it.
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| Fabric to be cut into foundation squares |
I cannot tell you how good it feels to get some of this stuff cleaned up and organized. It's amazing!!!
There are still a few scraps at the bottom of one last laundry basket. I think it'll take about one more hour to finish the sorting process. Then the scraps are sorted!!!! Like I said, a lot of them are really scraps and won't be useful for these blocks, but I'll find a use for them afterward. That's really sad when you think about how much GOOD yardage sits in that stash room. But I don't care - I should be sewing for fun and sewing little pieces together is fun for me.
Besides after what I started to do yesterday, I need to make quilts that take one year or more to make. I do NOT need another quilt. I'll share that with you tomorrow.
I counted the brown blocks. There are 21 squares made. I've cut enough of the foundation squares to make the rest of the quilt and it's all packed away in a basket with the brown scraps.
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| The brown scrappy blocks |
Last is the miscellaneous blocks. There are 25 of these blocks and now the foundation squares are cut for this one as well. WOW -- that's organization!!!
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| The miscellaneous blocks |
Oops - - the very first day we made these blocks, we did just start willy nilly and I have FIVE blocks that really don't fit any of the color schemes we have. Even miscellaneous. I may end up making one more quilt where ALL the colors are incorporated. Just so these five blocks don't go to waste. How silly is that? But there will be loads of fabric strips left and someone gave me a sheet the other day (NO - I'm not taking donations - it was from someone in our group) so I might just go ahead and do that.
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| Five random blocks |
Here's one half of the community projects stuff in the storage room. It's pretty darn tidy. I hope that we can start making a dent in those piles, but even after all the quilts that we've made, we haven't made a dent. I think of my own stash and cringe! OK -- we have made a dent as there were four huge tubs (the clear plastic ones) in there before. Now there are only two.
Now if I were really my mother's daughter, I would have lists of what we've done. The type, size, and the number of quilts that we've made would be on the list. I'm not doing that! I've thought about it but honestly, I don't care. I'm not in this for the glory of saying "our group made XX number of quilts". I'm in this so I can guilt-free get rid of this fabric. Where they go and how many quilts we make? Nope - I don't care! I just want it gone.
So this is the box (and the two bags on the floor) that need to be dealt with on our next charity sew day. I think that will keep whoever comes busy. I'm organized, I'm prepped and it's all ready to go!! If anyone is interested in helping out, let me know.
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| Community projects quilts ready to be worked on |
None of that pile is for Quilts of Valour. I try to quilt those and get them out of the house - a few every month. I made myself a goal of three. Wait - I'm lying. Some of the quilt tops are for Quilts of Valour. The quilted ones above will be going to Project Linus or a senior's residence. I need to touch base and see where they can be dropped off once the quilts are completed.
If you think I'm a stickler for detail, then you should see my dressmaking instructor! I got back a lot of the samples last night and you should see where she picked my sample apart. No - don't get me wrong - she didn't pick it apart, but she did point out one teeny tiny detail. I had to laugh, but everything she said was true. It was on the zipper and at that point, I just wanted the darn sample done! You'll see later this week.
Another busy day lined up - as usual. I see the sky is blue and the temperature is above zero. I'm loving getting outside in this weather, although one has to be extremely cautious on the sidewalks. There are some spots which are covered in ice and with two big dogs who don't care an inch, I'm walking like a penguin. But only in certain spots.
While the walking is great, it sure doesn't pump up the system like cranking out 31 KM on the spin bike. My face gets red, my legs are begging me to stop and I don't. But afterward? Those endorphins are racing through my body and I could do anything.
On that note, I'm out of here.
Have a super day!!!
Ciao!!!
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