Reducing the stash, one piece at a time

I have to laugh because I got several comments on how to prolong the life of a gluestick. And all of them are probably good. However, I would bet that the one that I had was OLD - ancient even! I might have been able to revive it, but it's gone. But thanks for the tips! I still have about four more glue sticks, so they might go in the freezer or wherever I should put them. Gosh -- I'm amazed at all the tips and tricks for everything! Why don't I know these? 

And just like that, I'm done with my presentations for this week! I had two last night and a very relaxed week for the remainder of the week. I do have loads of other stuff to do and some other non-work-related commitments, and let's not forget the writing and the long arm. Oh yes - no fear of running out of things to do around my house. 

I just don't get how anyone could be bored!

So back to the backgrounds that I'm creating. Here's what I did with the drunkard's path blocks. 

As I mentioned the other day, I have four odd blocks. So I trimmed them to the same size, which I think was 6". 

Four drunkard's path blocks

I'm going to sew them together to make a four-patch, and of course, there are many options for this. 

Auditioning the block positions

This is what I liked the best, and so the blocks got sewn together. 

My four drunkard's path blocks

Now what? Get out that ruler and slash that into strips. GASP!! Actually, I don't have any issues with doing this. Those four blocks are oddballs, and what am I going to do with them? So - I chose to experiment with them rather than let them sit. I cut each strip to about 1½". I think the first one was 2". 

The block is slashed into strips

Then I repositioned all the strips, and some of them got flipped in the process. I then sewed them back together again. There is no right or wrong in this. Just keep rearranging until you get something that looks half decent. Remember, this is a background. We're going to add to it. 

The new block

I felt that it was a bit skinny for the length, so back to the black scrap box where I pulled out the pieces I had trimmed from the initial blocks. Hmmm - just enough black to make it slightly wider. I need to sew those on later today. See how things work out? I didn't plan this a bit. I could also have cut the block apart and inserted a strip of the background fabric between each strip. I can take two blocks and interlink them. I can do anything I want - it's my experiment. 

The block with some black added to the sides

Here's an example of a piece I made using that same technique. This started out as half-square triangles. Some of the half-square triangles were made of bits of improv fabric, so that's why you see some small pieces. This is a GREAT way to make an improv block if you can't wrap your head around sewing small pieces together. 

Another improv block

I didn't embellish this one - it looked interesting enough on its own, so I quilted it with diagonal lines, and it's awaiting the binding. I could literally do the same with the drunkard's path block. 

I now have five backgrounds, and I need to come up with 5 more ideas. I have a couple more in mind. Some might just be duplicates of the styles I've already done. I'm OK with that. 

Have you started with a background? OH - I know - you're waiting until I have all 10 done so you can choose which one you want to use! And that's OK. 

I needed to find a third grey that I could use with my barn block. I knew I had just the right fabric, but where was it? I thought it might still be with the project. So I searched through my UFOs, and that project is missing. Well, it's not missing - I just can't find it! But then I thought I should go through the stash to see if I can find something else that'll work. OH - I found the fabric that I was originally looking for. Hmm - I guess the UFO has a different fabric. 

The third grey for my barn block

It doesn't matter - I found the fabric that I need to get the value contrast for that block. A project for tomorrow?  

Then I had a request from a friend - did I have more of this butterfly fabric, and if so, would I be willing to part with it? It took me all of two minutes to find the fabric, and I have two meters. Well, it's GONE. I bought this many years ago, and while it's a gorgeous fabric, Carol has run out and NEEDS this same fabric. So why would I want to keep it? No reason - I let it go!!!! 

The one thing that I've learned is that when you find a piece of great fabric, I used to buy LOTS. Then I learned that fabric companies regurgitate the SAME ideas over and over again. So what one company produces today, another will produce almost identical prints next year. There's NO NEED to buy something just because you like it. I now buy it because I NEED it to finish off a project. There's a difference - a HUGE difference. 

I wish I could say that using up all this fabric for the community projects or sewing it up in my projects or the occasional piece that goes to someone who needs it would be putting a dent in the stash. Not even close!!!! And I have a feeling that there's a lot more hidden away in the project boxes. 

Oh, speaking of stashes, I have a picture to share with you. Unfortunately, I don't have time to load it this morning, but I'll get it prepped for tomorrow. Oh boy - this person has a LOT of time on their hands. Just wait!!!

I was happy with what I accomplished at Monday sewing. I dug out my embroidery threads, and I was busily stitching the edges of my raw applique. 

Isn't this guy adorable??? 

My cute owl

It's hard to tell in the photos, but the images look so much more finished when the edges are stitched than when they are not. No - I think you can see the difference. There are five owls in total, and four are done. Well, the bodies are done. I still have noses, eyes, and toes - the fiddly bits. 

An owl with unstitched edges

Here's a close-up of some of the stitching. 

Detail of stitching on raw-edge applique

That's a mossy (edge) satin stitch. It's one of my favorite stitches on the machine. Actually, I fell in love with raw edge applique when I bought my first Husqvarna Viking sewing machine over 20 years ago. With the sensor foot that pops up to pivot, doing applique is so easy. 

I hope to finish the stitching later today, but there are still quite a few pieces to stitch in place, so we'll see how it goes. I do have a road trip and a couple of other things on the agenda. 

I thought I'd walk past Chapter's and the dollar store yesterday as there were a couple of things that I'm looking for, and I just wanted to browse. Nope - lineups outside both stores. I REFUSE to wait in a lineup, so I kept walking!

Well, that's it for today. I've got to put my thinking cap on for another background! OH -- I just thought of another one. OK -- so that makes two that I can potentially get done today. 

Don't forget the Virtual Retreat this weekend. That's Saturday evening from 6 - 9 PM and Sunday from 10 - 8 PM.  It's going to be super fun, and I have to say that the stack of projects sitting on my work table is slowly diminishing. Could they be all done by the end of the weekend? Some of them are on The Task Master for the week, and some are not. We'll see how it goes. 

Part of that will depend on the gazebo! And the weather - it's cold outside today. 

Well, have a super day!!!!

Ciao!!!

A tribute to Lois

 I don't know all of you who read my blog. There are many of you that I've never met, and some friends and acquaintances have joined along the way. 

Yesterday, I learned that a blog reader passed last week, and I want to acknowledge her. Lois was a wonderful lady and her and her daughter used to read my blog over breakfast. She was the most amazing hand quilter, although she did take a machine quilting class from me and did some small projects. She was in her 80's when she did that. She was in my class for Sylvia's Bridal Sampler and created a gorgeous sampler quilt. 

She was from Western Canada (OK - the prairies), like myself, and well - those girls from the prairies have a kindred spirit. She was a member of the local quilt guild and was always showing off projects she made. The thing I remember the most about Lois is her smile. I don't think I ever saw her with a scowl on her face. She was 92, and while I haven't seen her in person for a while, I've followed her adventures on Facebook. She was a spunky lady (those good prairie genes!). 

She passed suddenly, and while a shock to all, it's the way I want to go. I want to thank Lois for all the joy she brought into my life over the years, and I sure hope she finds a way to continue reading my blog from heaven! 

Condolences to her family. 

It was a crazy day with lots of classes, and I was more or less stuck in front of Zoom for the entire day. But that's OK. 

First, let's have a quick peek at how to piece that background I shared yesterday. This is a safe (and easy) way to build an "improv" background. All the pieces are squares or rectangles. So no angles to worry about. Lay the pieces, so they sort of fit together. Don't worry - you can add and subtract or change the fabrics if you don't like them. 

The pieces for the improv background are laid out

Then grab two pieces and sew them together. These are not the same width and come from the bottom right-hand side. After I sewed these together, I trimmed off the excess. 

Trim off the excess

I kept going like that and built sections. 

Building sections

Here are the sections together. Notice that I changed the fabric on the lefthand side as I didn't like it. 

The sections are together

Trim off any edge that isn't straight. Super easy, and don't worry if the lines are not perfectly straight. There are NO quilt police. 

Trimming the edges with a ruler

And this is the final piece. No need to trim the outer edges - yet. This is the easiest and most interesting way to get a background to play with. Pick any color you want to play with, but I recommend keeping the background to ONE color. You'll see why later this week. 

The improv background

I'm trying to come up with 10 backgrounds that are all different. So I dug out my orphan block box. I might find something that'll work. 

The orphan block box

Hmm - several flying geese blocks. That could work. 

Random flying geese blocks

A series of machine embroidered letters. 

Machine embroidered letters

I found some 9-patch blocks. 

9-patch blocks

But I settled on these three purple blocks. Where did these come from? I don't think they are mine. 

Three purple blocks

And I found four drunkard's path blocks. I'll play with those as well. Everything else went back into the box. 

Four drunkard's path blocks

I dug out a couple of somewhat matching fabrics to make the fourth purple block. I just made a block up, but if you're stuck, find a pattern for a 6" block(or whatever size you need) and make it. Remember, this is supposed to be fun and freeing, not stressful. My fabrics are NOT the same, and I'm OK with that. They are close enough. Remember - this is ART; it's not going to become an heirloom. 

Fabric to make the fourth block

Here are all four blocks. That's a pretty good match. Good enough!

The four purple blocks

I did try rotating the blocks and thought this was the best configuration for what I had. 

Another background to embellish

I think I'm going to leave this piece just like that. This is one of the backgrounds I'm going to work with. Notice that while they are not quite the same value, the colors are the same. You might want to be bold and mix colors, totally up to you. But I wouldn't - not yet. 

I'll share with you what happened to the drunkard's path blocks tomorrow. No time today. 

But I also pulled out a single piece of fabric. I have something in mind for what I want to do with this. I've got this idea brewing in my head and literally pulled the first piece of fabric in the cream basket. I opened it up to see if it was the right size. Yes - it's slightly larger than the backgrounds I'm making. And then it hit me - the pattern on this piece will be PERFECT for my idea. I love when that happens. 

A plain piece of fabric for one more background

So in between Zoom classes yesterday, I had to zip to the drug store for my second shot. Then I had to wait 15 minutes, so I browsed the store. I ended up buying a couple of things, but not before I checked my blood pressure. I haven't done this in a LONG time, and I love how the screen has changed. Look at me - I'm in the optimal range. They have an optimal (green), normal (yellow), and high (red). My pulse was a bit higher than normal, but hey - I just got jabbed in the arm!

Optimal blood pressure

Well, that took all of two minutes, so I wandered all the aisles. I even went down the baby aisle. OH MY GOD - you are kidding me!!!!  A stroller mount for a tablet or a smartphone! Seriously?? I won't even comment on this. OK -- I can't hold back. What happened with talking to your child while out for a walk and teaching them things around the neighborhood or looking at things together. OH - I forgot because Mom probably has a mount for her phone on the handle, and she's too busy talking to someone else to pay attention to the child. Sigh.............................

A stroller mount for a tablet

Back home where I spent the afternoon with MY peeps on Zoom. All the components for the Double Wedding Ring quilt are pieced and trimmed. This is the one that I'm finishing on behalf of the daughter of one of my students. 

Double wedding ring components - trimmed

I'm setting it aside for a couple of weeks, but I have used up all the fabric that she had cut. How many blocks can I make from that? No idea, but we'll start piecing and see where it goes. There's more fabric in the box. But I'm down to three project boxes and two bags instead of the EIGHT or NINE project boxes delivered to me. 

It's Monday sewing, and I'm ready to go. I had to clean my machine this morning after the five bobbins ran out. I changed the needle, and I'm ready to go for a good week of sewing. It wasn't that dirty, so that was a good thing. Don't forget to take the lint out of the feed teeth. 

Lint from the sewing machine

At the moment, my ender and leader project is another row of trees for my All in a Row quilt. 

Flying geese for my row of trees

It's a fairly calm week this week, although I do have some random appointments that are scheduled. And I have to prep for the upcoming classes this weekend. Yikes - it's like being on a sewing treadmill. 

I have five items on The Task Master from last week that didn't get completed. And I added eight this morning. It's about setting priorities! I simply look at that list and see what needs to be done. Although I will say that I need to sit my butt at the computer and get some writing done! I'll move back and forth between the computer and the sewing machine this week. 

Don't forget that there's a Virtual Retreat this weekend. Saturday, June 26 from 6 - 9 PM and Sunday, June 27 from 10 - 8 PM. It's going to be loads of fun, and I've got lots of stuff to sew. Hey -- if you're working on the backgrounds for your art pieces, I'd love to see them. 

On that note, have a super day!!!!

In closing, I want to send a shout-out to Lois!! Thanks for all the memories. You were a remarkable person!

Ciao!!!!

The ART of death

Yesterday was a whirlwind day. While I was trying to get caught up with quilting - I had to zip around town to attend a meeting about incorporation (for a guild), make calls about insurance, and on and on with errands. I must look at what errands I do in a day and see how they can be eliminated. I am not even talking shopping - this is going to the library, the bank, get the bottled water refilled, pick up a couple of things at the grocery store, and all of it takes enormous time.

Yes - I know, I should get that kid of mine to help, but she couldn't yesterday as she was downtown all day - getting her hair dyed and then highlights. That is for a show on Sunday, then off to a fitting and a show later in the day. I think she had fun, but I keep telling her she needs to take up knitting to fill the day because it must be boring as heck to spend the entire day waiting between the time they spend with you.

And I do not know what they are teaching them at Ryerson, but it sure isn't how to sew. OH BOY - you should see the way the students "sewed" the clothing. Honestly - the hem of the sleeve was GLUED down. YES - GLUED DOWN. Even M was kind of taken aback!!!!!!!!    I told her she needed to get her butt in the studio and learn all the little details that make a garment a true work of art. Hopefully she gets the message - I have a cute little iPad bag that maybe she will want to make. I want to make it for me!!!!!!!!!!!!  I am not sure what the focus of this fashion show was, but some of the girls got sewn into their garments and they cut the garments off them at the end of the night and tossed them!!!!!!!!!!!!!   I KNOW!!!!!   But the fabrics had been printed/stamped by the students so I gather it was JUST an assignment.

I also went to the funeral home for a visitation of a wonderful woman who belonged to our guild. She was a bubbly, happy, cheerful - always had a smile on her face woman. And she made some neat quilts although they did not have any quilts at the funeral home.

On the way to the funeral home, I passed a cop (opposite side of the road with lights flashing). Only one car stopped, but the front was crumpled - I wondered why and then noticed a dead deer lying on my side of the road. A buck. So sad and it was BROAD daylight. Not sure what happened, but the deer was DEAD.

After leaving the funeral home, I wonder what my visitation will be like. Of course - that will be in a LONG LONG LONG time - well - let's hope anyway. But I want the room filled with my quilts, or my bicycles or whatever that will remind people of who I was. I definitely do NOT want an open casket. Oh my - I want people to remember me how I was, not an unsmiling body in a box. I hate open caskets and could not bring myself to say goodbye to Marina because I didn't want to see her like that.

To end the day - we had a class on "art quilts". Oh boy - the girls went wild!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Shelley brought in this piece which was from the curved piecing two weeks ago. She had it quilted and placed crystals on it. Can you figure out the significance of the patterns of the crystals?????   She has made constellations from crystals. It is gorgeous. She just needs to trim and bind. VERY VERY VERY impressive. 

Judith brought in this piece that she had worked on at home. She took leftovers from a quilt and randomly pieced them together. Then she found a couple of gorgeous pieces of jewelry that belonged to her mother in law and is going to place them on the mini-quilt. She also had a string of beads that she is going to attach. WOW - Judith - you have come a LONG LONG LONG way from the first time I met you. AWESOME job. 

Jane brought bits and bobs including some hand dyed "cast off" fabric.  Rather than cutting the hand dyed, we suggested that she use them as a background and this is what she came up with. Now she added a LOT more to the piece and I did NOT get a picture. But she had threads and other stuff on it and it looked awesome. Now she has to get everything tacked down. I LOVE LOVE LOVE it - VERY CREATIVE!!!!!!!

These were some of her "little" jars of beads - so very cute. 

 Katheleen made several samples - playing around with couching, using netting and I didn't' get a picture of any of them. SHOOT!!!   And then she made a super base to bead and I forgot that as well. Just got so excited!!!   I am sure I will see them again so I will get a picture.

And Flo couldn't come as she was enjoying a chili cook off. I think she should have brought us samples!!!!!


Anyway - the girls loved what we did in the art class. Now here is a challenge to YOU. I am thinking of hosting ONE evening a month where we can get together to MESS with ART QUILT stuff. Is anybody interested?????   We are NOT doing challenges, we are NOT doing exchanges - we will focus on building stuff for ourselves. But after seeing the transformations last night - sometimes all we need is the friendship of others and some dedicated time to make that happen.   If you are interested, let me know - we will start in January. It is going to be at my house to get us started and we will cover/talk about EVERYTHING and I have ENORMOUS resources/books in that field - so let me know.

So yes - Kaylee is here. Her first thing is to grab a toy and then see if there is any stuffing left in it.

Yep- Kaylee has been here!!!!

And Sparky - well she is on guard!!!!   Not sure if she is protecting the squirrel feeder from Kaylee or to prevent the squirrels from feeding. Anyway - she looks pretty official!!!!!

But they are all having fun and getting along quite nicely.


On that note - I have to get moving. Another class to teach today - Christmas Club and we get to check out the new location of Cockadoodle Quilts. Can't wait to see the new store.


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


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