Oh dear - I have a confession to make!!!!!!! I am not really who I say I am?? No just kidding - I am really ME!!!! But last week when I said I was busy working on the block exchange - I LIED!!!!! I had a super secret project I was working on and I had to come up with some excuse for how I spent my day. But now I can spill the beans.
Some of the participants said I shouldn't say anything so others may enjoy, but I will come up with some way for them in case I decide to do it again.
And for those of you with a STASH - I would like to think about that STASH as I go through this day.
Even with pictures, it would be hard for anyone to visual the size of my stash (and don't ask me how it got so big). Can you imagine what my family would do if I got hit by a bus??? (and why do we always say - hit by a bus????? - what if I crashed on my bike?? or whatever????) Anyway - they would be freaked out and have NO IDEA what to do with it all. I certainly do NOT want people fighting over my stash. I have seen people go through their stash and get rid of what they know they will never use, but then what was the fun in that?????????????? I do like most of what I have purchased and I don't want to just give it away. BORING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Now this idea is not new (is anything new these day????? - of course not!). So I took an idea that I got from the girls at The Quilt Patch. I am not sure how secretive they were in the process, but I wanted this to be a COMPLETE surprise.
THE SETUP
I took a look at my stash in the summer and decided that there was way too much HALLOWEEN fabric. I invited people to come to a class - (I know - I could not invite everyone - sorry - maybe you will be in the next round? if that happens). I BCCd everyone so they did not even know who else got invited. Then I made up phony fabric requirements. I asked them to bring a jelly row, OR a layer cake, OR 12 FQs and then some neutral fabric. I got a few questions and I let a name or two slip while chatting with some of the participants.
THE PREP
OK - so now I have to get ready for what they are really going to sew.
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| My basket (that is a LAUNDRY basket) of Halloween fabric |
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| Hopscotch Pattern by The Quilt Patch |
Oh boy - now to get cutting!!!!!!!!!!!!! I cut and cut and cut and cut and cut and cut - well you get the picture. Oh first - I had to sort through the Halloween fabric because not everything was appropriate for what I was going to do.
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| Here is my scrap basket when I was finished - it was OVERFLOWING to say the least |
I prepared TWELVE kits. I was barely ready in time!!! Had to sew the sample, before they arrived on Sunday morning and employed M the night before to get the goody bags and the kits wrapped for the big reveal.
THE SWITCH
The girls all arrived at my house on Sunday bright and early. There were six of them brave enough to take the challenge.
They came in, got their machines set up and all had BIG QUESTIONS??? What are we going to sew????? One person brought a layer cake, some people brought YARDAGE (which was allowed), some people brought strips. But NO ONE brought a jelly roll - I was wondering if anyone would be willing to give up a jelly roll for a mystery project.
Then I announced that we were going to have an ARTS day - "actively reducing the stash". Wait a minute - I mean an ARMS day - :actively reducing MY stash". Oh oh - I can see the gears turning.
I ducked into the stash room - changed into my Halloween shirt and my Halloween head band and brought out the kits. Gosh - I didn't get pictures of this!!!!!! Well - their faces - it was pretty funny and they were all MAD because of all the work they had gone through to get ready for the class!!!!! I LOVED IT!!!!!!!
THE SEWING
They quickly got to work and started sewing. I knew Mary would be done by lunch and she even went home with all the borders on and the backing made. Yep - I threw in the backing as well - come on - I was trying to make a dent in that basket.
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| Elaine S putting her blocks on the wall |
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| Marian and Linda busy at work (Mary was not at her station!!!) |
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| Elaine and Ronda busy sewing away |
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| Katheleen putting on borders |
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| Marian ironing - ooops - I mean pressing!!! |
THE BORDERS
Even though I was giving some of my stash away (and having fun at the same time), I am ever the thrifty person. So when it came to borders, I got creative. I didn't pre-cut the pieces as per the pattern. What I did was use the scraps. NO - not those in the little basket above - but when I cut the strips, I had lots of odd sized strips and pieces left over so this is what I did..........................
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| The strips and ends of strips got put into an orange (of course) "treasure box" |
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| Then the strips were sewn together - higgledy piggledy (although this set looked pretty even) |
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| Some were very weird - long pieces - short pieces |
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| Then I cross cut strips in the width required for the border |
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| Then I took all the leftovers from that process and cut individual pieces and sewed them together to get more strips |
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| Here are the border strips (they will get joined to each other as needed for the appropriate lengths |
And what is left over - oh yes - there were a few leftovers....................
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| A small ziploc of pieces that were too small to fit in the border (I haven't decided what I am going to do with them yet, but crazy patch background comes to mind) HEY - you CANNOT waste anything |
Now I know - you are thinking that I have gone off my rocker - fiddling with all these little pieces. BUT THIS IS WHAT I LOVE. Taking those big pieces of fabric and cutting them and using every piece - I LOVE LOVE LOVE that process.
THE QUILTS
So what did the final projects look like...................
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| This is Mary's (isn't that scrappy border awesome!!!!) |
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| Linda (did not do a scrappy border, but I love the brightness of the purple) |
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| Ronda added a green on the outside |
The rest of them are going to pretty much look like Mary's. Katheleen finished hers, but I did not get a picture. Marian is still working on her borders, so is Elaine S and so am I. (HEY - I was sewing those scrappy borders all day while they made their quilts!!!!)
Did you notice that Mary HAD to make hers a bit longer than everyone else. And darn it all - when I was making the sample, I did NOT look at the pattern and would you know it - I sewed it together DIFFERENT from the pattern. So then everyone else did as well and it worked out just fine.
Now what happened with the other FIVE kits???? Two were sold that day, I took one for myself, and one was sacrificed to make Mary's quilt bigger and two are left. WAIT - I am sewing them together (and taking the sacrificed kit) to make quilts for - well I can't say at this point. But progress is being made.
FINISHING
Here is where all sense left me. I even offered to QUILT all the quilts!!!! I know - what the heck happened to me?????? Yesterday, I got the backing for Katheleen's put together, made the binding and it is currently on the quilting machine. The rest are lined up ready to be finished/quilted. I STOP the line at hand stitching the binding down. That is their job!!!!! And barring any major issues - they should ALL be done by Halloween.
All in all - it was a super FUN FUN FUN day. I may or may not do it again, but of course, it will have to be done differently to throw off any idea of what is about to happen!!!!!
I know - now you want to know what the basket looks now?????? Well after cutting the 12 kits and providing the backing, this is what is left...............
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| The X-rated skeletons |
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| Fabric that I didn't want to give up (but most of it was included in the kits - I just didn't cut it all up) |
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| My Halloween word fabric although again - most of this was included in the kits - just not all of it was cut. And did you notice that cool fabric Linda brought me - ORANGE, HALLOWEEN WORDS - Three for three - so cool. Thanks Linda!!!!!! I also got an orange fabric from Marian with pumpkins on it - more on that another day. |
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| Some fall fabric that shouldn't be in the basket, but obviously has no other home |
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| These colours didn't fit with the bright Halloween |
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| ELEVEN Halloween panels (I know - ELEVEN) |
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| TWO huge hunks of border fabric |
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| TWO Charms packs and a jelly roll |
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| A kit |
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| Huge stack of precut 6 1/2" squares |
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| And the fabric for the backings of the 12 kits (I doubt all of this will get used for the backings) |
So while - it made a dent in the basket - the basket is still pretty full. I must get the camera and take another picture.
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| This is what I am putting on the back of my quilts - MINKY or PLUSH And that is thanks to those darn girls at The Quilt Patch - they use plush or minky for most of their backs and it is so cozy!!!!! |
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| Here is the close up of the orange fabric from Linda |
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| Kaylee came to visit as well. I think she got bored after while - what do dogs care about Halloween anyway????? |
And there you have it - now I REALLY REALLY REALLY need to get working on those block exchanges. But first I want to finish quilting Katheleen's quilt. I think it is going to look pretty awesome and then I have my own to finish as well. And all the others - WHOA - what am I still doing on the computer?????
Before I go - I have to tell you about my recent experiences at the gym. Last night, I decided to take hot yoga. OH MY GOD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I have taken hot yoga before and I know they have had trouble with the heating system. Well - they must have got it working. I was DRENCHED!!!!!!! I think I could have wrung sweat out of my clothes and I wasn't wearing much (shorts and a sleeveless T). My mat was so wet, I was afraid I was going to slip. And I even had a towel that I used frequently. Holy cow - it was HOT.
Then M asked me if I have used the steam room?? Nope - but she said she did, so I thought I would try. COUGH COUGH COUGH!!!!!!!!!!! I go in and I am sitting there - holy cow - there is a LOT of steam in here. The steam blasts out every minute for about 30 seconds or something like that - I don't know how it works. Anyway - I am sitting there and there is NO ONE else in the room. Then the steam shuts off and next thing I know a lady wearing a BLACK bathing suit appears from the corner of the SMALL room. I had no idea she was there!!!!! Anyway - it is pretty neat and certainly clears your sinuses (I think they have eucalyptus or something).
And the workouts are so much fun - we have a pretty crazy group. It really is a super super place. I am so glad I became a member.
OK - NOW I am gone to get some work done (I just hope I don't need a nap later!!!)
Have a great day!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Ciao!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
PS - Oh yes - what about your stash????? Does it need a culling???? Find a fun creative way to get rid of part of it. And if you are looking for a FAST FAST FAST FAST pattern to use up lots of fabric quickly - get HOPSCOTCH by The Quilt Patch
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