Operation Clean Sweep!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

A common theme among quilters these days seems to be "I can't buy anything new - I have too much!!!!".

Just yesterday, one of the Monday Motivators was lamenting about how much she had and no room to put it. I offered to help her clean up her sewing room after the holidays.

Her comment solidified something that I have been thinking about for some time. As I sort through each of my colour baskets, there are fabrics there that I know I will not likely use in a quilt. Why I bought them I will never know!!!!!!!!!!!  

As I am trying to "organize" in my mind what to work on next year, my brain keeps going back to two groups of fabrics that I have acquired (notice - NOT purchased, but acquired).

Sooooooooooooooo   - here is my BIG plan for 2013. I am going to dig out those two groups of acquired fabrics and get them made up into quilts that can be donated to a community group. And I am going to ask the Monday Motivators to do the same thing. It is going to be a WIN WIN WIN for all of us. Our studios are going to be neater and contain only what we need, we will still be sewing (who cares what you sew - as long as you are sewing and busy), we will help the communities and we will likely need to purchase some supplies to get these quilts finished AND our brains are going to be less stressed and we are all going to be HAPPY HAPPY HAPPY - well happier!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (because we have less)




Wouldn't it be nice to walk into your studio and the only stuff there is a bit of fabric, the few tools that you use on a regular basis and a bit of room for a few extra things. I REALLY REALLY REALLY want to get to that stage (OK - so not quite that bare), but like other people that I know - I have NO INTENTION of just giving it all away. NO - I want to do useful things with it and then get rid of the useful things!!!!!!!!


Here a small start at making that happen..........


When I have a class on the long arm machine - I load a backing, batting and top - just like a real quilt. But what to do with that piece when it comes off the machine? Obviously it is NOT an heirloom. I decided to cut off the section that was not quilted. These got put into a pile and I will sew them together so I can make the pieces for the NEXT long arm class.

The unquilted leftovers that will make the next practice piece for a future long arm class

The remainder of the pieces - I trimmed the excess batting away (and put it in its appropriate places).

The pieces...................

I serged around the edges (and used up 4 spools (little bits on them) of serger thread). If the piece was too large, I cut it in half. And what do I get with that???????????????

Got EIGHT big "blankets" that are being donated to the local animal shelter.

Bottom line - the students won because they had something to practice on, the animal shelter wins because they now have EIGHT blankets for dogs and I win because I just rid of a large IKEA bag of stuff in my house. My kid wins because she is going to deliver it so she gets to drive the car!!!!!!!!!!!   How cool is that and it took less than ONE DAY to get that all together. 

Another thing I am trying to do - get some things COMPLETED. I finished (well almost finished) a knitting project. Just got to learn how to bind off differently than I currently do (can't show you the project until after Christmas), but I win  - because now this project is (or will be done), someone wins because they get a hand made (USEFUL) gift for Christmas and I win again because I get to learn a NEW method of casting off. I have a new book - I'll share that with you when I learn my new skill. 

Working on another project that uses up MANY scraps. 

ANOTHER crocheted rug. Sparky REALLY REALLY likes the other one, so I guess Sammy needs one!!!!   I am using scraps of fabric for this one - NOT coordinated.    And I LOVE this - I think I love this one MORE than the other coordinated one. 

I still have LOADS of fabric prepared, but I know it won't be near enough to complete the rug - Sammy is a fatty!!!!  There is a drawer upstairs with 4" strips in it. I just have to cut them in half to make 2" strips and I am good to go on that. 

And let's not forget the customer quilts - another one ready to be picked up!

Customer quilt

Now - I just could NOT help myself and I dug out those two ACQUIRED bundles of fabric. The first is some shirtings. The final quilts will be the THIRD generation of use for these. First they were scraps from some shirt factory that Cathy at one of my guilds gave to me. And why did she give these to me????   Well a NUMBER of years ago, I had to make a backdrop for my daughter's school that fit into a threatre. Do you know how big that is??????   I think it was TWENTY feet HIGH and FORTY FEET WIDE??? or some crazy number like that. I lucked out because I had enough shirtings to make the part that showed to the public all from the shirtings.  The rest (which is hidden in the top of the theatre workings was made from sheets and other stuff. I made big squares - I think they were 15 inch squares for the back drop.


 I have been cutting those bigger squares down into 6 1/2" squares (OK - so I haven't done this in a while), but LOOK - I have a box of them cut and some are sewn together into 12 1/2" blocks.

Shirtings - cut into squares

There is still a HUGE amount to be cut, but I am going to cut them into kits and give them to people to sew into tops - NO borders. Then we will somehow acquire backings and batting for them and I will get them quilted. 

Then I also have copious amounts of poly/cotton. Now before you roll your eyes - quilts made with this fabric can be nice. Just don't mix it with cotton. My plan - put flannel on the back. And LOOK - I have a LOT of squares already precut. Again - just need some people to sew them up - find backings and batting and we are good to go. 

Pre-cut poly/cotton squares - ready to be sewn into quilts

Here is the HUGE PILE that comprises both the shirtings and the poly/cotton

Once those two piles are dealt with, then I will go through my stash and start eliminating. 

Now we have to find someone we can donate to so we can figure out sizes (I'm thinking generous laps - 60 by 72 or smaller)

Now this doesn't mean that I won't stop doing stuff for the guilds, but at the same time - it is all about me and I want to get rid of this stuff. I want to be able to get everything nicely stored in one place (yes - there is currently some stuff UPSTAIRS in two closets and there is NO ROOM for it in the basement)

Yes - I am off my rocker, but in the end - I will feel much better so that is what it is all about. 

Bottom line - if 10 people each made ONE quilt top a month for TWELVE months (and if the square are already cut and no borders? - hey - how hard is that??????) - then we would have 120 quilts!!!!!!

Here is a cute project that Elaine S made for her grand daughter who loves tea parties. 

Tea party outfit!!!!!!!   Including oven mitts, place mats, apron and pot holders!!!!   What more could a girl want????

Went to the Ride to Conquer Cancer orientation on the weekend and got my SOCKS!!!!!   

I ordered something from The Quilt Patch and boy do they LOVE STAMPS!!!!!!!   Instead of using a postal meter - NOPE - they put stamps on the packages. So fun and so QUICK. I ordered my stuff (can't tell you what until after Christmas) on Thursday, was put in the mail on Friday and arrived at my house on Monday. And they are in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan - how COOL is that!!!!!!!!!!!!

Stamps on my package!!!!!!!!!!!!

And there you have it. Another crazy day finished and another crazy day about to start.


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



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