Scrap!!!!!

OK - I have to STOP reading the recipes for the fabric bakery. (you figure that out!!!)   I have only checked about four or five of them and EACH one of them is wacky. Today they are making hour glass units by making TWO flying geese. That is a LOT of bulk in the point. All I can say is that goodness that I learned to quilt the proper way (well whatever that is), but I have the sense to change things if they look weird. Just a shame that they don't post patterns that made sense. People will be happier with the results.


So I bustled around this morning and I got PICTURES - lots of PICTURES for you today.

Let's start with some recent purchases. You know that I am OBSESSED - it really is my nature. One day DH lamented that I spend all my time sewing. NOT TRUE. I just need to be busy and whatever I zone it on - well I ZONE in HARD.

You all know that I ride a bike and I have become obsessed with all things BIKE.

A small piece of wall art made from tin that I found at Micheals the other day

Gorgeous storage containers that I found at Homesense last week. The one on the left is for magazines (HA - I would need a lot more, but I settled for one), the middle basket will look awesome with a couple of quilts rolled up in there and the one on the right - well - could there be hope for me to organize some papers in there?????

Also found a couple of cute boxes with bikes on them - also at Homesense.   These will be used to hide the crap when people come over!!!!!!

At Chapters yesterday while browsing the store, I came across these gift wrap items. Hmmm - Now I have to give this to someone so they can then give ME a give wrapped in the paper!!!!!   Someone told me about bike wrapping paper at the dollar store at Christmas, but I never saw it. Maybe they get different stock in different parts of the country?????

Also saw this other line of storage boxes. This is the same as my organizer tray. They had others, but I refrained!!!!!!!

And then I found a couple of different kinds of cards. OK - I think I should STOP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!   Of course - I will have to write notes in these cards and give them away!!!!

While at Micheals, I also bought a couple of packs of FIMO. Just wait to see what I am going to do with these. 

The reason we went to IKEA the other day was to get something for M. Now technically we have TWO extra bedrooms in our house. One of them was for my MIL when she lived with us, then she moved out and shortly afterwards, I had to move my sewing stuff in there because of an issue with the basement. I didn't like the lighting in the room and as soon as I could, I moved most of my stuff back downstairs. There is still a bit of sewing stuff in the room (OK - the walk-in closet is full of my stuff), but it basically became a TV room. and since I don't watch TV - I never use the room. Well except to get supplies if they are in the closet.

M has been HOUNDING me for extra room. She doesn't want her ART stuff in her bedroom. After MUCH thought, I decided that she could use the table that was in the room (my last sewing table) and we would look at storage for her once she got herself organized. So off to IKEA to get a shelf.

Opening the box while Sparky looks on - hoping there is something to eat in the box. Berke is having his lunch and M can't wait. 

Hard at work assembling the shelf

VOILA - the shelf. I LOVE this IKEA shelf. It is a bit large, but I like the fact that the shelves are close together so that makes them sturdier.  Anyway - almost all of her stuff fit on the shelf!!! Yeah!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The work table with her stuff on it. I also bought her a stool so she can perch up there to do her creative stuff!!!!!

I think that was a win-win for everyone. It forced me to tidy up some more stuff. Well for the most part, I have moved it back down stairs and it is sitting on the work tables. Which I have to have clear because I have a HUGE number of people coming to my sewing day next Friday. Yikes - better get started on making room for everyone.


Well this post is called SCRAP and for a very good reason.


As I mentioned - I am OBSESSED. I don't know why I am like that. I have TONS of stuff I should be doing, but I am FOCUSED on getting rid of some scraps. I can't help myself. Monday Motivators is going to have a community quilt work day on Monday and I am busy getting stuff ready for them to sew.

Let's go back in time - to the middle of December.

So here is one of the shelves in the stash room. Notice on the top shelf  (right) there are several plastic boxes. Full of flannel scraps. So many that they were crammed on top of the box and beside it. 

I took all the flannel and sorted it - the juvenile stuff went into one bag

The baby flannel into another and what was left went back on the shelf, although the container was JUST about to burst open

SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO    - the other day, I thought - I could get this all prepared for our sewing day on Monday. These scraps would make good kits and I get rid of the stuff.   I didn't take pictures as I went along, but basically, I sorted and sewed all the baby flannel and managed to 82 - six inch squares. That is enough to make two quilts - one will be 6 squares by 8 and the other 5 by 7 (yes - if you do the math - I am one block short which I will piece from the left overs - yes I kept the leftovers to make a border for the smaller of the two. )

82 - six inch squares of baby themed flannel

So - now you want to know how I did it????   Let's have a look with the juvenile themed flannel..............


First it went from that bag into a basket...............

Basket of juvenile themed flannel

At first - I dumped the entire basket on the floor and searched for "like" colours. 

THEN - I got smart and sorted it by colour. 

If there were larger pieces - I cut them up right away into 6 inch squares

Then I would take one colour at a time (or work with pink and purple) and join the strips together until they were wide enough to get six inch squares

But an age old problem - here is my cutting table................

FULL of stuff that I am working on

So I have a small area to cut!!!!!!

Here is my stack of squares so far

And I still have all this to deal with

Then I have this basket of "adult" themed flannel to deal with (this is the one that went back on the shelf)

And while I am at it and HAVING FUN - I dug out this other basket of flannel that was in the back of a closet

It would be AWESOME if I could get all of this taken care of by Monday, but I am supposed to be quilting a quilt and I have two classes this weekend. Oh well - I will do what I can. There is no fear - the girls will have LOADS to sew on Monday. My laundry basket is brimming with cut squares and I found some pieces in my stash that can be used for backings (they are in the washing machine as I type) and the binding fabric is in the basket waiting to be cut and made up on Monday. I hope those girls get well rested!!!!!!    And if any of them want to take a kit home?????    Well I got lots more where all this came from!!!!!!!!!!

While searching through my flannels, I found more of this fabric (of which the smaller scraps were in the scrap bucket), but it it the leftovers from a pair of PJ pants. It is going to get cut up. 

And this little scrap basket (you see I do throw stuff out, but NOT MUCH) - keeps filling!!!!!!!!!!!!   

I was at Joshua Creek Heritage Art Center yesterday. Oh - apparently there are already TWO gallery sitters on Friday afternoon. No matter - I sat with them and we had a great chat while we all worked on our art. I guess they were away the first day I went, although when I mentioned that - they didn't offer up any information.


Here is a peek at the new show - Art From the Heart. This picture does NOT do justice to the paintings. They are BRILLIANT in colour and so vibrant - you want to sit there for a long time just enjoying them.

All the art is made by adults with challenges and so neat to see how free they are with what they do!!!!!   We could all take a lesson from that.

Sneak peek at Art From the Heart 

Anyway - you should take a few minutes and stop by the gallery and have a peek at this show. It is really inspiring.


There you have it - the diary of an OBSESSED woman. One day I am going to have to seek help!!!!!   BUT not before I have used up every piece of fabric. Guess it will be a while before I need to book an appointment!!!!!!!!!!!!

And let's not forget that the embroidery is coming along nicely on Snow Days. I am quite pleased with the progress.


Have a great day!!!!!!!!!!  


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