Wednesday, March 13, 2024

Heatwave!

Oh my goodness, the last 5 days have been dreadful. 41° (105° F) and the night time temps above 25°. Yech! The weather didn't get the memo about summer being over already. It hasn't been too hot this year, so I didn't really miss my AC, but this heatwave did me in.  It was miserable. It's cooled down a bit today, and so of course I got a phone call saying my new AC has arrived and will be installed tomorrow. I'm just happy that it's here and ready for the next hot spell; we often get nasty hot weather into April here.



While the world outside was sweltering I stayed in our shop with the AC running, and tackled even more scraps. 



The scrap boxes at home are my patchwork scraps. The ones at the shop come from Op Shop bags, leftover backings, donations from friends and customers who are cleaning out their stashes. Most of it is modern children's patterns, there's a fair bit of Oriental themed stuff and Australiana, plus panels  and metallics. None of it is my cup of tea, but here it is, clogging up the shelves. 



Seeing as I was incarcerated for the duration I got stuck into the children's fabrics, cutting for Happy blocks and I-Spy hexagons. 



Very quickly I realised there weren't enough large pieces to make a 5" square for the centre, or a hexagon, so I started string piecing 5" squares from the scraps. I'm actually loving it, which surprised me because I've always been on the fence about string piecing.



 I like that it uses up every last piece of some tiny scraps, and everything finds a home somewhere, but the mess is so annoying!



This time I'm coping with the mess by tidying up every few hours, which means all the un-useable strip ends get weeded out, and all the remaining strips are sorted into various lengths and colours, and then I start making a mess again with new blocks. The tidying up is a bit zen, it interrupts the intensity of shoving fabric through the machine and I don't feel overwhelmed by the chaos.



I'm loving these bright colours for a change; it's so not me, but it's fun. I'm aiming for 30 or so blocks, which will put a dent in the boxes, and then I'll decide what to do with what is left. By that time the temperature might have cooled down enough for me to go back to my sewing room, and my regularly scheduled programming.



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Sunday, March 10, 2024

They Say It Gets Worse.....

Before it gets better. The mess on my cutting table is certainly worse, but there has been much progress.



I have 20 Housetop blocks finished, and more cut out. I have no set ideas on how big I want to make this, but more a couch size quilt than a bed quilt I think. If there are still scraps left, then I'll pick another pattern to use them up.


The little Log Cabin blocks are multiplying, I have about 18 of them that just need another round of strips. And to deal with the 1.5" strips I may have started a Half Log Cabin project. I've always wanted to make one, so I just began.

It's so easy to cut, they start with a 1.5" square, then each log is 1" bigger. 2.5", 3.5" 4.5", 5.5", it's so simple. It's chewing up the strips. When I come across a longer strip I also cut 4 3.5" pieces for my Plaid quilt kit, which has taken a back seat to all these new projects. And when I run out of 1.5" strips I can still cut these sizes by slicing 1.5" from the end of my other strip sizes. 


I kept rejecting the red strips, I haven't got over my dislike of red. I was sick of them getting in the way when I went through the strips drawers, so I made them all into 16-patches. I have no idea what I'll do with them, but at least they're dealt with now. 

That Moth In The Window block was a little sidetrack because I had 1.5" and 2.5" strips in the same fabrics, and I wondered if I'd like to commence to cutting some of these blocks. It's definitely something I want to do, but it's not on the front burner just yet. It's another Bonnie pattern from her Addeicted To Scraps book that I've had on my list for years

So I'm very busy cutting and sewing and congratulating myself on dealing with the scraps, but you know what? I can't see a difference. This strip box just seems to refill itself overnight. I'll have to try harder.





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Friday, March 01, 2024

Creating a mess

My strip boxes are overflowing. I need to get them under control.


I made 4 Housetop blocks with varying width strips to see if I liked making them and I did, but I can't cut them out of scraps alone. Those outer rings take 30" of a strip, and most of mine aren't that long. And the 1.25"strips are what I really want to get rid of. 

So I drew up the Log Cabin block I wanted to make using only 1.25"strips, and went through the boxes and pulled out every bit that wasn't 18" long. My chart showed every rectangle I needed to cut, so it was easy to measure a little strip, then cut the longest piece I could from it.

I dealt with the light strips in short order; it was satisfying to find a use for every little bit, down to a 1.25"square.

All these little smidgeons were converted to logs of the right size, with almost no waste.

Lots of teeny little dark strips found a home too. I haven't touched the larger scraps yet, and I have enough for more than 20 blocks. I have no idea how many I can make out of those 2 tubs, but it will be a quilt's worth.



                                   
All laid out waiting for me to start building. I was going to have 5 rounds, but I think I'll stop at 4 and that will make a 6" block. That 8.25"block just seems too big.


At some stage I will have to think about how I want the blocks set; there are so many possibilities that it's hard to choose.

I've always loved Straight Furrows, 



But then again I love Sunshine and Shadows, 



and Barn Raising.

In fact, my first quilt was a Log Cabin, made when I was 15, in the Straight Furrows setting.

I made it for my Mum, and she loved it, though it was all 70s dressmaking scraps, and pretty wonky.


Those decisions are a long way off yet, so I'll just keep on cutting and sewing.

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Wednesday, February 28, 2024

Scrap Projects

While the strips I cut were out I decided to cut the 3.5"and 1.5" ones into pieces for a Plaid quilt. Some people call it a Crossroads block, I've always called it Plaid.



I had to make a couple, just to see what they looked like; I've made 2 quilts with these  blocks, but never with reproduction fabrics, so I was a bit curious.

They look fine. Now I want to be disciplined and put them aside to use as leader-enders, but I don't have a very good track record with that.

I also started playing around with the other strips sizes. I want to cut for a Log Cabin, but I also want to make blocks of surrounded squares.


I made one that uses 4 different size strips, and then thought that I could make lots of blocks with the strips varying in position. The finished size is 8.5", so I need to stay within that size. I tried a couple other combinations as an experiment, and realised that the outer rounds need quite a bit of fabric. That won't work with my short strip scraps. 

I think I need to cut as many of these blocks as I can with my long strips, and then switch to Log Cabin blocks where every log is different. That way I can use up all the little bits and pieces. Once I've cleared out the tubs and drawers I can start cutting from FQs and use the full strips for my surrounded square blocks. I've heard them called Housetop blocks, so maybe I'll use that name for them.

It's tiring trying to see what I'm doing, and I don't think I'm as accurate as I normally am because I just can't focus on the marks on the ruler. But I have a date for my second cataract surgery, in 2 weeks time, and I'm very happy about that. I don't expect it will cure all my ills, but I'll be closer to getting new glasses that take into account my changed vision. I'm looking forward to that.

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Thursday, February 22, 2024

Tiny 9-patches

 Everyone across Blogland is making little nine-patches, thanks to Taryn at ReproQuiltLover.  She is replicating an antique quilt with truly tiny nine-patches, and offers tutorials for 3 sizes. She calls then Teeny Tiny (1/2"squares), Tiny (3/4"squares) and Small (1"squares). I was intrigued, but not tempted to join in; I have enough to be going on with, until my eyesight improves.


However. On a recent visit to Mereth's sewing room she showed me an old Quilters Newsletter Magazine with an interview with Lee Porter. One of the quilts on a bed was a beautiful old 9patch with pink sashing, and I decided it would be perfect to use up my extensive collection of 1.25" strips. Mereth has already made a trial block, and I have unashamedly pinched her idea; that's the problem being identical twins, we usually love the same things.. 

I did some rough calculations and decided that the 2.25" 9patches would make a nice size quilt, with 25 or 30 blocks.  It would also use up those containers of 1.25"strips that have been hanging around since 2013. In order to use these strips of all lengths I'm making my 9patches by a different strip pieced method.

I cut a light and dark strip to 6.5", plus a 1.25"square from the dark. The strips are joined together, and subcut into 5 1.25"slices. 

I need 4 for the 9patch, plus there's an extra one to build into a scrappy block later on.

Three of the little units are sewn together, and the single square is added to the other one. Then that unit is added to complete the 9patch.


The scrap blocks are going to be cute; I'll raid my box of squares for the single piece needed to complete the 9patch.


 I'd probably prefer to strip piece 5 blocks at a time as Taryn details in this tutorial, but until I whittle these strips down I won't do that. My quilt plan needs 480 blocks, and even though each 9patch block only takes 2 six and a half inch strips I don't think I'll have enough.

The setting strips are also 1.25" strips, and I can use the longer strips for that. I'm really hopeful that I can clear out those 2 boxes, and then I'll have permission to cut new scraps. 

These will be a long term project, and I will have to start looking for a pink sashing fabric. EQ8 says I'll need 2.5m, so I may have to go shopping. Such a chore 😄.


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Sunday, February 18, 2024

Progress

I started with this collection of scraps and leftovers, plus some more in various other piles.


I've been assiduously cutting for days, not thinking about the final destination of this fabric, just trying to get it cut down into useable sizes.

So many decisions are involved, but to make it simple I just tried to get the biggest strip or square that I could from each piece.


It's very satisfying to see an empty container, and know that everything in it has been trimmed and assigned a new home.


These are my little strips, and I emptied that white tray cutting these little bits. They range from 1"to 1.75", and I have plans for each size strip. There may be some Log Cabin blocks in my future, featuring 1"strips, and I'm thrilled to be using every last skerrick of a scrap. 

I still haven't conquered Mt. Scrapmore, but I've made lots of progress.

The strips starting at 1"and ending at 3.5". Lots of squares to go into the boxes for current and future projects.


This is the pile of larger scraps, all ironed and ready to cut the bigger size strips. I have plans for the 3.5"strips, and I enjoyed my last 2.5"leader-ender so I'm going to do another one. Even though that size seems too large for my taste, I like working on blocks that grow so quickly.

I have three quilts that I'll cut for from these strips. I think I've powered through the cutting because I haven't stopped to cut individual pieces for those projects. Once I've dealt with the whole lot I can go back and kit up the blocks I want to make. Maybe I can finally get a handle on how to manage my scraps; just being hopeful here.

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Wednesday, February 14, 2024

I'm mighty sick of the mess in my sewing room. every surface is piled high with random collections of fabric and strange containers full of scraps. Not to mention the shirts draped everywhere. Enough is enough!



First up I pulled out a bunch of light blue and white scraps and cut enough wedges for another 7 Dresden Plates. Now all the rest of the shirts can go back where they belong while I piece these together. I'll have to find enough fabric for the background squares, but I'll deal with that later.

What is most urgent is sorting out 5 containers of strips and scraps, some dating from quilts I finished 2 years ago. I've never sorted out the leftovers from any quilt I've made, it all accumulates into a giant mess.  I can see several days of sorting and cutting ahead of me, but if I get sick of it I know Mereth will take all the rest. She's positively willing me to fail, 😀. (Ooh look, we have emojis now. How exciting..)

Last time I was at Seonaid's we did jigsaws again, heads together as we searched for the right pieces. We were both a bit appalled then, when she tested positive for Covid.  She immediately isolated in her bedroom, I wore a mask and so did she when she came out for something to eat. I couldn't go home straight away because the next day was a 44° day, way too hot to travel, so we just tried to minimise the contact. I wrangled the kids for another day and a half so she could be sick in peace, then I came home hoping that I wasn't going to get sick.  And amazingly, I didn't. I did 4 tests, all negative, and no symptoms.

And then after a family get together last week at the coffee shop, Mereth tested positive. Again I waited to see if I'd contracted it too, but I didn't. I think it's pretty amazing that I've avoided it when it's come to so close to me. Mereth's granddaughters are the source for her infection, so it's going through the schools yet again.  I just hope I can continue to dodge it.

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