My internet has been even more erratic over the past fortnight, and rather than struggle with it, I've just ignored the computer except for business stuff.  It's amazing how much time that frees up for things like sewing and spinning and gardening and cooking, but I do miss it.  I even left the computer up at the Hall, so I wasn't tempted to spend my evenings watching things struggle to download at 7kps; I've been living a pre-internet life after work hours, and it's been productive.

I've done a fair bit of spinning, but no photos of that, so you'll just have to take my word for it.  I finished the scrap quilt on the design wall, but no photos of that yet, it's quite large and I need to modify my design wall before it will fit up there.  And I started a new scrap project.

At the start of the year I said I wanted to make lovely quilts this year, with my good stash, not just scrap and utility quilts.  That hasn't happened at all.  Most of my stash is still at the Hall, while I sew from the scrap containers at the house.  I won't be living here for all that long, and I haven't felt like dragging 30 drawers of heavy fabric into the house, so when I need to start a new quilt I just pick a scrap drawer and start cutting from it.  So far I've cleared out the 2.5" drawer, and whittled down the 3.5" drawers.  Last weekend my eye fell on the overflowing drawer of 2" strips, and that was it.  I was off and running on another scrap quilt.

I've always adored strip piecing; from the moment I first discovered the concept I've embraced it wholeheartedly.  There's not as much variety in the fabric placement, and it needs strips rather than any little scrap, but I just love sewing the strata, and then slicing it into segments.

 It's so quick, it seems like in no time at all there are blocks stacking up.  I was going to do a Double Irish Chain, but somehow I found that I had sewn the strips for a Triple Irish Chain. 

No matter, it uses up a heap of scraps anyway.

 I didn't have access to fabric to make that large square, so I made it out of a four patch, allowing me to raid the 4.5" drawer and cut those strips down too.

 These blocks look pretty dull until the alternate blocks are added, and then it's like magic!The whole design lightens and the chains appear, marching across the quilt.  I love making chain quilts, and I love the quilting opportunities that those large light spaces offer.

I'm close to having exhausted the possibilities of the scrap drawers, so I will have to decide on a 'good' quilt to make next.  I'll cut it at the Hall, with access to all my gorgeous fabrics, and then bring just the pieces home to sew.  Sounds like a plan to me.  And knowing how I overcut for every project, I'll have restocked the scrap drawers in no time flat.