Tuesday, January 13, 2015

One WIP Down

... Well, sort of.
 

I got to cross one project off my list because I put the offending blocks in the mail to someone who makes charity quilts. 
A few years ago I did a monthly block swap, but the blocks I kept getting back were very 'traditional' in fabric choices. I had planned a purple star quilt for my daughter but the fabrics just weren't to my taste. 
This was a very good lesson for me and I dropped that block swap and decided to be very selective about my bees - that may sound snobby, but I would much rather know I can trust the fabric choices my bee mates come up with.
At the time I put the blocks aside but when I pulled them out recently I knew I was never going to want to do something with them so I found a lady who makes charity quilts and offered them to her. She was thrilled - they are well constructed blocks and there are already 12, so it will be an easy finish. 
I am relieved to cross another thing off the WIP pile. 
I need to be more ruthless like this because that WIP pile is holding me back from what I really want to do.

Thursday, January 8, 2015

Dealing with Scraps

I love scraps, I really do. But my scrap bins were overflowing and I had a stack of stuff to go in them and when I looked through them for a project the other day I realised I didn't like half the stuff that was in there any more. 

So last night, quite spontaneously, I decided to clean out my scrap bins and put the new scraps away. Now they look like this. 


I love that they're neat and ordered and filled with fabric I like. 

And this is the bag to go out. The ugly fabrics, the poor quality fabrics and the teeny weeny pieces.


The teeny pieces were hard. I had put them aside to make a ticker tape quilt. But in truth, I've made one ticker tape quilt and I don't much want to make another. And it's just another thing on a never ending to do list.

I also think I need to factor in that making any scrap quilt costs money - the top may be free but the backing and batting and time aren't. And it's not like I need to save fabric because I might run out tomorrow. Even if all the fabric manufacturers shut their doors next week I'd be good for a little while 😉.

I'm not saying I don't love scrap quilts, I really do. My Dismond Stars EPp is mostly scraps. 


The border I added to the latest round of the Possum Magic bee is all scraps.

 

For me, the key is not keeping ALL the scraps, just the best ones.

Tuesday, January 6, 2015

Cuties for the Kitchen


I'm on a decluttering kick at the moment, and of course the kitchen is a big target. The past it pot holders, the old cork trivets... Ugh. 

I'm also trying to make more cute things for the home and last year I got these fab placemat panels from the lovely Cat&Vee. We're not really placemat people, plus there are five of us, so I hadn't done anything with them yet.

But tonight I pulled out the insulbright I'd been hoarding, some scraps of batting and some black fabric and whipped up four super-cute, very useful pot holders/ trivets. 
Then I immediately tossed the old ones out. Now all I have is cute and handmade, which makes me much happier. And there's one less thing on the sewing to do list. 

Win all around.