Scrappy Saturday - 8/27/11

Scrappy Saturday - 8/27/11


Still don't have much sewing mojo - 

Been working on my book(s) - 

So I thought I would play with my fabric today -

That usually works - 

So I pulled out a bunch of 10" square packs - 

I don't usually pre-wash them - 

But I pre-washed these last night just for fun - 

(I just corrected a typo - you wouldn't believe what I just typed instead of "pre"!!  ;))

in lingerie bags -  so they wouldn't ravel too much - 

and got this - 

Now I get to sit and untangle them - 

and press them - 

and fold them - 

and fondle them - 

I'll let you know later if it worked - 


Talk to you later - gotta go - gotta sew -

Scrappy Saturday - 8/20/11

Scrappy Saturday - 8/20/11


On Monday I showed you some fat quarters that I had pressed 
and I told you that I SAVE the THREAD BITS that I cut off the edges -  

YES – I SAVE THREAD BITS!!

Some of you have asked me what I did with them –

I USE THEM!!

I can’t really explain in any detail –

Or show you the steps –

Because I don’t want to violate any copyright thingies –

But –

I can tell you this -

First – I dug out one of my books –
I have hundreds of books –
I love books –

The book I dug out was - 
“Fast, Fun & Easy ® Incredible Thread-A-Bowls” by Wendy Hill –
C&T Publishing – © 2005 - also available here .

Then I gathered my baggie of THREAD BITS - 
And some “stuff” –
I have tons of “stuff” –
I love “stuff” -
Almost as much as I love books - 

And then I made this – 
TA DAH!!

Cool, huh?

How’s that for USING THREAD BITS!!

And you throw yours away??  ;((



Talk to you later – gotta go – gotta sew –

Design Wall Monday - 8/15/11

DESIGN WALL MONDAY – 8/15/11

OK – so I finished this one –

Well – I got the top sewn together –
And that's as “finished” as it’s going to get for now -
Out of Stage 7 – on up to Stage 5 -
YAY – One down!

Next I tried to make one of those little mini-boards –
(WARNING - Turn your speakers down/off if you don't like blog music) - 
Didn’t turn out so well –
Tried to trim it with blue “extra-wide” bias tape –
I didn’t like it – too messy – wrong glue -
And the color is distracting -
So I tore it off –
Another UFO/redo for some other time –
Maybe I'll trim it in muslin – or white-on-white -
(But I need to find my glue gun first - ;))

Then I pressed some fat quarters –
Question for you –
What do YOU do with the threads on the edges?
Cut them off and throw them away?
(And I don't need a lecture on how to keep the edges from raveling! ;))
I cut them off and SAVE mine – yeah, I do! - 
I even have a project in mind – 
(I’ll show you when I get to it - ;))

Then I decided to pull out another UFO project –
This is a BIG one and dates back to 1997 –
(BIG = Probably why it's not DONE yet - ;)) 

And I found some stitching samples I made back then -

Here’s one part – partially done -

Don’t like the dark orange thread on the light orange center –
So I need to find a lighter orange -
Good thing I have some thread, huh?
(And there's another layer of thread trays under the ones you can see - ;)) 

Found what I wanted –
Some frogging and some restitching - 
(Should be my middle name - ;))

Much better –

That's all for now -
I'll show you more when I have more to show - ;))



Talk to you later – gotta go – gotta sew –

Scrappy Saturday - 8/6/11

Scrappy Saturday - 8/6/11


Earlier this week on Design Wall Monday - 8/1/11 - 

I had 9 blocks -

And then I decided I wanted 16 -

So I made some more "tubes" and cut them up -

Do you see anything wrong with this one?  No?

Now do you see anything wrong with this one?

Oops!
Need to cut the big one down - 
And cut another one to replace the little one - 
But - there isn't enough of the red polka dot on the end - 
So a little frogging and some resewing -  

And then there were12 -

And - now I have 16 -

I may re-arrange it some more - 

I may even put it back the way it was - ;))

It's from Bonnie Hunter's pattern - Scrappy Trip Around the World -  

I'm going to call it - "Scrappy Tripping"

And it fit right in with Judy's August UFO Challenge this month - lucky me!!

Judy picked #7 this month -  

• Stage 7.  Need Block Construction - Partially Done - etc.

"Scrappy Tripping" was only one of 14 projects that I have in this category -


But now that the blocks are all laid out - I moved it up to Stage 6 - 

•  Stage 6.  Need Top Construction - Layout - Borders - etc.

If I can get the blocks sewn into a top - then I can move it to Stage 5 - 

• Stage 5.  Need Back - Sleeve - Binding - Label - etc.

Chances are it's not getting much higher on the list than that -

• Stage 4.  Need Basting and all of the above
• Stage 3.  Need Quilting and all of the above
• Stage 2.  Need Label - Heart - Scrap Card - Story and Photos
• Stage 1.  Need Story and Photos

But that's OK - I got one of the fourteen done - 

next up -

Scrappy Star Block

or maybe something else -

don't really know yet -

OH!! - AND HEY - DON'T FORGET THAT NEXT SATURDAY - AUGUST 13 - IS - 

International Left-Handers Day

I'm thinking that we should have an online meeting and Quilt Show - our very own - 

First Annual International LEFT-HANDED Quilters Anonymous Online Quilt Show -

Say that three times fast - ;))

On Saturday we could all post a picture and the story of our "Best" Quilt -

What do you think?

My mission between now and then is to get other Lefty Quilter/Bloggers out there in blogland to put the "A Left-Handed Quilter" button on their blog and to maybe show up for the meeting and Quilt Show -

Spread the word - 

Maybe we can link up or something - I still need to work on that -

And an agenda - probably need an agenda - 

and...



Talk to you later - gotta go - gotta sew - gotta do some stuff - 

Scrappy Saturday - 7/30/11

This Saturday I wanted to share a “Scrappy” project I have been working on –

BUT - I didn't get the photos edited in time - 

SO - it will have to wait until Monday.

Instead - I'll show you the cutest little Jelly Roll Quilt - 

I saw it last week on Donna's blog – QUILTING STUDIO ADVENTURES - here -

And - I just HAD to make one!

Thanks, Donna!

It's called the JELLY ROLL RACE QUILT - watch the video - it's terrific!!

===========

So - here's my version - 

Start with a jell roll -

OR - in my case - two jelly rolls and a FQ -

I got mine at Walmart ('cuz it was an experiment) - 
And the first one was short by one - 23 instead of 24 -
So I needed another one - and wound up with 47 -
You only need 40 - so now I have 7 extra -
And you wonder how I get scraps???

So here they are - all sewn – end to end -
I used straight seams - not diagonal -

They seemed to want/need a bucket/bin -
So I obliged -

And when they say to start with a full bobbin - 
DO IT!!
It's NOT a RULE!!
But it is a GREAT TIP!!
BECAUSE - 
I came up 3-1/2" - repeat - 3-1/2" SHORT!!

Foursie -

Eightsie -

Sixteensie -

Thirty-twosie -

Isn't that just the CUTEST!!

Yeah - I thought so too!!

===========



Talk to you later - gotta go - gotta sew - and edit those dang photos

Scrappy Saturday - 7/16/11

Scrappy Saturday - 7/16/11


This was a little scrappy experiment to see if I could use a coffee filter as a base/stabilizer for a Drunkard’s Path block –

I started with a little square in the middle of the coffee filter -
And some scrappy string/strips - 
And sewed a couple of rounds – log-cabin style – clockwise -

Then a couple of more rounds -

Turn it over to make sure I didn’t miss a spot -

Pin it to a square of muslin -
Right side down -
Stitch around it -

Trim it – 1/4" all around -

Tear off the coffee filter paper -
Make a slit in the muslin –
Turn it right side out -
Looks a little lumpy around the edges to me -

So I dig out my handy-dandy pinking shears -
Remember those?
These are so old – you can’t see in the photo – but the price sticker is still visible - $3.47 –
Yeah – those suckers are OLD!!
(And before you ask - yeah - they're right-handed - making them a real pain to have to use!)

Turn it back inside-out -
Pink the edges all around -

Turn it right side out – again -
Doesn't look as lumpy this time - much better - 
Pin the circle to a yellow background square (I LIKE YELLOW!)
And blanket stitch it all around - 

Then – because I thought I was being clever -
I drew a chalk line through the middle of the circle -
Horizontally and vertically - (a little crooked - 'cuz they didn't come out the SAME size!)

Then I basted (long stitch) - 1/4" to the left and the right of both lines -

I cut down the center – between the seam lines -
MAGIC!! –
I have 4 Drunkard’s Path blocks – all with the edges already basted –
Clever, huh?  Yeah, I thought so!

So I played with them a bit – re-arranging them this way and that -

I kinda like the circle – you know – just mixed up - for a little table topper –

So – I sewed them back together –
And pressed the seams open trying to reduce the bulk

Then pressed the other seam open

Nah – this sucker is REALLY thick in the middle -
My “clever” trick wasn’t so clever after all!!

So I cut both seams out

Then I trimmed out the excess layers

And layered all four with batting – for coasters

I tried the first one - "envelope" style

It came out way too small for a coaster -
See it next to the little bitty (3 oz.) candle –
So I quilted the other three - and pulled some strips out for binding

You can see the last one I made on the left -
Much bigger – huh?
The smaller one lost 1/2" in size because the seam allowances were on the “inside”

All done –
Four coasters – or “Mug Rugs” as they are now called –
Not exactly the same size –'cuz I didn't pay attention when I cut them -

But they are going to be scattered around my room -

So – it works for me!

Talk to you later – gotta go – gotta sew -