No fabric shopping (well, no buying!), and I used a little bit this week. I backed these six pillow covers that I made from vintage tablecloths. And I lined the toile basket.
This week: + 0 yards, – 3.25 yards
This year: + 22.5 yards, – 23.25 yards
Net destashed added in 2019: .75 yards
It’s not much, but I’m in the black!
I’ve completed the second clue to Charlotte Hawke’s Handy Dandy Mystery Quilt. So far there are twelve of these blocks and eighty of the sashing strips. I love my maple seed background fabric, but it looks a little…wormy… up on the design wall.
Scrappy Stars Around the Corner, 2016
It occurs to me that some of my readers may not be totally sure about the meaning of “mystery quilt”. In my experience, it involves one person designing a quilt, then giving us the directions bit by bit, and we don’t know what the pieces will make until the final reveal. (Some quilters are better guessers than I am!)
Surrounded by Scraps, 2017
Some designers select the colors, too, or suggest them. Charlotte is a dedicated scrap quilter, so her designs are meant to be made with a variety of scraps in any color, with just “light”, “medium”, or “dark” to go by.
Scrapitude, 2014
Some designers give a new direction every week. Charlotte gives us the cutting directions in November, then, starting in January, we get a new clue every month about which squares and triangles to sew together. It takes longer, but can be easier to manage.
Srap in a Box, 2015
Summer Stars Over Fawn Lake, 2018
This is probably my scrapiest quilt yet. I have trouble letting go and just throwing everything together. In the past I’ve stuck with certain colors or themes. We’ll see how this turns out!
Looking for the next clue in March!
Sunday I finished putting together this basket to help tidy up my studio. I had a lot of messy recycled mailing envelopes that were an eyesore overflowing their shelf. I also had some home dec fabric I hadn’t used, and a roll of Peltex cluttering up a corner.
I used the directions for the One Hour Basket, but I substituted Peltex for the fusible fleece. I fused the Peltex in place before sewing, and I didn’t think until much later that I should have scored it where I wanted it to bend. Doing it this way, I literally wrestled with it, but I won in the end.
Today I found out that I should have used this tutorial by lillyella. Go look at it, just to see her beautiful work. She handles the stiffener so much better here. Ah, well, next time. Thanks so much, Jaye, for the link. Do you read Jaye’s Various and Sundry posts? I always find so much there.
Anyway, I’m glad I made this. It lets me use the whole shelf and hides the mess. And I dusted for the photo!
Good luck on your projects!
This week I only used a half yard of quilt fabric to line this tote bag. This is the Sylvie Tote from Sotak Patterns .
This is an easy pattern that comes with the three sizes (I made the middle size). Rather than templates, this pattern gives measurements of rectangles that are easily rotary cut.
I used Shapeflex on the back of the t-shirt panel, and fusible fleece on the back the of whole outer bag, once I’d sewn on the contrasting bottom panels. Then I did a little timey-wimey quilting (sorry!) to keep the layers together.
This was my first time attaching a magnetic snap (easy!). I also added my own pocket to the interior and a key clip.
The only thing I didn’t like is that the handles are only attached to the top half-inch of the bag. I stitched them several times, and top-stitched the top of the bag. They’re not going anywhere, but they’re kind of floppy. Next time I’ll add an inch to each end of the webbing and catch it into the top-stitching at the base of the lining facing.
This week: + 9.5 yards, – .5 yards
This year: + 22.5 yards, – 20 yards
Net destashed added in 2019: 2.5 yards
I’m in the middle of more projects- pillow covers and a large basket- that should be completed by next week.
Are you using your Stash?
February’s Stash Enhancement is beautiful whites. I was down to a quarter yard of Kona White and yard of Snow. Now I have some choices!
This week: + 9.5 yards, – .25 yards
This year: + 22.5 yards, – 19.5 yards
Net destashed added in 2019: 3 yards
So, back in the red, but that’s okay.
The quarter yard I used was to line this zipper pouch made from an upcycled t shirt. Look for it soon in my Etsy shop.
No new fabric, and the donation blocks used 3.75 yards of stash fabric.
This week: + 0 yards, – 3.75 yards
This year: + 13 yards, – 19.25 yards
Net destashed added in 2019: 6.25 yards
Go use your stash!
On this snowy day today I finished a dozen donation string blocks for Kat’s Covered in Love.
Oh, the memories! I know from which project every string came.
After a while it dawned on me to use my walking foot, and that worked very well.
And I got to use my new Christmas gift 14″ turntable cutting board. It has foam on the back, and the base really stayed in place while I turned the top.
Kat specified that you should use a cat to press your blocks. These should certainly be flat enough! (He wants to be let out or fed or, really, for me to make the weather warmer. I would if I could, Yuri!)
Evening in the Garden Quilts 