Today's tasks are many.
I'm reconciling my checkbook, with great joy and cheerfulness of course; trying to get things cleaned up after feeling somewhat under the weather this past week; catching up with the ironing; and sundry other things, including dreaming about my projects.
I had to stop what I was doing to tell you all about it.
When I left my reconciliation (that sounds like it was a sacrament, but it really, really wasn't) to take a picture of part of my fabric stash in the pantry, I saw that I had left a shirt halfway ironed.
Pathetic.
However, it's still there.
I think I hinted to you that I needed some life in my stash.
How's this? CUTENESS!!
Meanwhile, as this synapse-firing pile of excitement was taking its time getting to its mama, (something about the UPS driver, who was averaging one delivery a day in the weeks before Christmas, not being able to find our road, suddenly), I did manage to go through my piles of fabric and remove all the pieces that are just too small to do anything much with.
I was desperate. I had to have some handwork for the hours I sit around waiting for Miss B!
A couple of dance lessons' worth of making into strips (and smaller) later, and voila! a patchy project to keep me on my game while I find time to sit at the machine and sew Rosie's quilt top together.
I've been wanting to make this kind of quilt for a while. Of course, as I'm doing it I'm thinking about all the other ways to use scraps, but I have a feeling that I will always have the opportunity to try something else out. If my synapses hold out.
Here's how far I've gotten.
I like having something that doesn't have a deadline or a promise attached to it. I'm not even thinking about values or placement, other than the red in the center. I have my scrap bag and I don't have to worry about the pattern — I can just grab it and go!
And my stash is feeling better too 🙂 (This is only one side…one of these days I will show you the whole thing — maybe after I dig the ironing out!)
Sophie says
Wow…your stash is so organized. I got a shelf for mine and felt extremely organized. Then I inherited lots of fabric from my grandmother. What do I have now? The shelf, stuffed full. Piles on top of the shelf. A box jammed full of fabric sitting on the floor in front of my clothes and the heating vent. And a pile on the floor.Oops.
Margo says
haha – Sophie, my stash developed in the exact same way (except my explosion came from a retired home ec teacher!).Anyway, Leila, my question (as per usual about quilting):is the handwork part cutting the strips or sewing them together? I've been stopping by a blog called make something where she is carrying around a tin of handsewing and making scrappy blocks.This is very tempting to do because right now if I want to use my machine, I have to haul it out and set it up on my dining room table. With young children underfoot, it's just not very efficient. But if I could handsew quilt blocks, that really gives me more chunks of time.But it's a different kind of sewing. . .So, I'd like to hear your insights, please!
Mary says
LOVE it!! It will be another family heirloom before you know it. Can't wait to see it done.
Leila says
Margo — both! I put all my scraps, which were mostly under a 1/4 yard, into that big bag.
I made a little cardboard template for the width.
I sat at dance and cut or tore my pieces to that width. Don’t worry about the length!
The patch has a red square in the middle…then just follow the pattern (here’s one:
http://www.quilterscache.com/L/LogCabinBlock.html
— I just made the red square and the other pieces be the same width).
Don’t cut the pieces to length until you are fitting them into the square. Keep the shorter pieces for the inner part of the patch…the longer ones for the outer.
The traditional log cabin has the lighter values on one side, darker on the other, then the patches are arranged for an overall pattern. But I’m not worrying about that for this one.
Today I made two patches while talking to Rosie on the phone — about 1 patch per 1/2 hour.
The strips are all in the white bag, the white bag and my little sewing kit with everything I need go in the green tote. You can see it in that picture.
When I head out the door, the tote goes with! Except last week, for the first time, I forgot it 🙁 Two hours with NOTHING TO DO WITH MY HANDS. Groan…
messy bessy says
I’m inspired. I’ve also inherited a great amount of beautiful fabric and have small amounts of other kinds that I would sew into something if I knew what.
Margo says
Leila, thank you!!
Now, forgive the newbie question, but what hand stitch do you use to sew the patches together?
(I would be climbing walls if I had to sit for 2 hours with nothing to do – AK!!)
Leila says
Margo — just a simple running stitch. Some people backstitch every few stitches, but I don’t. I catch as many stitches per needle thrust as I can, then pull through — at least 3, maybe 4 stitches per jab. Knot at the beginning of the seam, knot at the end.
My left index finger is a mess!
You must use a thimble on your middle finger and a rubber tip on your index finger or you will develop a bad arm. I will post on this soon, because I think several people mentioned that hand sewing hurts them, and this will cure it.
Fortunately for me the other night a very dear friend was there to talk to. Otherwise I did have a book in case of being completely alone! But yes, it was not great.
patches of me says
You come up with the best ideas!
This is perfect timing for me since I will be sitting in the hospital waiting area tomorrow. This idea will be perfect! I’ll pack my kit tonight.
Deirdre says
Suuuuuper cute! And I can’t wait to see the finished product of the log cabin quilt. It looks like such a fun project!
Ruth says
The log cabin blocks are beautiful! Could you tell me what the width of the strips and center square are? Are they all cut to the same size?
Leila says
Thanks, Ruth!The center square is about 1 1/2 inches square and the strips are about 1 3/4 wide. I cut all the strips to whatever length they turned out to be, and then used them by hacking them off depending on where in the log cabin square they land. In other words, the lengths of the strips are determined AFTER piecing them.Then the remainder of the strip goes into a secondary bag to be used in subsequent squares for the shorter (inner) bits.That will be clear once you start :)It's still in progress! Yikes.