Sunday, April 15, 2012

"Waste Not Want Not"

Rochelle's Purples
   The last couple days I got obsessed with Floral Quilt #6. I still have lots of strips and pieces of florals so I decided to make another quilt in the same technique as the one I am now using as my Facebook picture, "Rochelle's Purples".  So I have been obsessively sewing together lots of strips in various widths which are then cut into other strips and made into a wacky shaped log cabin alternating w/ another fabric. In this case I found a dusty pink so that is what I am going with. 
     Pulling together all the fabrics was as simple as going to my strip collections. My friends can vouch for the fact that I do not throw fabric away. Leftover fabrics are either cut into strips of various widths, squares, or half square triangles or they go in the scrap bucket. I have plastic boxes of each size and shape all piled up and ready to go. Yesterday I pulled out everything that would work and started sewing and today I got the first round of the block done. 
     I save all my scraps and nothing goes into the trash unless it is too small to make a 1" strip or 1 1/2 " square. Needless to say sometimes it takes a while to fill the trash!
I Spy Crazy Quilt
     A couple summers ago I challenged myself to make as many "I Spy" crazy quilt blocks as I could using JUST the fabric in the scrap bucket. This is one of my favorite blocks to do and I did it all summer long until I just had to move on. When I quit I thought I should count how many blocks I had and I had 99 1/2! Yes, a half! One almost finished block ended up in the pile and had to be finished. Oh, I should mention that the scrap bucket is still full--but I can put the lid on it now!!
       I have so much fabric that I will never use it all up so that is why I have been making so many quilts and tops for charity.  It is a fun challenge with a payoff at the end--everybody wins!











2 comments:

  1. Hi Sandy....it's Penny Johnson. I've been quilting for some time, mainly gifts for family & friends. Nothing spectacular, but I get some quilting in with my other sewing. I, too, don't throw any scraps...whether they're large pieces or small scraps, they all cost the same per yard!!!

    I got a Brother Innovis Duetta D4500 sewing machine a few years ago. It has a large enough throat to do full size quilts & I've been learning to do free motion quilting. I love it, but it takes a lot of practice to get the stitches uniform.

    You should add a page to this blog with your gallery of quilts!!! I LOVE the two you have up now...I adore wonky quilts...that way no one knows when you goof & matchy corners & points are a non issue!!!

    Congrats on your new blog!

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  2. I plan to add pics as I go along. Meanwhile I have a Mini gallery on my Facebook page. Check it out any time.

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