scrappy squares

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I know I talked a lot about it yesterday, but I thought I’d show you all the final version of my five (but now six, since it took me until this morning to finish the binding) day quilt.


scrap squares finished!

Introducing, Scrappy Squares!


quilted lines

I’ve got to say, that I was so nervous about putting this in the wash. I’m not typically a fabric prewasher, but I’ve been burned before with some of the red prints in this quilt. Instead of washing before I sewed them, I rinsed them in cold water after piecing, let them air dry until they were nearly dry, and then I ironed them with a hot iron. I was still pretty worried that I’d have some running, but it turned out great. I couldn’t have been happier.

(And after some thought about it, I decided to list Scrappy Squares in my Etsy shop.)

spontaneous quilting

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I’m not the type of quilter to make a quilt from start to finish in days. I take weeks, months, and fairly often years, to go through all steps of making a quilt. Even the ones that shouldn’t take that long often do.

I am a changed quilter. Let me show you what’s happened since Friday:


how'd I get this done in 5 days?!

Look at that! Everything but the binding is finished! And in like 5 days! I still can’t even believe it’s possible. I don’t think I actually did it. My dream of having elves work for me at night must be happening. Thank you, elves.


quilting in progress

When I started it, I was hoping that I’d have enough to make something at least lap size, but I quickly realized that I was going to run out of a lot of the important scraps that I was using. I thought about axing the project or finding a new use for the blocks, but I ended up finishing the top off anyway. I really loved these blocks too much to give it up. Then, last night I found that I had a perfect fabric for the back, so I made the quilt sandwich and today I quilted it. I love it so much.

And even though I don’t know what to do with it now (there are no babies here) I want to make more of them. It was a fantastic project to work on for a few days, and I did enjoy the machine quilting. It’s been way too hot to do much hand quilting, and this gave me the chance to finish a project without too much commitment or sweat. I’m considering listing it in my Etsy shop, but I’m not sure if anyone buys baby quilts. Ideas?

the best time of year

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As of noon today, I am on summer break, and I am a very happy camper.

See?


thumbs up for summer break!

I love summer for so many reasons. I love the flowers that grow in my garden. I love Fourth of July picnics, parades and fireworks. I love going swimming on hot days. But more than all of that I love sewing as much as I want, all day long. I feel like for two and a half months out of my year, I get to live my dream of being a full time quilter and crafter. It’s bliss, and it’s what I look forward to all year long.

In fact, in only took about 10 minutes this afternoon to get started.


new project

Bring on the new projects, the iced tea, the fresh blueberries, the day lilies that grow in my yard. Bring on my most happy time of the year.

at the edge

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More selvage action, people! I love this stuff.


Oh selvage...

Does it step over the line a little when the reason for wanting to buy more fabric has changed from using the actual fabric (or at least stashing the actual fabric) to being solely about the selvage? Because I think I’ve gotten to that point.

Also, good news everyone! I have two days left of work until my summer break starts. I am so looking forward to spending more quality time with my sewing machine.

little blue square

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I just recently (within the last six months or so) figured out about paper piecing, and it has totally changed the way that I think about piecing now. I got started with a few little string piecing experiments, based on Film In the Fridge’s tutorial and loved how simple it was. I love how you can take just a sliver of fabric and make it look neat and tidy in a block. It made me think about piecing in a whole new way.


little blue square

So last night I got to thinking about how I could make it work for squares and small pieces. I know so many people have figured this out already and are thinking “duh, Sarah, duh,” but I was so excited about how precise a teeny three inch square could look! Seriously fantastic.

I want to make a whole quilt out of these lovely little blocks, but for last night, I made a very quilty pouch with my little blue square. I’m thinking that tonight I’ll make a little green square!

going on about fabric

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DSC_0196

I did something last night that I may have never done before and may never do again in my lifetime. I actually put all my fabric away. In neat stacks so that I can see what I have.

And you guys, it is SO NICE.

Other than finishing projects, I’m not sure if anything else comes close to the satisfaction of just going through my fabric. Even if I don’t cut into it, spending time just thinking about what it could become is enough to turn around my driest of creative spells.


DSC_0199

I think it’s interesting how my fabric buying habits have changed throughout the years. When I first started quilting and collecting fabric, I would hardly ever buy anything more than a quarter of a yard. Then I bumped up to half-yards, but once I started making bags, I felt like I went through my favorites so fast. I now typically buy in one yard cuts, but even that seems like so little sometimes. The best fabrics always seem to get used up so quickly, and then I feel sad about it. (Wow, that sounds a little pathetic.)

So in turn, I’ve also become stingy with the fabric I do have. As much as I want to use it, I want to keep it around in my stash for that perfect project. What if I find a pattern that is the most amazing thing ever and I don’t have anymore of that one amazing green? I get so concerned about it.

I’ve also thought a little more about buying full lines of fabric. I have quite a few Amy Butler prints, but I always bought them just because I liked them. Then, last summer Red Letter Day by Lizzie House came out and I wanted all of the colors in all of the prints to make a huge, wonderful quilt. I wonder if it’s time that I should invest in more coordinating pieces. Or, will the things that I make be more unique because I spent the time coordinating the fabrics on my own?

(But, I suppose it doesn’t matter since I won’t cut into anyway.)

i got my mojo working

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You know what’s super cool? How SO many people seemed to be genuinely excited about the hand quilting tutorial last week. It’s must have struck a deeper chord to me because it kicked my sewing mojo into gear. I want to sew everything now!


stacky

Despite my ongoing “Finish It or Pitch It” campaign (two quilts finished this spring!) I broke down and started some new things for my shop. When I updated last week, all three of my selvage pouches sold (thank you!!), so I figured that I’d make some more.

This has resulted in me losing my mind. I want to cut selvage for days, then refold my fabric and find interesting ways to stack it. My mild OCD is shining through the Internet like a beacon of light for all of you to see. I am crazy.


selvage

My mind is buzzing with activity. I want to sew (and cut) and sew and sew. I love that feeling.

finally! hand quilting!

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I’m so happy to announce that I finally have put together a hand quilting tutorial!


hand quilting step E

Even more exciting, it’s running today at the Sew, Mama, Sew blog! I’m so happy that it will reach so many quilters that might just give hand quilting a shot now. I hope that as you use the tutorial, that you will let me know how your attempts go. I’d love to see what people make by using it. Also, if anyone has any further questions, please don’t hesitate to drop me a line. I’ll certainly try to help as best as I can!

I hope you’ll enjoy!

can i interest you in a pouch?

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I made some things

So, I just thought I’d mention that I updated my Etsy shop this week. I haven’t been making a while lot of new bags, but I did finally take photos of a few things that I made back over the winter. My favorites are probably the selvage edge pouches, but that’s just because I’ve been hoarding those edges for so long (and although it kinda made me cry to use them, I love the end result so much that it’s worth it).
So anyway, if you’re interested, I’d be delighted if you stopped by and took a look at what I have. Thank you!

all that seamripping was worth it

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bright squares quilt finished!

Time to check another quilt off the to-do list. Bright Squares is officially finished, and I’m pleased. I don’t even regret at all ripping out the machine quilting on this and re-quilting it by hand. It looks leaps and bounds better than it did before. By huge bounds.


bright squares quilt close up

I feel like it’s pretty lousy that it’s taken me over five years to finish such a very simple quilt. I think I’m redeeming myself though, that in the past few months, I haven’t started any new projects. I’m really committing myself to finishing the projects that I’ve loved…and then left…and love once again.


!!!

So, yay!! for finishing projects!