{Post 1,734} Sew Much Better

If you are cleaning up an atrocious space, I highly recommend taking before pictures. Yes—they are embarrassing. One might think, “How could I let it get like this...AGAIN??” Or “I could never show this to anyone.” But honestly, this result was so satisfying. And I’m not just talking about the being able to walk between the ironing station and quilt frame without twisting an ankle or causing Mt. Never-rest to tumble. I ironed a large quilt without moving stacks of stuff. Then I cut out binding with all but a 10” strip of my cutting table cleared off. I was a young whippersnapper last time either of those happened. Ah—just breathing in the free space!!

Here are the before and after:

There is always so much more to do in here, but I cut, pieced, ironed, applied and sewed down binding on a quilt for a friend that I can give her tonight because there was so much room to get it done quickly and peacefully. Please tell me I’m not alone in this. My sewing room reminds me of a toxic spill. I go in, determined to make it livable, armed with my trusty super sponge. I dunk my sponge in the spill, turn to wring it out in the sink, and it is immediately filled up with other gunk. Yes—that’s my sewing room plan....dunk and gunk. Actually, I just made that up, and it made me laugh. So I will be honest and just say it looks pretty amazing right now. Tomorrow might be another story!

Still looking for a taker for a big box of florals. My sister and I used to make watercolor quilts. I sold all my squares and used up all my florals. Then she blessed me with a big bag of her stuff. If someone wants them and will pay postage, I’ll gladly give them to you. Otherwise, I’ll be moving them to another room until the floral bug strikes (I think it is actually extinct around here).  

Have a great day. I’m just enjoying the view.

{Post 1,733} Much Progress

 

Here is the before and after comparison of my fabric bookshelves. I have one wonderful friend who purchased 2 yards of each neutral and one of each color. That majorly slimmed down my shelves. I got rid of 24 of the empty cardboard bolt forms. That was 15” of shelf space right there!

Now I’m tackling the busy, messy spot on top of and in front of the ironing station. Lord, give me strength!!

I was given a large stack of florals that I will likely never use. I started pressing and cutting for 5 different quilts from them, but my heart wasn’t in it because I am not a floral-lover. Would anyone want the stack (that goes all the way down to the ironing station for the cost of postage?

{Post 1,732} Sew Much Fabric

 

Good AM, readers. I am in a quandary. Some of you know that in a previous life, or so it seems, I sold Thimbleberries’ fabric from my home. I have many bolts. I could never sew this in my lifetime. As I am cleaning up my sewing room (an eternal project), I am wondering how I can sell some of it (most of it, to be honest). So I am just putting this here for anyone interested. For my blog readers, $5 a yard plus actual shipping. This is high-quality fabric with a very soft hand.

Is anyone interested in small (as in 2” square or less) scraps of fabric? As I go through what I have, I am hoping to weed out those and send them to someone who will love and use them. 

Lastly, I am closing my booth at the end of December. It saddens me greatly to say that because I feel like a failure. I guess I anticipated my items flying off the shelves there. Most of them just flew back to my craft room and sewing room. I don’t think I am overcharging—to the contrary, I feel like I am just covering materials and a little extra. Enough said. Now I need to find homes for many little items. I can’t part with my big throws and antique quilts for nothing. <heavy sigh>

Here is my booth from yesterday AM. My husband built me the Christmas tree up on the hutch out of old fence pickets that were in our garage.

{Post 1,731} Finished “Ugly Quilt” and Discovery

 

I have been cleaning up my sewing room (I was going to type “again”, but it is “still”). I have come to realize that if I sew, it will always need redecluttered as “A Slob Comes Clean” would put it. I am fine with that. It means I have been doing something I love that brings me great happiness. 

Last night I finished the quilting and binding of the “Ugly Quilt”. My husband likes this one a lot. He has rarely commented on any of my quilts, but when he saw this one as a top, he said he really liked it. It is from Karen Brown’s video, “what to do with ugly fabric”. That’s why I call it the Ugly Quilt. It is made from 29 men’s shirts (one was accidentally repeated). It measures 61” x 90”. It will be washed and dried today and delivered tomorrow. Here it is over my quilt frame rod.

The arrows in the second picture show the edges of the block. It is random but planned as well. 

During the straightening up of my sewing room, I found not one but THREE more shirt quilts in process. I bought a rolling 8-drawer cart on Amazon to house my WIPs. It will be so helpful for scrap quilts. I am thoroughly pleased with it. Each drawer is designed for scrapbook paper. I think the dimensions are 13.5” x 16.5”. Perfect for scrap pieces or finished blocks. When I sit down to sew, I just put the whole drawer on the little surface beside me for easy access. When I am finished sewing for the time being, I just slide the drawer back into the cart. This will definitely help me corral my ongoing projects.

Here is one of the WIPs (works in progress) I uncovered. Well, 25 of these blocks, only the colored parts. There are 80 in the final quilt. They will be “drawered” and worked on soon. Soon, as in I know where they are and have started cutting strips of light shirts to add to the sides. I made this one a few years back for my daughter in Alabama, so I call it Alabama Bound. The real name is Virginia Bound. A Bonnie Hunter pattern. This is one of the few quilts I’ve made more than once (to my knowledge), and this is my third. It is perfect for using up those little oddly-shaped shirt pieces.

I also found a nearly-finished and already-laid-out portion of this quilt...the entire center!! This is just a couple rows. I can’t find a picture of the finished quilt. The white on the right is the sun shining on the pieces. 

We had guests for meals/fellowship/games/etc three times last week. My son-in-law was recently ordained. One of the verses that was read more than once was “A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behavior, given to hospitality, apt to teach;” (I Timothy 3:2). Blameless does not mean perfect, but in good standing with everyone. When offenses have occurred, he has asked for forgiveness. The phrase “given to hospitality” stuck in my mind. Why should a bishop/pastor be given to hospitality? I don’t have the complete answer, but I know when I show hospitality, whether to friends, strangers, those needing a place to lay their weary heads on a journey (like the dramatic touch?), I feel like I have opened myself up to those people. Connections are made that won’t be made in any other setting. I spend energy and time preparing not only food but a welcoming environment for them. I let them see us for just who we are. One of our guests last week was a new family to our church. Two very young parents and a sweet 3-year-old. They were here Friday night for hours. When I saw them at church on Sunday, there were smiles of connection and remembrance of the enjoyable time we had shared. It would have taken years to get to that point if our only contact was at our church services. 

Ironically, my daughter (same SIL’s wife) is doing a Bible study on hospitality. She is teaching a ladies’ Sunday school class at her church. She sent me the outline of her notes. It is wonderful, focusing on what resulted from different times of fellowship in the New Testament. So go forth and be hospitable.

{Post 1,730} Two Finished Upcycled Shirt Tops!!

They are not pressed yet (tomorrow!)...but I just finished the second of the three shirt quilt tops. I love this one. Don’t get me wrong—I love most of my quilts. This one is just really cool. I am calling it Rails & Frames. It measures 72” x 60”. I hope I can piece an easy backing and just Get. It. Done. The pictures after the one of the whole top show some close-ups of my favorite shirt fabrics in the center of each picture. Each row of rails changed orientation 90 degrees. I am glad I went with this layout instead of my original plain rail quilt. 

I made lots more 2 + 4 = 6 blocks as I pieced this top, too. So fast and fun. 

Good night to all! It’s nearly midnight. 

{Post 1,729} Shirts, Shirts, and More Shirts

I love my upcycled shirts. Since I deboned the ones a few weeks ago at my son’s, the production of the 3 shirt quilts has been full-speed ahead. I finished the first one (from “What Can I Do With Ugly Fabric” from Just Get it Done Quilts). The second and third are well on their way to completion. 

Here is the second one...Rails & Frames as of tonight. I figured out how many more of each block I need, so I can finish this up soon.  It measures 44.5” x 72” right now, and I will be adding 3 more vertical rows to make it about 60.5” x 72”. I removed two of the blocks from the setting I showed yesterday. One of the plaid 4” framed blocks was on the diagonal, and it bothered me. So I removed it while it was still easy. I moved one of the rail fence blocks that was already sewn in because of the fabric placement.

The second one is the 2 + 4 = 6 quilt. I have quite a few of these finished. I have been making them as leaders and enders as I piece the other quilts. I took two pictures so I could see if I wanted to set it on point and use the streaks of lightning setting. Which one do you like better?

The blocks will finish at 6” square. There are lots more of these to do, but it is very enjoyable.

We are having company tomorrow night, so I have shopping and cooking to do that will be much more than I usually do. I love having company. Several errands to do tomorrow as well.

{Post 1,728} Rails & Frames

 

Here is the progress on my Rails & Frames upcycled shirt quilt. I mostly like it. I see one block of each type that I am taking out. Other than that, it is going well. It is 61” tall and 42” wide in the picture. Most of it is sewn together. The four blocks on the right section are not sewn to each other.

See Quiltville.com for webbing a quilt top after blocks are laid out. One of the most helpful tips I have ever learned.

Changes noted...