Sewing Room Explosion

The other day on Facebook I mentioned it looked like a bomb had gone off in my sewing room.  

Well......I think there's been more than one!

When I'm on a cutting frenzy with my GO cutter, that's exactly what happens, and I ignore the messes while working until the job is done.   Have you ever watched the famous Eleanor Burns and her demos or attended one of her Quilt In a Day Classes?   She's hilarious and doesn't pay any attention to the messes, and actually just throws the scraps on the floor and over her shoulder.   I actually do clean it up in between explosions, but there were several bombs in a row.  That's my excuse and I'm sticking to it.   (besides......it's the only excuse that I have.)

Thought I'd give ya'll a partial visual tour of what I'm talking about.  Now you didn't think I'd show the whole sewing room, did you?  No Way!


I use the pages from the many throw-away catalogs I get in the mail to cover my fabrics on the die before rolling through the GO cutter.  It works well, and I end up with perfect quilt squares for my Etsy Shop.

Trash can area.



And with all that cutting, here's my scrap basket that's overflowing; selveges, edges, trimmings, slivers,  etc.  Looks like it's time to make a couple more kitty pillows again and use the scraps for the stuffing.   You can wash & dry them, but last time the pillows got yucky, I just threw them away.

This is just one end of my cutting table with the useable leftovers I need to cut into 2" and 2 1/2" squares.  Ok...I know what you're thinking.  What do the zippers have to do with cutting squares?  I've also been making more zipper bags and just shoved the bin of zippers to the side of the table while I used the GO cutter.

Well......there you have it.  That's what I did over the weekend.


Thanks for visiting.

Now What?

I've shared about my 3 "furry roomates" before.  But what's a gal to do when the  "chief quilting supervisor" is just too demanding and you want to sew? 

No, you can't have the seam ripper.  I might need it for these stars I'm sewing, and I need it close by.

I save all the little selveges, trim pieces, corners, and slivers of all the fabrics, & battings that I cut with my GO and also when I'm sewing.    Here's the result.

This is one of those LARGE plastic shopping bags...overflowing.

Now What?

Well, you might not think it's very big......so here's another view so you can get some perspective.

Now What?

Grab any old piece of fabric and make a couple quick pillow cases.....any size, any color.  Will this grey polyester work?  Sure.

Now What?

Fill 'em up with those scraps, scatter some catnip inside & sew the ends shut.

Meoooow!  What's this, Mom?   Something new here.   I think I'll check it out.

Ahhhh......these feel pretty good.

Mom's trying to take my picture.  I'll just turn the other way.

She's doing it again.....

At least the scraps are off the floor and the bag is not overflowing!

Now what?

Save some more.........that's what.

Thanks for visiting.

Playing in the Messes!

It seems regardless of how much time I spend sewing/quilting in my sewing room,  I make more messes, and more messes......and end up with  lots more scraps. 

These piles of useable scraps get shoved to the corner of my cutting table and sit there for days.    Where's the Cleaning Fairy when you need her???.... that's what I want to know.....???  Is she at your house?  Send her back to mine 'cause you can't keep her.

One afternoon there was some noise coming from underneath my cutting table, and I looked down and Mr. GO was whining.  He hadn't had any attention in a few days, and was just sitting there, pouting.

OK...OK...I'll use you today.  Mr. GO is very real to this quilter.

This is not all of them, 'cause I just snapped a picture of a few of them.


Maybe these can be sewn together for something.   What??   I don't know, but at least that particular pile of scraps will be off the corner of my cutting table.  I sure had fun cutting and playing in that mess of scraps.


Let's see what we can do with them.....

Ahhhh.....Yes!  They are happier now being sewn together.  Maybe  they could be the start of a Chinese Coin quilt???  something other than a mess.....for sure.


What do you think??  Have you been playing in 'your messes' lately?


Thanks for visiting.

Scraps & Fabric Prices Rising

Today I want to talk saving/using SCRAPS!   Ok..I know, it's another one of my many resolutions this year....using up my scraps.


Everytime I start to throw some fabric scraps away, I think about the cost of my fabrics and the prices rising this year.  Cotton prices have already  risen, so we are already starting to see increases in the pricing structure of our fabrics.  Fabrics that used to cost us $7-8 a yard are now priced at $9-10 a yard.

There's so many ways to use our scraps and lots of bloggers/quilters are joining in on the fun!  I thought I'd share a few of the ideas for saving/using our scraps that I've recently seen. 



Here's Bonnie's solution to saving/storing scraps.  It's a long read, but one that will get you thinking. 

 http://www.quiltville.com/scrapusersystem.shtml

 

Okay, so we've got the cutting & storing down....now what to do with them?

  

Shannon at Fabrics 'n Quilts has created a Scrap Quilt Challenge we can all join.   Click on her link to see her start of using up some scraps.

 http://fabricsnquilts.blogspot.com/2010/12/beginning-of-scrap-quilt.html

I love this pattern for using hexagons.  And I've got a plastic bin full of these...mmmmh!  Paulette always has good ideas on her blog too.

http://sweetp-paulette.blogspot.com/search?q=hexagons

I like to use some of my scraps to make small dolly quilts like this one. 

 

I also like to use some  my scraps for my never ending hexagon project.........

Or cutting circles for making yo-yo's.........

So, there you have it.......just a few ways for saving/using your scraps and I know there's plenty more.

How do you like to use up your scraps??

Thanks for visiting.

WANTED: FABRIC SCRAPS MAGIC FAIRY??

I need help! Is there a Fabric Scraps Saving Magic Fairy out there somewhere???



My fabric scraps saving has got to stop! I used to save all of my quilt fabric scraps & sell "surprise scrap grab bags" on Ebay. I stopped doing that, as could only get $1-$2 for a Priority Mail Tyvek envelope full of them. I even sold 2" squares for watercolor projects in sets of 100 different print squares. Lots of cutting on that one, my friends! Then I sold 2" strips to use up the bolt ends. Also, stopped doing that due to the Jelly Roll frenzy and the popular size changed to 2 1/2" wide.

So, NOW....what to do with all of these scraps?? When I was cleaning up from another project and scraps were everywhere, I knew there had to be something better to do with all of this mess! Well sure.... make scrappy string blocks, naturally! I started cutting squares of backing fabrics out of muslin and started sewing 2 nights ago. Great project when you don't want to concentrate on doing something intricate, but yet you still want to sew. I like to do this at night while also watching tv for an hour or so. You'd be surprised how many blocks you can get made in one hour.

I've only done this 2 nights in a row now, and have over 23 blocks made.

What to do with all of the little tiny scrappy pieces??? I save those too!! I save all of those itsy teeny pieces, selveges, thread clumps, batting scraps, trim edges, etc. in plastic grocery bags. When I have 2-3 of these bags totally full I give them to a quilter friend of mine. She uses these scraps as "stuffing" for doggie pillows for the local shelters & Doxie Rescue Foster homes. Fleece works very well for the pillow covers, and you can make them big or small, depending upon the dog breed.

Now you know why I am looking for the Fabric Scraps Magic Fairy!

My sewing room is becoming a scrap room!

Thanks for stopping by!

A QUILT POEM TO SHARE

This is a poem I received from a quilting friend, and thought it was a great one to share on my blog.

I THINK GOD IS A QUILTER

I think God is a quilter

Who takes His needle and thread

To piece our world from nothingness

And give it form , instead.

I think God is a quilter

And everything I see

Are pieces from His careful hand

From tree to bumblebee.

I think we see God's stitches

His texture everywhere;

The velvet moss, the grainy sand,

The silk strands of hair.

I think God is a quilter

Stitching tight and tiny rows,

Adding to my scraps and pieces

Seaming everything He knows.

I think He cuts the patterns

From what I'd throw away.

He shows me how to use each scrap

in His redeeming way.

I think God guilts a pattern

From everything I live;

But He can only stitch the quilt

From what I choose to give.

I think God is a quilter

Stitching strength where I am weak.

Showing me that life He touches

Embraces everything I seek.

I think God is a quilter

From the patience in each thread;

Proving length of time no barrier,

Treating time a gift, instead.

I think guilts are lessons

God uses just to teach

That our pieces and our remnants

Have kaleidoscopic reach.

So, in the life I'm living

With pieces everywhere

I'll give them to the Quilter

To stitch with loving care!

I'll give them to the Quilter

Unwanted though they be

And with His work of quilting

He'll make a quilt of me.

From the book Quilted With Love by Debbie Salter Goodwin