Three Quilts Complete...One to go...

Was clearing out my sewing stash and found a hand pieced quilt top that my mother had made from scraps of cotton left over from our toddler play clothes.

The rabbit feed used to come in cotton print sacking, about 1 yard/50 pound bag. She used the cloth to make shirts for my Dad and cute little outfits for my brother and I.

What better project than to divide it four ways and make heirloom quilted snuggles for my grandkids! Uh-huh, hold that thought, but then do a fast reality check and discover that I no longer HAVE any toddler-sized grandkids!

I inherited that quilt top and carried it around with me for 20 some years, always intending to do something with it; it's about number one on my Bucket List.

Now I know why she didn't ever finish it. The white pieces were from old recycled sheets, and are full of tiny rust stains and other marks that she probably couldn't see while she was piecing it all together.

She made the squares while doing night duty obstetrics, sitting in a darkened room, waiting for babies to be born.

However, such blemishes aren't an issue if what we want is something the kids can use right away and not have to worry about 'saving' a priceless antique. It's been saved too long as it is. In fact, some of the fabric is pretty fragile.

So, I carefully unpicked a seam down the middle, dividing the top into 2 lengths 4x7 squares each. Since they live in California, heavy batting and backing aren't necessary. I didn't want to buy more fabric, but none of the rest of my stuff seemed to go with this colorway. Fortunately, Target was having sale on their fleece blankets ($10!) so I bought a couple of those and used that for backing.

Then I tacked it all together using button quilting. :) Since the buttons can be sewed on by machine, it really saves the old fingers. That old cotton sheeting is really tough as leather!

All is not complete, however, since I have 3 grandchildren and only 2 quilts done, so for the baby (who, I have it on reliable authority, is now big enough to ride all the rides at Disneyland!) I needed to whip up another blanket.

I had some fleece remnants that were soft and bright, so cut them into squares with pinking shears, pieced them, and floated them onto a bigger piece of fleece, folding over the extra to make edge binding:

Then I tacked it together with button quilting, too. The buttons are vintage, as well as the fabrics, being from my button box, which contains inherited items from two grandmothers, mother, sister and mother-in-laws.

[Note how the buttons cleverly conceal any misaligned corners on this stretchy fabric that might be seen, otherwise...]

So, these three little quilts finished some projects on my bucket list, were fun to do, and will be perfect for tweens, because they can wrap up for movies on the floor with them, take them on sleep overs, or sit out on the deck in the sunshine to read a book. Well, in my household, at least, they would never be allowed to use 'good' blankets for those activities, LOL.

Meanwhile, I have finished the 9-point star patches begun in the mid 1970s and pieced the quilt top together.

It just needs a backing and filler, because it is for me and I live where WINTER happens... Maybe I'll go back to Target and see if their cotton sheet blankets are still on sale. If I float the top on woven cotton, with one of my washable wool blankets sandwiched between, and tack it firmly with lots of buttons........

Stash getting out of hand?

Want/need some of that new yarn (fabric, patterns, rubber stamps, paints, clay) but can’t fit any more in until you use up what’s already there?

Are friends and family beginning to worry that you need an intervention?

Well, hey, pack up the extras and come on over to an end of summer stash party. Donate, trade, buy, sell – as you wish. Leftovers go home with you, or can be dropped in a charity box (to be consulted upon, but might be the PTO Thrift Shop, alternative high school, women’s shelter…?)

1-3pm Saturday, August 29

6751 Scio Church Road, A2 (1.2 miles west of Zeeb, on the left. We’re in the ‘granny’ apartment around back.)

Light refreshments, good company, lovely weather, Crafters’ time! (sorry, but this tiny house isn’t safe for very small children)

Oh, and drive in very carefully, as there are multiple small children, goats, dogs, cats, turkeys and chickens wandering the yard and driveways, LOL.

More Stashbusting -- Sewing

There was a time, not so long ago, when I did a great deal of sewing. I made all my own clothes, except bras after the first one, (everyone should make one, of course, to prove some obscure point, I suppose) plus shirts for my husband and assorted kinds of clothing for the children. Then there were household goods, such as curtains, pillows, blankets, slip covers, window quilts, and on...

No more. My poor sewing machine has been so neglected of late that it had to go in for a tune up because Viking machines are meant to be workhorses, used every day practically, or they freeze up. Sad.

But since I merely make occasional repairs, anymore, or sometimes a new wallet or purse -- and that isn't likely to happen much in the future -- some of the sewing stash needs to find new homes, too.

For instance, I have used Lutterloh's excellent pattern making system for more than 20 years, and before that, Patterns Unlimited, which was the US version (or rip off) of it. I wore out the first issues of both and have more recent replacements, hardly used:



















Patterns Unlimited is poorer quality printing, and all the tools are of paper, but this 1979 set I just bought on eBay does not appear to have been used. The models are separate from the pattern parts (unlike Lutterloh, which has the patterns piece templates on the back side of the model). There are 200 patterns, plus another 50 with model and pieces on same sheet, plus a special edition of 50 more patterns that are a mix of women's, children's and mens. There are three 1980 fashion booklets of about 20 or so mixed patterns each. Also, the main binder has many pages of sewing, pattern making, and general information on how to use the system.


















There are seven supplements to the 1986 edition of the Lutterloh system: #189-193, plus a special edition #20 for children:

















A boot box full of threads, most from the last 20 years: mostly cotton poly...




















Zippers! These span several generations, all types and sizes...

Stashbusting -- Progress!

So, okay, I have too much yarn -- meaning I can't buy any more yummy stuff until I make use of what I already have, some of which I have been carrying around with me for many years!

And this winter I have made some progress. Here are a few things I have knitted and crocheted (minus the several scarves and baby blankets that went for Christmas/Ayyam-i-Ha presents to family):
















Baby and toddler blankets,















More blankets, and a washrag (that's what a clever knitter calls a swatch knit to test a new pattern...)














Some baby and doll hats (the latter being what happens when gauge doesn't come out big enough for babies. Who knew babies had such BIG heads?)




















A couple crocheted bags...
















A super soft and warm capelet in Christmas colors...

And last but not least (especially as I have about 7 other projects currently on the needles)...











A silver gator (yummy!) two scarves, and a shawl to go over that little black dress...or, pink strapless prom dress?

Stashbusting -- Rubber Stamps

I love my rubber stamps, but there's a limit to how many I can hoard. (Especially if I want to buy more....)

It's embarrassing to see how many there are in the storage boxes. I love them dearly and can think of all sorts of neat stuff to do with them whenever the urge to purge strikes.

But, realistically? Some of them just aren't being used. They need to go to a loving home that will make full use of their potential.

Or, at very least, they will go into someone else's stash -- preferably someone who isn't living with me!

The following stamps are mostly Stampin' Up, with a few whose origins are mysterious. All are in excellent condition, some never used, all mounted on wood blocks.

* Frame & words, (frame is Stampin' Up 1995, but I don't know what the words are),















* Three little dinosaurs want to play (looks like they have been played with a lot, but are still good for more fun)












* Some loose small stamps that wandered by one day and joined the stash,










* Two-Step Stampin' Fresh Flowers set, (Stampin' Up 2004)















* Words by Wanda set (Stampin' Up 2003),


















* Two- Step Stampin' Fanciful Favorites set (Stampin' Up 2001),




















* Seasonal Images set (Stampin' Up 1998) mounted but never used,
















* A Light Heart set (Stampin' Up 2006),

Stashbusting - Scrapbooking 2

Spring cleaning time: that stash is just two cumbersome, and let's face it: I can't live long enough to use it all! (Probably only certain superfemmes might be able to...like Karen!)

So, here's what is going to leave my cupboards:

* Peel and stick alphabet diecuts,






















* Embellisments you trim and attach manually (not self-adhesive),

















* Words and sayings stickies, plus some bubble stickies of words,






















* Self-adhesive edgings, plus some words,

















* Assorted larger, laser-cut, embellisments (5-10")


















* 27 sheets of 12x12 inch album paper,
















* Marvy watercolor markers, opened, but never used (2 months old),














* a rotary cutter with smooth and deckle blades (never used), plus a Xyron tape adhesive dispensor (needs refill)

Stashbusting -- Scrapbooking 1

It's Spring cleaning time...and my stash of creative project supplies is more than ready for sorting, purging and storing!

Before putting up a whole bunch of auctions on eBay, I'm giving you, dear family and friends, first choice of the goodies. Offers of cash, creative bartering, or negotiations for birthday/graduation gifts will be considered....

Among those things that I'm finally admitting I probably won't get around to using are two Barbara Walton scrapbook kits, including album, papers, stick-on alphabets and embellishments, and page protectors.

This small one also comes with an idea book...
















The larger one also has rub-on sayings and embellisments, a choice of fancy initials to slip into the front cover, a sheet of Fresh Cuts Easter cutouts, and two partially used sheets of die cut words and tags...

















These are brand new, ready to go (except for where I included a couple partially used embellishment pages) and without funny smells, pet hair or molds.