bargain basement and kittens

Bargain basement center is finished and much smaller than I expected -time for borders. I'd like to use shirts for the inner border, but I am not sure I have enough of any one shirt to do that. I may have to go scrappy.

The sherbet quilt has a back and binding all ready to go for quilting.

 In this box is 1,580  2 1/2 inch half square triangles for box kite. It sure doesn't look like a whole quilt - quilt seeds.
I had a stack of scraps that I thought would best be cut into 2 1/2 in strips, so I just used the accuquilt triangle die instead. There are 6 triangles on the die, so one pass was enough matching for one block - easy counting.

A Tale of Cats: apparently a stray cat had a liter of kittens in our barn. She hid them very well, eventually she moved them to the garage. They were more independent by the time we saw them. They were very skiddish. We just couldn't get close. Within a week of seeing them and counting them and formulating a plan, we found the mother dead on the road. Oh my, we don't want cats, I am allergic to cats, we couldn't just let them die. It took 2 weeks of bringing milk to them to get them this far. But if we moved or made a noise, they were gone like smoke. My husband is a softie. He started buying them canned food, and they ate that.

There are 5 cute adorable kitties, but I can't have a cat as much as I would like, and certainly not 5. We made a date and cleaned a cage. We put milk inside and some days we would have 1 or 2 in the cage. When we had four, we closed it and took them to the animal shelter. It was a hard thing to do. And we still have the most skiddish cat left in the garage, and we haven't even gotten close. She won't come out when we are in there with the food.

I don't know if feral cats can be trained, or if any one would want one, but I am hoping they have a chance for a nice home and lots of love.

I am linking to:
needle and thread thursdays
oh scrap
I may have a scrap problem 

I am linking to:

TGIFF

Finished or Not Fridays   

Whoop Whoop

Crazy Mom QUilts

A new template

I have been working on the borders for Bargain basement ( Bonnie Hunter scraps and shirttails). I was so excited to open a template package and actually use it. And it is nifty.

cutting was a breeze with the creative grids ruler, but sewing took a bit to figure how to hold my mouth to get the points right. I started thinking I would sew in pairs first. Luckily, I didn't get them all done, before I tried putting them together. It is much better to add one at a time so that I could line them up with the triangle on the bottom. I could match three of the sides before stitching the seam.

Linda had an appraisal done for the Indiana quilt and her happy birds quilt. The Indiana quilt appraised at $1550.00 and..

happy birds at $1950.00

These results were surprising to all of us. Mostly, this is a reflection of replacement costs. Sometimes as quilters, we devalue what we do - It's just a hobby, something I slapped together. That couldn't be further from the truth. Every stitch is an expression of parts of us that no one ever sees. Our work on each quilt is a lesson in progress not perfection. I know I grow better with every attempt I make, not just in skill level, but in my heart and soul. As I read quilter's blogs, I can see how they are changing and growing with every quilt they make. I love to see that.
I am worried that the next generation doesn't realize the soul satisfaction of creating something beautiful ( or not) from inside of themselves. I know many who make it seem that it is not worthwhile to take the time to make it yourself, not with walmart on every corner. They are wrong.

Picture from Bonnie hunter at quiltville.
I am linking to:
WOW
Midweek Makers
Jo's Country Junction UFO
Bee Social
Silly Mama WIP

WIPs with friends

boms away

This and that

the hourglass swap blocks are finished.

100 more 2 inch 1/2 square  triangles are trimmed

there were 100 1 1/2 inch 4 patches -so cute!

I like the way the border is working on this quilt

It is hard to believe that July is almost here. Our summer has been mild with a bit of rain every other day or so. I am still digging through scrap bins. Feeling a little aimless now that the One monthly goal and the Ufo 2017 is done. But that is also good.

I am linking to:

Fiber Tuesday -

Free Motion by the River

to do tuesday

too cute tuesday

orange crush - one monthly goal

Orange crush is finished. yahoo!!!

I had 2 quilts I wanted to finish for June, Maxine,

and Orange Crush a Bonnie Hunter design. this is a free pattern under the free pattern tab. It was the mystery quilt for 2008
One monthly goal has really helped me to finish quilts this year., which makes me more confident starting new ones that I might finish them.
My small quilting group is planning to start Jen Kingwell's Bring me flowers.

I have done 2 of her patterns- gypsy wife and happy birds, and they were very difficult. I think, instead of joining them on their quilt, I will do Glitter instead with them. I ordered the templates.

I think it looks easier, but I haven't tried it yet. I may be surprised.

I found this at the estate sale and thought it looked fun, but I have no idea how or what I will do with it.

My very first quilt was a sunbonnet Sue and overall sam for my first born son in 1978. I didn't know what I was doing, but I got it finished. It was more for decoration, since I thought a strong wind might take it apart. haha.

I am linking to:

Making Monday

Moving it Forward Monday 

main Crush Monday

design wall monday

One monthly goal

Stash report June 25, 2017

There was a great estate sale in my area. The amount of fabric was impressive and so fun to revisit with some oldies but goodies fabric. I felt like I was buying my 1990s stash all over again. And I still love the fabric. florals and plaids and stripes oh my. And I even bought a few scrap bags. In this batch there was 22.1/4 yards.

Stash report

Fabric Used this Week 1 yards
Fabric Used year to Date: 222 3/4 yards


Fabric Added this Week:22 1/4 yards
Fabric Added Year to Date: 197 yards

Net Fabric for 2017: 25 3/4 yards more used than added
I am getting dangerously close to tipping in the other direction.

I also added these ...

So I spent some time cutting up scraps ...again...still..

 My priority in cutting

strips at least 6 in long
2 inch strip
1 1/2 in strips
2 1/2 in strips

2 1/2 x 4 1/2 rectangle
2 x 3 1/2 in rectangle
2 1/2 in square
2 inch square
triangles
2 1/2 in
2 inch
strings and crumbs

I am linking to:

Slow Sunday Stitching

sharing Sunday

string piecing magic

Still working on the yellow scraps. I wanted nine yellow for the cutting garden quilt and the Rainbow scrap challenge.

Tu na  quilts asked if the string blocks magically make themselves, since she sees the beginning and the end of the process on my blog. :)  I thought I might try sharing how I make them. This time, I am trying to make straight pieces that will make a piano key type of border for my diamond string quilt.  I pull out a string and if it is bigger than 4 1/2 inches I sew them together. I am not using any foundation for this part. I am just laying right sides together and then pressing open.

This pile is a pile of triangles I am pulling out as I reach into the bag of strings and crumbs. When I am making string blocks that are diagonal on a square, the triangles are wonderful for finishing up the last bit of the edge.

I'm not sure why, but I have delegated my Singer treadle as the string/ crumb piecing machine. It sits in my living room and I can watch TV from the chair while I am treadling. And, generally, on Saturday evenings, my husband and I are tired and we watch tv together. This gives me something to do with my hands ( and feet). Thus, String Saturday. I have lots of wonderful projects for Tv time, but I wanted to devote a regular time to strings and crumbs.

I am not too concerned  about color or shape. I can straighten them up fairly easily when I decide what I will add next.

If I have several pieces together that will match up with another, I can put parts together too.  When I draw a string out of the bag, I look over the made pieces I have on the table, and find a place it will fit. The green piece below was the right size to go down the side of this piece. And the pieces were a batch of strings that were not wide enough for the border. I haven't decided if I will use only straight pieces or will like the look of different directions.

Here are just a few of the sets I have made before they all blew away.

 Ah, but, oh my, I have made a real mess. The idea was to clean up after every Saturday since it is the living room. but I keep just stopping a minute to add one more string and, well, the mess just keeps building.

I am linking to
 SewCan She

rsc17 super saturday

templates

Does our templates look like this? ack..

Many of these templates are still in their original packaging. Why am I not using them?
I bought a new template at the quilt show

I still haven't used it. I have my favorite templates, and that is all I think about when it is time to cut.

While talking with my daughter, I added the side pieces to the bargain basement blocks. And now I have a puzzle. the cutting directions called for 3 x 9 1/2 inch rectangles to complete the block. The actual directions say to add the 3 1/2 x 9 1/2 inch rectangle to the block. I cut 3 inch hmmmm. It's measuring time!

I uncovered a baggie of twosies of red and white 4 patches. The bag had 100 written  on it. I didn't recount, but I did sew them together. I was going to do it leader/ender style, but they were so cute and addictive, I just kept sewing and sewing... tee hee they are so cute. I don't remember why they were left undone, or what they were meant to be. They are made from 1 1/2 inch strips and are 2 1/2.

another clean up job, is the leftover tumblers. from this quilt -what to do... I thought I could make an orphan block with them or, maybe, a border.  In the back of my mind, I felt that my piecing skills were not the best on the tumbler quilt, so I want to prove myself, too. But, like chips and salsa,  it never comes out even. I have to cut more light tumblers, so I am not really "getting rid" of the tumblers. sigh...
I used 2 1/2 inch tumblers and I tried a zig zag setting. This setting is much easier to be accurate. And it used a ton of little scraps.

I can see floor in my "studio" again, and bits and pieces of projects have been gathered together, and a few decisions have been made. But, tomorrow I will come clean about my string piecing mess. Does that happen to you? When you clean something, does something else fall apart?

I am linking to:
needle and thread thursdays
oh scrap
I may have a scrap problem 

I am linking to:

TGIFF

Finished or Not Fridays   

Whoop Whoop

Crazy Mom QUilts

bargain basement shirts

I have been accidentally working on Bonnie Hunter's bargain basement quilt from scraps and shirttails. Accidentally, in that, I have been cutting through scraps, and I ran into a batch of shirt yokes and cuffs and collars. I didn't think I would have enough to cut out the whole bargain basement, but I could make a dent in the cutting. I had enough to make all the 3 1/2 inch rectangles I would need. so any littler pieces went toward any other pieces I would need.

I was in luck when I found, while sorting, several 3 1/2 inch odd shirting blocks that I could use for the specialty squares. I had a few 4 patch and 1/2 square triangles that I could make work. It was so easy to keep going....

I found all the 6 1/2 inch strips I would need in the 2 inch bin of strips. It is amazing how easily this quilt is coming together. Such a happy accident!

I have been working on the bonus triangle black hole. I have pressed and counted and trimmed.

I should have some options for quilt with all that I am finding int the BIG bin that I have used to toss and forget.

unfortunately, the 2 1/2 inch squares that I had nearly used up in projects has filled back up to this. I don't really want the squares. I can just use strips when I need them but when that is the last bit of a scrap it would be wasteful not to cut them. I find these velveeta containers at goodwill and they are perfect for the squares.

I am in the mood to keep cutting shirts and parts. I forget how much I love the look and feel of recycled shirt fabric in a quilt.until I get to play with them again.
I found this pattern that I think would work with plaids. Although, my inspiration board has several, and I have a couple ideas from Bonnie's scraps and shirttails books. I love these books

I am linking to:
WOW
Midweek Makers
Jo's Country Junction UFO
Bee Social
Silly Mama WIP

WIPs with friends

boms away

ribbon border

I like this, but it wasn't what I thought I wanted, so back to the drawing board, so to speak.

I needed it more dark then light. I decided to add black every other one.

It would have been better to have changed to a black thread, but I don't think it was obvious on the front so .. oh well.  I keep a neutral thread on my machine all the time. It works 99% of the time. I sewed twice using the bonus buddy. I love the bonus triangles

They finish at 2 inches and are so cute!There should be 96 of them in black and white and 96 in print and white

and the snowball blocks are finished as well

I didn't press the triangles at first so I could nest the seams. The black on the left and the color on the right.

I think that is better.

I am working on the hour glass blocks for this year's leader/ender challenge. I just need to finish the neutrals for my swap partners.

And it is back on the design wall. Progress is slowing since every seam has to be pinned and each seam is getting longer.

I am linking to:

Making Monday

Moving it Forward Monday 

main Crush Monday

design wall monday

I am linking to:

Fiber Tuesday -

Free Motion by the River

to do tuesday

too cute tuesday

scraptastic tuesday