Sunday, November 4, 2007

Using It All Up

I have staggered from my studio, covered in tiny little threads (or badges of honor, as I like to call them). The blue & white Nine-patch top is finished!

It has strange scrappy sashings. I cut strips from the collection of blue fabrics I found with the blocks. The strips between the blocks are all the same size as the blocks, but I did the sashing between the rows with odd lengths that were intended not to be the same size as the blocks!

Well, that was an interesting experiment...I'll have to look at it later and see if I like it!

I sewed the long strips of blue squares into 3 rows to make borders all around, and ended up with a top about 55" x 58".
This is why, when asked how big my quilt is going to be, I answer, "As big as it is when I'm through working on it."

By the way, I did locate the original blue & white top made from the same collection of blocks. It has a blue & white striped sashing, and the same triple-strip squares border as I made for the top today.

There were a few strips of squares left over, so I put them together to end up with 4 nine-patch blocks (all dark & medium, no real pattern) and then sewed those togther in a strip.

My goal: to use up every bit of this stuff!

I looked at the remaining blue fabric and found a piece big enough to fill in for the rest of a pillowcase hem, but no piece big enough for the bag part.

That had me rooting in the stash where I found a fabulous sateen type yard that has dark & medium blue little cresent moons! What could be better?

Now I have my own beautiful new pillowcase.
Best of all, I have entirely used up or scrap-bagged everything that had been hiding in a tote for several years!

I think I am finally getting somewhere.


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