cleaning up sewing desk

I had a pile of strips that had been cut off of the width they were cut from. I started cleaning up the sewing desk and thought don't throw back in the basket use them up. 

I then made strip sets out of the 1.5 inch strips and pressed everything well. I then diced them up.

I started pairing them up and made 4-patches. They are small, but they will come handy in making a scrap quilt.

No I don't have a plan yet, but I am sure they will come in handy shortly. Scraps create scraps so I used the whole width of the strips by using as a frame for a block and then strip sets from the leftovers. 

Hopefully you can find a use for your scraps or pass them onto someone who can use them.Chris

Things are happening

I have been quiet, but not just sitting. 

We are wallpapering our living room/dining room. Lots of furniture to move and also cleaning to put back everything. 

We living in a manufactured home and the wall board is put on with strips or batten strips. So to eliminate those we chose a textured wallpaper that can be painted. It looks like the new technique used in texturing drywall. 

When you have doors windows and electrical out lets to cut around besides a fireplace that is rough stone it all takes time. Plus we are older and we hang one piece and rest. LOL

I have been working on trying to get these blocks done. I have 84 quilted out of 100. The rest of the blocks are in the process of being made. I have the centers made and waiting on pressing and then the cranberry strip needs to be sewn on. Hopefully this next week a couple good hours of work and I will have them done.

Then the fun begins. I have to lay them out to get the layout how I want it and then start connecting the blocks. I don't have a design wall and with them quilted I fon't think the weight would hold them to the wall without pinning them. 

We have had such a cold and hard Winter and I want this one done so when it does warm up I can be outside enjoying some of the nicer weather. 

My husband has a Dr's appointment this week so it will take some time out of my sewing, but it is anual checkup so we have to get it in. 

As I was sewing and cutting strips to go around the 9-patches I hade smaller strips piling up on the sewing desk. I decided yesterday to start making strip sets with the strips so they could be cut into a usable size. I think I have a 100 little 4-patches made with the small 1.5 inch strips. I have to snip the threads and press them. Not sure for certain where they will take me, but my mind is wandering. 

I can't throw away anything, but eventually they get use for another quilt. 

I hope this finds you well and warm. We are -7 degrees below zero this morning. Yesterday was horribly windy and yet Spring is coming they say. Chris

Some quiet sewing going on.

I have been slowly stitching on these blocks. Got the cranberry borders on them and then QAYG done. I now have 40 of them quilted and trimmed. 60 more to go. The quilt will be about 100X100 inches.

They are a simple 9-patch sashed with a strip and then sashed with the cranberry strip.

This is the backing on the blocks. You can see the stitching lines I am using in the quilting of the blocks. 

This has been fun because I am using the 9-patches I had stitched together. I do those as leaders and enders when sewing on other things. The other leaders and enders I make a lot are the string blocks. They use up pieces that are to small to make anything else with. 

We have had such awful Winter weather so staying in is our only option. I just heard a rumor and I hope that is just a rumor that over the next week we will receive about 30 inches of snow. Yikeeesss!. The quilt will get done in that case.  

Hope you are warm and safe. Going back to quilt some  more Chris

Life has been happening along with the weather

This is where I am going with simple 9-patches. I bordered them with a color strip and then a small cranberry strip

I am QAYG these blocks. They are easy to handle for me with this method.

This shows the quilting design I am using on these blocks. It is continuous stitching and is easy to do.

The blocks are piling up. They are 9.5 inches and it will take several to make a queen sized quilt.

Found a new/old tool to use to press at the machine. It is my wallpaper seam tool. It was in with my wallpaper tools. You can buy a new one for lots of money, but this works for my budget. 

The weather was awful this last week. Days went buy when we didn't get out of the house because of 56 below zero wind chills. Finally Saturday I was able to get to the store and stock up. 

Today the snow is melting fast, but the temp is falling. Freezing rain predicted with snow coming back on Tuesday. Live in Illinois and 20 minutes later the weather will change. 

Hope everyone is surviving this seems like the longest Winter. Getting closer to spring. Chris