Save It or Trash It???

Thanks for all of your comments on my last blog. 

I hope you are all happy because you hung guilt over my head and made me do it. 

Today, I dug into my studio waste basket and pulled out that last remaining bit left from my fabric packs. (I don't empty the trash daily, obviously, and  I don't put other things in my waste basket -- only sewing scraps.)

And now the debate is on............ 

Should I save it (and use it) or am I crazy and this tiny bit of fabric should go back into the trash?

Seriously........

What would you do with it?

The Beginning or the End?

 

What triggers your quilting excitement?  Is it the thrill of breaking into a new fabric collection? Or is it the satisfaction that comes with using up all of the fabric?

I just couldn't wait to see what I could do with these bright and cheery Moda fabrics-- Comma Mini Charm Packs and the coordinating thread by Aurifil.

Out popped house after house, and with the addition of only three of my stash fabrics, I completed this wall-size quilt top.

To set off my 2-1/2" fabric squares, I chose a rich hand-dyed wool from The Wooly Lady. I also added a grey plaid homespun and a pearl grey polished cotton. Three different textures and finishes to create depth in the piece.

Now I was down to just a few narrow strips of my fabrics and used them in the borders.

There I did it. To my great satisfaction, I used it all.

Well, almost. I did have a small square of fabric left, less that an inch in size. 

I was conflicted, should I find a way to use it also?

In a bold 2013 movement, I gently placed it in the trash.

Linked to Off the Wall Fridays

2013 Blessings

Like newly fallen snow, the Lord has blanketed your life with blessings. 

Celebrate and

Give thanks each and every day.

From our house to yours.......

Happy New Year 2013!

Christmas Wishes and New Beginnings

My wish is that you had as wonderful a Christmas as we did. Everything was perfect, noisy, cluttered, wet and snowy, so much to be thankful for, topped off with a beautiful church service celebrating Jesus, the Light of the World.

Now, I can't wait to break into my sewing studio which was cleaned and things put away before Christmas. I was lucky enough to win a pack of threads from Aurifil and fabrics from Moda just before Christmas and I've been WAITING to plunge into them. I just love the colors.

I couldn't wait any longer and cut into them. It's so fun to see what can be done with a 2- 1/2" square of fabric (or two).  These became windows or are they gifts wrapped in colorful ribbons (a hold-over from Christmas gifts)?

Add some half-square triangles to the mix.

Do I see city lights in my future quilt making?

A few larger pieces of fabric may be in order. Come back and see where I go from here.

Meanwhile....

Celebrate a wonderful New Year.

Nine Patch Quad Completed

Nine Patch Quad

21" x 21"

©2012 Sharon V. Rotz

With your words of encouragement from last Friday's post, I continued on free-motion machine quilting around my pods shapes.

Soon the surface was quilted and I enjoyed the moment. I'm so happy that I jumped in with this design. When I started quilting, I didn't draw out the motifs, I just let it all happen. Once I started, I was committed as removing the stitching would damage, or at least scar, the fabric.

In some open areas, I added bending lines to fill in and even the spacing between the quilting lines.

I didn't want the binding to show on the edge of the quilt, so I chose to finish the edge with a faced binding.  I had just enough fabric left to cut strips for my binding. I used the same size strips as I would if I were making a traditional binding. The strips were folded lengthwise and pressed, again as I would for a traditional binding.

Then I stitched the strips together matching the sizes needed for the quilt. I mitered the corners and ended up with a frame shaped facing. I laid this on the front of the quilt and stitched around the edge with a 1/4" seam allowance. The facing was then pressed to the back of the quilt and finished with hand stitching.

Linked to Off the Wall Fridays