we’re baaaaaack
holiday wishes
December 23, 2020blog prize patrol
January 8, 2021Hello all, Mary Ellen back again,
I hope you all enjoyed the holiday season, despite the COVID protocols we all experienced. I’m hoping that life will begin to return to normal as vaccinations become more available, and the government entities work out ways to let folks gather safely.
Did you make a New Year’s resolution this year? How many resolved to use the fabric you already own rather than buying more? I resolve that every year with only moderate success, but I think COVID will be helping me stick to it this year. I’m noticing that on our guild FaceBook page there are posts about using your scraps and stash appearing. I’m working on favors for an upcoming party (wedding shower), trying to use my scraps. It’s a small fabric patchwork basket that I’m making assembly line fashion. When I complete one, I’ll post a photo and share the pattern source. I’m at the point in the assembly where I need to quilt the outer basket before lining it. I decided to use up scraps of batting in this project too. I’m making what I’ve heard Bonnie Hunter call Frankenbatting (sewing together scraps of batting to make a larger piece). I don’t know that this process would be a good idea if your preferred batting has some “poof” to it, but since I use mostly Warm and Natural the squashing of the batting’s loft is not an issue for me. Here’s a photo of what I’m doing. Normally I would use white or ivory thread, but I used red on this piece so you could see the stitching. Once you’ve stitched enough pieces together to get the size you need, this can be cut up just as if it were whole cloth.
Saw this meme on FaceBook this morning, and if one substitutes quilting for crafting, I think we all can relate! Stay safe!
12 Comments
I wish I could say that about crafting and quilting but to tell the truth, I am lazy! Maybe I can hope to complete at least one of each…maybe in 6 months.
I have a customer who pieces together the leftover batting for quilts. When she uses them all, I use new batting from the roll, and, soon after she has pieces for new quilts. I love to see this as I don’t like waste, and she does a nice job so nothing is wonky.
I’ve made resolutions to use what fabric I have for projects. We shall see how long that lasts. I have been good about using fabric pieces for the backing. For example, I pieced together a backing for the quilt I made in Linda Hunter’s class this fall. I have been using pieces of batting that I have cut straight and joining them together with the fusible batting tape. That makes it easy and you can’t feel it in the quilt. Right now, I am piecing leftover 1 1/2 inch strips and adding white in between to make a table runner.
I saved all the 4″ or larger scraps from mask making so I hope to put them to good use. Thanks for the tip on using pieces of batting sewn together. Then all I would need would be a backing.
I am using my stash of 1 1/2 inch and 2” inch strips and stash to build my school girl sampler…. always wondered what I would do with them.
Tomorrow I’ll be able to start sewing again. Lexie is going back to work and Michelle will be watching Mya. I’ll have no helper, 😂!
I’ve used the fusible batting tape it works great, I do not like to waste either.
Can’t wait to start or finish what I’ve started
Right now Mya and dog are playing catch I’m just drinking, coffee that is.
I also piece batting together for smaller items and I use the fusible batting tape and it does work great!
My New Year’s resolution is the same as in years past….For every new project I finish I have to finish one of the “old” unfinished projects. I usually stick to this resolution for a couple of months, With Covid keeping us indoors and apart I might do better this year.
When I quilt a bigger piece and there are side or end pieces where there was nothing from the quilt top, I try to make place mats. They make nice little gifts.
I have been using my stash for some time, and it somehow continues to grow! Either that, orI just keep finding more stash!
My resolution is to use up some leftovers. I have been doing a lot of knitting and now have bins of left over yarn skeins. Pretty soon there will be no room for me in my studio! Going to start making ornaments for next Christmas to whittle it down.
Since I usually make large quilts I always have leftovers. I butt pieces together and overcast with large stitches. A few weeks ago when looking thru one of my older quilt magazines someone told of using small pieces of batting under a swifter or dust mop on floors . Thought that was a great idea.