Design Wall Monday~March 11

A few weeks ago I was lucky enough to get inexpensive fabric at a church sale. Now, due to the generosity of a friend, I have more fabric and this time it was free! This friend, Pat, makes quilts for children in Africa. She has gotten a whole circle of women to help. Even women that don't sew, are cutting fabric or in some cases, tying the quilts, although most of the quilts are machine quilted by the women.  They throw away many of the trimmings and I had said, as I love scrap quilts so much, that I would take their trimmings. I really do find cutting fabric into usable sizes soothing. This last week she gave me a  bag full of fabric. Not a small trash bag and not a thirty three gallon bag, but somewhere in between.  There were scraps in there, but also lots of yardage. Boy was I surprised!

This is a picture of the pieces that were about one yard, up to three yards for one piece. In the background you can see the smaller pile that I was going to cut into smaller pieces. Yes, I do have a system, as many do, for cutting and sorting scraps.

Here is a picture of the pieces that were anywhere between a quarter yard and half a yard(ish). Now looking at these fabrics, there are many that YOU might not use, but I subscribe to the theory that all fabric is pretty if  cut into small enough pieces. So as long as I have room, I will continue to keep, and use, these fabrics.

Smaller piece pile, uncut. You can see that green in both the bigger pieces and the scrappier pieces. One was very irregular shaped so it got cut into squares and strips.

And here is a picture of the smaller pieces, cut into, what are for me, usable pieces. The triangles were already cut, I just added white and squared them up. I'm such a lucky girl!

This last week Lori Holt released the directions for the last row of her Row Along. It's tulips. How perfect for spring! I've not had a chance to start them but I plan to have them done in the next two days. I love the rows, I know I will love the quilt when it is complete but mostly what I have truly enjoyed, is the new techniques for completing some small designs. Many that will translate, perfectly, into doll quilts. I am going to do more doll quilts!

I tend to be a little behind the curve. Or is it behind the wave? Last year everyone seemed to be into hexies and I just wasn't. It could have been because I had worked on some yo-yo's and felt I didn't need another handwork project. But I have been bitten! I want to do some hexies. Small hexies for doll quilts. I've ordered a template and papers. I'm too lazy to make them myself and I'm willing to wait for the products to arrive. This years trend, so far, as been scrappy Trips Around the World, but I had already done one so I've not joined in. The other favorite, right now, is chevron quilts. Again, not appealing to me, but if the hexies are an example, next year I will be doing chevrons while everyone else has moved on to something else!


Oh! I just remembered. I have a confession to make. I made a new quilt top. I'm not supposed to as long I'm behind on my 2013 UFO goal, but what the heck? It's my rule. What happened is this.....Sophie issued the directions for the new Block Lotto for March. The block was simple, it had to incorporate gray and white, and another color of our choice. I was going through my scraps. This particular tub, has pinks, purples and blues. My intent wasn't to limit my color choices to these colors, but that is what happened. Then I started making the blocks and liked them so well, that I decided rather than waiting to see if I won the lottery this month. And then having a multi colored scarppy quilt. That I would make some blocks for me and also donate some to Block Lotto. Donating means you don't want a chance to win any of this months blocks. So here is what I did with the thirty blocks I made myself.  Isn't that limited palette pretty?

Boy I've been long winded today!

Enjoy!
Toni